"Diving" translated from English literally means scuba diving, diving. The heyday of scuba diving culture dates back to the life of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who was also its founder. It was Jacques-Yves Cousteau and the French engineer Galyan - his friend - who became the creators of the world's first scuba gear. Fans of scuba diving immediately received the name scuba divers or divers. Later, when diving became widespread, it was called diving.
Although diving entered the masses with the invention of scuba gear, people sought to explore the depths of the sea long before this moment. The first known type of diving is breath-hold diving. This type of diving is called “free diving” or “skin diving”. These types of diving still retain their popularity and are used in both business and sports. Commercial divers include Japanese and Korean divers, as well as pearl divers. Free diving is quite difficult: when diving, the water puts pressure on the diver's lungs, compressing them. In addition, skin diving cannot be particularly long, because... When diving, the diver experiences a lack of oxygen and is limited by the time he can hold his breath. The average person can hold their breath for about 1 minute. Special training helps extend this time to 5 or even more minutes. The latest record recorded a dive of more than 100 meters, and a breath hold exceeding 8 minutes.
Another type of diving is chamber diving. The chamber allows the pressure around the diver to be normalized and is able to maintain it relatively similar to atmospheric pressure. This prevents the pressure of the water masses from affecting the diver's body.
The next stage in the development of diving was diving underwater with air supplied from the surface. In the case of such a dive, the diver received oxygen through a hose, which was connected either to a special regulator or directly to the diving suit.
From breathing through a hose, humanity has moved towards using scuba gear for diving with compressed air or other gas mixtures, which are pumped into the scuba tank and worn by the diver on his back during the dive. Modern diving exists in two varieties: recreational and professional. People engage in recreational diving for fun, while professional divers perform various diving jobs.
But diving is not that easy! In addition to traditional underwater diving, diving also means diving, which are types of free diving: high diving and cliff diving, which are also extreme sports. Special diving competitions are held annually, in which brave daredevils from all over the world take part.
The world has to thank the king of the Maui tribe in Hawaii, Kahekili, for the advent of diving. In 1770, he became famous for his mastery of "lele kava", which meant jumping into the water from high cliffs. To prove their loyalty, the warriors of Kahekili's army had to make such jumps with him. The main goal of Maui's jumps was to jump into the water like a soldier, but to produce a minimal amount of splash. Another generation later, during the reign of King Kamehameha I, Maui turned diving into a competitive sport. Judges were specially convened to monitor the correctness of the jump and the amount of splashes. Unfortunately, diving has since been forgotten, and interest in high diving reappeared only in the 20th century in Europe. This was facilitated by classical diving athletes, who began to use their sports skills in public, which caused a lot of delight among the audience. Over time, such events began to become widespread; it was clear that such spectacles were able to attract more spectators. And a large number of people are “addicted” to the jumps themselves. Therefore, in 1996, the World High Diving Federation was formed. Its headquarters were located in Switzerland.
In 2000, cliff diving returned to its homeland of Hawaii, Kaunola, on the Kahikili ledge.
High diving or cliff diving?
In fact, high and cliff diving are different. High diving enthusiasts jump into the water from specially built structures, not necessarily for diving, but man-made: scaffolding, cranes on docks, towers in swimming pools. Not every diver dares to engage in cliff diving. In this type of diving, athletes perform their jumps from cliffs in natural conditions that are far from safe. A successful jump for a sports cliff diver depends on numerous secondary factors, such as speed and gusts of wind, delay at start, correct jump, etc. An unsuccessful jump is almost 100% death, because... the athlete may be carried onto rocks or into shallow water.
Why is diving so fitness?
The number of diving enthusiasts is increasing every year. However, to seriously engage in any type of diving, you need to be in good physical shape, have remarkable strength and endurance. A person can acquire the necessary physical shape only as a result of regular fitness classes. And in the process of diving itself, muscles and various body systems are trained well.
High diving is one of the most exhilarating extreme sports. Let us immediately note what it isthe hobby is very dangerous for health and life, provided that you do not have the proper preparation and the required amount of training. Read below for a detailed article (+ video) about the relatively young extreme water sport of cliff diving!
Introduction
If you are looking for a dangerous, but at the same time, hobby for which you need to have a minimum of the most necessary equipment and devices, then cliff diving is what you need. There is no need to buy expensive equipment for high diving! You also do not need special clothing (a wetsuit), such as is necessary for scuba diving. One of the most interesting facts is that you are independent of almost no one and nothing. You depend almost only on yourself, your skills, experience and your level of adrenaline in the blood! Over time, you will learn to make incredibly difficult jumps from enormous heights into the water and perform various elements in the air (here it all depends on your desire to learn and practice). Typically, the average height from which a professional high diver jumps is 85-90 feet, that's just over 26 meters! This is what you should strive for if you are serious about getting into this business.
Explanations
Always study thoroughly the place of the proposed jump and the bottom. Before jumping, you should always make sure that the intended jump location is sufficiently deep, and also make sure that there are no various kinds of dangerous objects: debris, underwater rocks, etc.
The wind plays a big role. The wind can change the trajectory of your fall into the water at any second and change everything for the worse. There have been cases when strong gusts of wind have caused serious injury or even death to athletes! This factor should always be studied and taken into account.
Well, now we invite you to watch an exciting video about cliff diving in all its glory!
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People go to great lengths to experience previously unknown sensations. It is thanks to such restless daredevils that new sports appear, including cliff diving. This sport is interesting to watch, you want to participate in it, conquering new heights, mastering complex tricks and exploring secluded corners of the planet, which seem to be specially created so that you can master cliff diving.
Cliff diving requires water, rock and your courage. Everyone can demonstrate body flexibility, ability to control it, and even perform tricks during flight. Cliff diving has recently ceased to be an amateur sport. Athletes are showing interest in it, and even competitions and demonstrations have begun to be held.
Every day cliff diving attracts more and more new fans.
History of origin
Fans should be indebted to the king from the Maui tribe (Lanai island, Hawaii), who not only loved to jump from a cliff into the water, but also introduced warriors from his tribe to this activity. This happened back in 1770. The jumps were carried out using the same technique - “soldier”, and each of the jumpers tried to splash as little as possible. At that time, such a sport was called “lele kava”.
Cliff diving was also held in high esteem in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The first mentions of such an extreme activity date back to the 17th century. The jumps were carried out from a bridge whose height exceeded 20 meters. True, this sport did not receive further development for unknown reasons.
But in other countries there were many extreme sports enthusiasts who liked the idea of diving from great heights. And even this sport was included in the program of the third Olympic Games (1904). And in 1996, the International High Diving Federation was even created in Switzerland (cliff diving was also included here). The difference between these two varieties of the same sport lies in the nature of the structure for making jumps. In high diving, the diving platform is built independently, while in cliff diving, natural objects are used. A year later, diving began to be held annually on behalf of the federation.
The evolution of jumping
In the 80s of the twentieth century, cliff diving received a second life. Extreme sports enthusiasts demonstrated their skills in circus arenas and parks. It was spectacular and impressive, so there were usually a lot of spectators. Some athletes performed jumps not only to get a dose of adrenaline, they sought to get into the pages of the Guinness Book of Records. The most memorable is the American athlete Lucky Wardle, who in 1985 rose to a height of 36.8 meters. A few years later, this record was broken by the Swiss athlete Oliver Favre, who was able to successfully jump from a height of 53.9 meters.
Records were set not only in height, but also in the complexity of the tricks performed by the athlete during the flight. Frederic Weil, an athlete from Switzerland, jumped from 26 meters, but at the same time managed to do a double somersault. He entered the water head first.
Men choose a height between 23–28 meters; for women this parameter is reduced to 20–23 meters. But there are exceptions. Beginners rush into the water feet first (soldier-like). More experienced athletes enter the water with their heads rather than their feet, demonstrating tricks of varying complexity and number during the flight.
Moments of danger
To ensure safe jumping, the depth of the reservoir at the dive site cannot be less than 5 meters. During the fall, a person's speed can reach up to 100 km/h. At this speed, if the human body is positioned vertically rather than horizontally, death cannot be avoided. It’s the same as falling from a great height not onto water, but onto a hard surface.
And not even the moment of a person’s collision with the surface of the water is unsafe for an athlete. When entering the water, sharp braking begins, but not in the entire body, but only in that part of it that is already in the water. Everything above the water continues to gain speed. If an athlete does not tense all his muscles to the maximum level, then he may simply burst.
To make all this more clear, you can compare the underwater braking distance of a cliff diver with sports cars that will brake at a speed of 100 km/h. An athlete’s underwater braking distance does not exceed 4 meters, while a Porsche 911 GT3 will brake in 34.8 meters, and a Formula 1 car about 20 meters. Let us also take into account the fact that the jumper has nothing else on him except his swimming trunks and there is no talk of anything.
Difficulties in learning
Getting into the water from such a high altitude is complex and lengthy, associated with many aspects that further complicate this process. When you stand 20 meters above the water level, it is impossible to really estimate this distance and, accordingly, make correct calculations regarding the trajectory and angular velocity.
All parameters of the jump depend on how the jumper pushed off from the surface. This moment is decisive, and therefore the most important for every cliff diver. The training is aimed at mastering good push-off technique so that the jump is made not under the rock, but forward. To make it easier for a person to navigate and realistically assess the situation, a fire hose is installed. Athletes use the stream of water it produces to navigate. To assess wind parameters, which can radically change the planned jump, the athlete throws a towel into the water.
If you look from the outside, the flight does not take more than three minutes. But if you fly down by yourself, then this time seems like an eternity. For beginners, the best option for jumping is feet down. More experienced ones decide to jump headfirst. Well, real pros manage to demonstrate various tricks in such a short time, the number of which can reach up to 8. In total, there are 149 types of jumps that an athlete can perform in competition. For evaluation, the quality and correctness of performing tricks, the cleanliness of entering the water and some other parameters are taken into account.
This sport is dangerous and difficult, training can last several years and no one can guarantee that you will become a professional jumper. Still, you need to not only become a cliff diver, but also be born a little.
Insurance is not provided, nor is personal protective equipment. A first aid team and divers must be located below to organize the safe removal of the athlete from the water. Cliff diving involves placing a large load on the athlete's body, due to which the person quickly loses strength and becomes overtired. Therefore, the number of jumps performed per day cannot exceed 10.
No matter how dangerous and frightening this sport may be, it still attracts hundreds of people. Every extreme sports enthusiast for whom adrenaline has become a drug should experience these sensations.
Cliff diving is one of the most extreme sports on earth. It requires a high rock, deep water and remarkable courage. No additional devices, no protection, but only absolute concentration and complete control of the body. It's simple. Diving from a height of 27 meters (8-story building) has existed for a long time, but remained in the shadows until the Red Bull Cliff Diving competition started in May 2009.
At the moment, the official list of jumps includes 149 varieties, including various somersaults and reversals. Each participant must choose 4 types of jump from this list - two mandatory and two optional. Each jump has its own degree of difficulty, and you need to jump from different starting positions. The two selection jumps must be from different jump groups and must be performed alternately in each competition throughout the season.
The qualifying matches for the 2012 season have now begun. Let's take a look at 25 of the most incredible jump photos from last season's Red Bull Cliff Diving, which saw UK's Gary Hunt win for the second time in a row.
(Total 25 photos)
1. Russian Artem Silchenko jumps from a 27.5-meter platform during the fourth stage of Red Bull Cliff Diving in La Rochelle, France. (© Romina Amato/Red Bull Cliff Diving)
2. Orlando Duque of Colombia jumps from a 27.25-meter platform during the second stage of the competition in Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico. (© Dean Treml/Red Bull Cliff Diving)
3. Gary Hunt jumps from a 27-meter platform in Yalta, Ukraine. (© Ray Demski / Red Bull Cliff Diving)
4. Michal Navratil jumps from a 27.5-meter platform in La Rochelle, France. (© V.Curutchet / Red Bull Cliff Diving)
5. Frenchman Cyrille Oumedzhkan jumps from a 27-meter platform from the Institute of Contemporary Arts building during training in Boston. (© Romina Amato/Red Bull Cliff Diving)
6. Ukrainian Sasha Kutsenko jumps from a 26.8-meter platform during the third stage of the Red Bull Cliff Diving competition into Lake Vouliagmeni in Athens. (© Samo Vidic / Red Bull Cliff Diving)
7. Sasha Kutsenko jumps from a 27.25-meter platform in the first round of the second stage of Red Bull Cliff Diving in Chichen Itza, Mexico. (© Dean Treml/Red Bull Cliff Diving)
8. Alan Kohl from Luxembourg jumps from the 27-meter platform of Scaliger Castle in Malcesine, Italy. (© Damiano Levati / Red Bull Cliff Diving)
9. Russian Artem Silchenko jumps from a 27-meter platform under the Swallow's Nest castle in Yalta. (© Balazs Gardi / Red Bull Cliff Diving)
10. Hassan Mouti jumps from a 27-meter platform at Scaliger Castle in Italy. (© Predrag Vuckovic / Red Bull Cliff Diving)
11. Alan Kohl from Luxembourg jumps from a 27.5-meter platform in La Rochelle, France. (© Romina Amato/Red Bull Cliff Diving)
12. Sasha Kutsenko from Ukraine jumps from a 27-meter platform in Malcesine, Italy. (© Romina Amato/Red Bull Cliff Diving)
13. Mexican Jorge Ferzuli jumps from a 27-meter platform under the Swallow's Nest in Yalta. (© Ray Demski / Red Bull Cliff Diving)
14. Russian Artem Silchenko jumps from a 27-meter platform during the fifth stage in Malcesine. (© Romina Amato/Red Bull Cliff Diving)
15. Czech Michal Navratil jumps from the 27-meter platform of Scaliger Castle into Lake Garda in Italy. (© Damiano Levati / Red Bull Cliff Diving)
16. Colombian Orlando Duque jumps from a 27-meter platform into the Mataveri Bay of Otai, Easter Island, Chile. (© Dean Treml/Red Bull Cliff Diving)
17. Colombia's Orlando Duque jumps from a 27.25-meter platform during the second stage of Red Bull Cliff Diving in Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico. (© Romina Amato/Red Bull Cliff Diving)
18. Frenchman Hassan Mouti jumps from a 27-meter platform in Mataveri Otai Bay. (© Dean Treml/Red Bull Cliff Diving)
19. Andy Jones from the USA jumps from a 26.5-meter platform at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. (© Marv Watson/Red Bull Content Pool)
24. Michal Navratil from the Czech Republic jumps from a platform in La Rochelle, France. (© Romina Amato/Red Bull Cliff Diving)
25. American Kent De Mond jumps from a 27-meter platform under the Swallow's Nest castle in Yalta. (© Ray Demski / Red Bull Cliff Diving)
– a sport for fearless athletes. Jumping into the water from the height of a high-rise building, daredevils demonstrate not only the plasticity and beauty of their bodies, but also incredible patience and self-control. A mistake when entering the water at 120 km/h can be costly. We will show you videos of divers who know how to jump from such a height.8Booth and the roof of a 40-meter high-rise
We recently assessed the jumping madness factor of a California extreme blogger 8Booth . This time the daredevil, who does not advertise his name, has surpassed himself. He climbed to the roof of a house 40 meters high, from where he jumped into the water, landing a few centimeters from the pier. As usual, watching this guy's videos makes your palms sweat.
Conquerors of waterfalls
Nick Coulter is the author of the popular channel onYouTube , where he posts videos of diving from all sorts of picturesque locations. Together with his friends, Nick loves to do somersaults from high waterfalls, cliffs and quarries. Often guys jump into bodies of water where there is very little water. True, the higher the speed and height, the faster the water slows down the jumper. To dive safely after jumping from 10 meters, you will need 3 meters of water. For a safe landing after a jump from 50, it’s only a meter more. Jumping from such heights is very dangerous, but very impressive.
Jump from a 59-meter cliff
Lasso Challet holds the current world record. In 2015, he jumped from a cliff 59 meters high. The Swiss has extensive experience in climbing the slopes of canyons and the habit of descending faster than his companions. In a short time, he gained a reputation as a fearless athlete, regularly jumping from 25, 30 and even 35 m. The Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, Switzerland, has more than 150 canyons and a huge number of waterfalls. However, even among this multitude, the almost 60-meter Cascata del Salto stands apart.
Double backflip from 54 meters
A deafening bang, like a gunshot, is the sound of Oliver Favre's body hitting the water. In 1987, in the French town of Villiers-le-Lac, an athlete climbed a thin ladder to a 54-meter height and performed a double backflip into the water. An unsuccessful landing on the water led to a broken spine. Medical help arrived in time, but the record jump was not counted, since Oliver was unable to leave the water on his own.
