From Which Height Can You Survive A Dive Into Water
Made increasingly popular in the recent years, cliff diving has become an official discipline among the many extreme Red Bull competitions. The world’s record is held by Laso Schaller, 27 at the time, who jumped into a pool from 193 feet (59 meters) atop Cascada del Salto, a mountain ridget along the Swiss-Italian border. The height he jumped from is the equivalent of the Tower of Pisa, the Arc de Triomphe or a standard 17-story building. As a result of his 3.58 seconds fall at an estimated speed of 76 mph (122km/h), his only injury was a slightly dislocated hip. Schaller is now the official holder of the world-record cliff jump.
Note that cliff jumping is different from high diving. In order to set a high diving world record, the diver must perform a 180-degree rotation, vertically, and emerge from the water under his own power, without any assistance. Dave Lindsay, who set a high diving world record from 170ft (51,8m) in 1982, cracked his right clavicle performing the jump, yet he insisted to get out of the water by himself.
The current world record is held by Dana Kunze (22 years old at the time), a Minneapolis native. Kunze performed a reverse triple somersault from a tower of 172ft (52.4m), and got out of the water under his own power, without any injury whatsoever. He even “had a couple of cold ones that night” as he said in a recent interview at age 53.
Since then, two daredevils have attempted to break the record. First one is Randy Dickison, who in 1985, dove from 174ft, 8” (53m). Dickison ended up fracturing his leg in three places and was unable to leave the pool without assistance, which disqualified him as world record holder. Sadly, in an attempt to jump into a giant sponge at a show in Belgium in 1996, Dickison died suddenly from the impact.
The second venturer who attempted to break Kunze’s record was a French man. In 1987, Olivier Favre dove from 177ft (54m) performing a backward double flip. Unfortunately for him, he broke his back as he hit the surface and had to be carried out of the water with the assistance of a raft.
The speed at which the body falls generates an incredible force when it hits the water. And while water is softer than hard ground, it still slows down the speed of landing by more than 50% in only a fraction of a second, creating a shock for the human system. In order to absorb the impact, it is imperative to enter feet first or with the hands and arms extended to protect the head and neck from impact. Although even with correct form, injuries in the joints, especially the wrist and shoulder, are the most common in the divers’ world. Other common injuries usually target the neck and elbow as a result of entering the water with poor form, while repeated impact with the water can cause lower back pain, according to the Current Sports Medicine Reports. Diving hands first puts the diver at risk for a concussion, and hitting the water at the wrong angle could also damage the membranes of your ears, the vestibular system (responsible for maintaining balance) or the corneas in your eyes.
Many adventurers have died from cliff jumping as a result of lack of precaution. The water level in lakes and rivers may vary from a place to another, and also changes depending on rainfall, snowmelt, while the water level in the ocean may change with the tide. There maybe unseen dangers such as big rocks, tree roots or other debris. Also, jumping into cold water may shock your system and drain your strength due to the brutal change in temperature. This is why it is highly recommended to have help available in case you wouldn’t be able to swim your way out of the water.
Whether you are a professional or a beginner diver, jumping into water from a high distance always comes with a long list of risks, especially when jumping from a cliff. Expert divers practice their jumps from lower heights first and increase the height as they master the proper form and angle. Although many Instagram influencers make it look easy, fun and epic, make sure you take all the precautions necessary before venturing into such activity, gaining followers on Social Media is never worth putting your health in danger.
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