How to Teach a Child to Dive

Once a child is starting to swim on his or her own and is not afraid of the pool's deep end, you can teach the child how to dive.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Swimsuits
• Swimsuits For Children
• Swimsuits

1. Take the child to a point in the pool where it is deep enough to dive safely. Explain carefully why you are in the deep end. Emphasize that the child must "never, ever, dive in the shallow end." Children who are afraid to enter the deep end are not yet ready to learn to dive.

2. Teach the child to dive from one knee first.

3. 

   Kneel on one knee at the very edge of the pool. Point your arms straight over your head, with your shoulders by your ears.

4. Put your chin to your chest and lean forward from the waist, trying to touch your fingertips to the water.

5. Keep leaning until you are almost falling, and then push off with your leg and follow your fingertips into the water, diving in gently.

6. Demonstrate this first, and then help the child into the proper position.

7. 

   Assist the child to dive head first into the water.

8. Practice several kneeling dives until the child is comfortable entering head first.

9. Demonstrate the same steps from a standing position, bending at the waist and following your fingers into the water. Keep your head between your arms and tuck your chin to your chest.

10. 

    Assist the child with the standing dive, and repeat until the child is comfortable diving on his or her own.

Tips & Warnings

• Building confidence is important - always speak positively to your child. For example, "That's really good, but next time ... ."
• Once a child can dive confidently, take the child to the diving board and have the child try the same simple dive from it.
• Stress the importance of never diving in the shallow end.
• Never leave a child unattended near a swimming pool.

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on 8/18/2006 Another way to avoid belly flops is to point to a spot where their hands are going to enter the water. A child should also simply fall in rather than jump into the dive. Before they dive, one foot should be behind the other, toes pointed forward, front toes over the edge of the deck so they don't slip. While falling in, legs remain straight, and back leg lifts off the ground first (the "back leg up" has helped so many of the kids I taught).

on 7/25/2006 I always used a one dollar bill as incentive instead of a swim cap, but it is the same principle. The other trick I have is putting a hoop in the water and having kids practice getting their whole body through the hoop. This will help kids with entering the water through one spot, and again cut down on feet first entry or belly flops.

on 1/25/2006 If you find that the child tends to lift his/her head before hitting the water (which causes a belly flop) here's a trick to help keep that chin tucked.
Take a swim cap and tell them to keep it between their chin and chest and not let it fall out until they are underwater. This will help with the head position and cut down on those belly flops.