List of Diving Board Tricks

Practicing safe methods of diving is great alternative exercise or just a fine way to impress onlookers at the local swimming pool. Learning a variety of diving board tricks will improve your technique and help you master the art of the high dive. Never dive alone -- always have someone present in case you run into trouble -- and spend plenty of time practicing the simpler dives before advancing to the more difficult maneuvers.

Can Opener

Move over cannonball; next time you're teetering on the edge of the diving board, try the can opener dive instead. Hold one knee close to your chest while jumping off the board. A big splash will follow as you tilt back slightly, straitening your opposite leg before you hit the water. The can opener is a beginner's dive, so it's a good move to begin practicing.

Flying Squirrel and Somersault

To perform the flying squirrel, grab your ankles after your feet have left the board's edge. Finish by leaning forward. A watery smackdown awaits below. By contrast, you may remember doing somersaults as a kid -- just roll and tuck. But executing the move in midair after jumping off the diving board is a bit trickier. To master the somersault, create a small space within your body by bending at your knees and hips before taking off. Once you're airborne, spin in midair, holding your knees tightly to your chest. Release this position once you hit the water.

Front Flip

The front flip is an advanced diving board move that not everyone can master. To get the most out of your front flip, get a running start to the edge of the diving board with your hands over your head. Once your feet have left the diving board, move your arms downward and twirl frontward into a cannonball position. Getting into a tightly tucked cannonball stance is the key to completing this trick successfully.

The 360

Once you've mastered these dives, try a 360. In the same way a snowboarder does the move on a half pipe, you can perform a 360 off the diving board. As you begin your dive, rotate your body in a complete circle in midair and then finish in a straight pencil dive formation.