Backward roll for high entries?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

The tank will cut through surface tension and the plate will spread the impact over its entire surface so you should be fine. I'd be more worried about whiplashing the back of my head on the 1st stage. Or over-rotating and hitting mask-first which would get water in and wash off my precious plutonium sea drops.

How about over rotating your body & hitting your head first?
 
This strikes me as a very good way to seriously hurt one's back, ergo I'm baffled.
Your back is supported by the tank/BC. It's never caused a problem for me high or low.

Have you ever tried it?
 
I dove off Mike Balls' Spoilsport back in about 2008 and it was over 10 feet to the water. You could go down the steps but with all your gear? Nah, giant stride feet together toes up.
 
I remember one dive trip where we were a large group which we split over 3 dive boats. But then on the second day 2 of them broke down with mechanical problems so we had to look around for alternatives. The only boat we could find available that was big enough was a very large schooner, high out of the water and wooden railings all round. So the only practical way was a back roll off the railing and this was well over 2m from railing to water. I was very nervous when I did my first entry and very surprised when I felt no impact entering the water. Over the next few days we did a lot of high entries in this manner and surprisingly even when doing it in a botched manner (over rotating) there were no real consequences. Definitely the smoothest entries were achieved by avoiding rolling the whole body backwards - just let the body drop while raising the legs. Ideally you want to drop into the water tank first and not be rotating continuously during the long drop.
Since then I've done many back rolls even from greater heights without any qualms.
 
How about over rotating your body & hitting your head first?

ISTR a silly joke that ended with "it's bone, what's to hurt there?" Seriously, though, I'd again be more worried about the back of my head and tank valve, and dislodging the mask.

We had a diving well with a 10 m platform next to the pool where I swam as a kid. I don't think I ever braved the 10, but I think we did the 7 sometimes. We jumped off 3 and 5 often -- I promise you, if you roll into a ball, you'll be fine hitting the water any which way. The gear is what I'd be concerned with.
 
Your back is supported by the tank/BC. It's never caused a problem for me high or low.

Have you ever tried it?

No, and I'm not going to either.:eek:
 
This looks like an entry from the Olympus (http://www.olympusdiving.com/) dive boat

That was the 1st thing that came to my mind also. I did many entries from that ship, a giant step, push off with the other leg, bring legs together, toes up. Once I did spin in mid air but the Capt. wasn't impressed and asked that I refrain from repeating that maneuver. :wink:
 
There's a charter we often use on the west coast of Scotland. It is a little fishing boat that has been converted into a live-aboard. Entry is a little tricky as you have to step over the gunwale, and there is only a tiny ledge to rest your leading foot on as you swing the other leg over.

One of the lads from my club is getting older, and a bit on the large side, and decided he could backwards roll in. As he landed upside down, the weight of his twinset, combined with the air going to the feet of his drysuit, made a comical sight as we watched two fins sticking out of the water, drifting away from the buoy!
 
There's a charter we often use on the west coast of Scotland. It is a little fishing boat that has been converted into a live-aboard. Entry is a little tricky as you have to step over the gunwale, and there is only a tiny ledge to rest your leading foot on as you swing the other leg over.

One of the lads from my club is getting older, and a bit on the large side, and decided he could backwards roll in. As he landed upside down, the weight of his twinset, combined with the air going to the feet of his drysuit, made a comical sight as we watched two fins sticking out of the water, drifting away from the buoy!
Glad he was not injured
 
We have a shore dive site that we call The Leap because the entry is just that, a drop from a rock into the water, at least 2.5 metres high at high tide. The best method is as many have mentioned above, keeping your feet together with your toes pointing upwards. A comment about the site, once you are in, you cannot exit back onto the rock, so have to either complete the dive or swim about 400 metres to the nearest safe exit.

Seemed a lot higher looking down at the water. :p
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2457.JPG
    IMG_2457.JPG
    105.2 KB · Views: 36
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

Back
Top Bottom