Springboard vs Platform Diving: What's The Difference?
The short and obvious answer is that the springboard bounces and the platform doesn't.
But there are a lot more details below the surface in terms of strength, dive types and more.
Where the height comes from
Springboard events are on the 1 meter and 3 meter boards. Platform is a fixed concrete tower, usually 5, 7.5, or 10 meters.
Only the 3 meter and 10 meter are contested at the Olympics.
On a springboard, most of your height is borrowed. You put energy into the board, and it gives it back. A big part of learning to dive well is learning to work with the board.
The platform is different because the diver is only going as high as they can jump from the surface itself which typically is only as high as their own height.
But, since they are starting so much higher above the water, they still have plenty of time and distance to drop before hitting the water.
The dives are different
Because the time available is different, the dive lists can look different.
This has changed in the modern era of diving as people have gotten more difficult dives on both boards.
Platform divers tend to do more somersaults and in harder positions. Three and a halfs and four and a halfs are standard up there for professionals.
You'll also see armstands, which are dives that start from a handstand on the edge. You can't do those on a springboard for the obvious reason that a springboard moves.
The entry is a bit different
From 3 meters you're arriving at somewhere around 20 miles per hour. From 10 meters it's closer to 30 to 35.
At that speed the entry requires more strength and technical ability to take on the extra impact. That's a big reason why you see so much tape on their wrists.
Basically, there is less room for error on the platform if you want to have a good entry.
Oh and when it comes to smacking, a bad entry from 3 meters stings pretty bad, but it is nothing like a smack off of 10m.
Do divers do both?
In junior diving, it can be pretty reasonable to see divers do both springboard and platform. It is pretty beneficial for form progression and makes you a more well rounded diver if you have access to both.
They're different enough that training both well takes a lot of time, and the body types tend to differ too as divers specialize over time.
Plenty of divers start on springboard and move to platform later, but even the best platform divers practice a lot on springboards to compliment their training on platform
Other things you're probably wondering
- What's the difference between 1 meter and 3 meter? Less than the gap to platform, but it changes more than you'd think.
- What are the 8 Olympic diving events?
- How deep is a diving pool?
- What are the six groups of dives?
- DG