What Do Diving Numbers Mean? (Full Explanation)

What Do Diving Numbers Mean? (Full Explanation)

Every dive has a code, and I know it can be confusing to look at if you aren't familiar. 

Each digit tells you one specific thing about the dive.

And I will teach it to you now, so let's take 105B apart.

The first digit: which direction

This tells you the group, which means which way the diver faces and which way they rotate.

  • 1 = Forward. Face the water, rotate forward.
  • 2 = Back. Face away from the water, rotate backward.
  • 3 = Reverse. Face the water, rotate backward toward the board.
  • 4 = Inward. Face away from the water, rotate forward toward the board.
  • 5 = Twisting. Any dive with a twist in it.
  • 6 = Armstand. Start in a handstand. Platform only.

So 105B starts with a 1. It's a forward dive.

The second digit: flying or not

For the basics you can ignore this step because this is a rare situation. The second digit is almost always a 0, which means nothing special.

A 1 here means it's a flying dive, where the diver holds a straight position at the start before going into the tuck or pike. It's rare and you won't see it often.

105B has a 0. That means it's a normal dive where the diver gets into the position immediately on takeoff.

The third digit: how many half somersaults

This is the one that trips people up, because it counts in halves rather than whole flips.

That's because in diving, you land on your feet or your head

  • 1 = a half somersault, which is a plain dive that enters head first
  • 2 = one full somersault, entering feet first
  • 3 = one and a half, head first
  • 4 = double, feet first
  • 5 = two and a half, head first
  • 7 = three and a half, head first

Odd numbers go in head first. Even numbers go in feet first. That's a useful shortcut.

105B has a 5, so it's two and a half somersaults.

The letter: body position

  • A = straight
  • B = pike
  • C = tuck
  • D = free, which is used for twisting dives

105B ends in B. Pike.

Put it together and 105B is a forward two and a half somersault in the pike position.

What about the four digit ones?

Twisting dives get an extra digit, and the digits change slightly because there is more information to represent.

So a twisting code reads: 5, then direction, then somersaults, then twists.

Take 5152B:

  • 5 = twisting
  • 1 = forward
  • 5 = two and a half somersaults
  • 2 = two half twists, so one full twist
  • B = pike

Forward two and a half with a full twist. 

A fun way I like to remember the order is that you always start the flip before you start the twist. No matter what dive you're doing, you have to get the rotation started before you can twist.

Armstand numbers

This one is probably the most confusing but it shouldn't be because it mimics twisting dive codes. 

It also probably won't come up often if you are spectating a diving event, unless you are watching platform.

To read an armstand number the first number is always 6.

The second number indicates the direction of the flips, whether it is forward, back, reverse or inward.

The third number is the amount of half somersaults.

And finally, if it is a twisting dive the 4th number will indicate how many twists the diver is doing.

Let's try two examples

So for example: a 626C is an armstand back triple somersault in the tuck position.

Since the diver is starting upside down, in order to land on their head again they will complete full rotations, instead of 1.5 or 2.5 etc.

The second example is a 6243D

6 = Armstand

2 = backward direction

4 = 2 somersaults

3 = 1.5 twists

Try a few more

Cover the answers and work them out.

Why the number matters in competition

Every code maps to a degree of difficulty, a number that represents how hard the dive is. The judges' scores get multiplied by it, which is why a mediocre hard dive can outscore a beautiful easy one.

I have the full list at the diving DD chart, and the math is broken down in how diving scoring works.

Other things you're probably wondering

- DG

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