Why Do Divers Train Into Bubbles?

Why Do Divers Train Into Bubbles?

Short Answer

Because bubbles make the water softer.

A machine pumps air into the bottom of the pool and it rises through the landing area. All that air changes the density of the water near the surface, so instead of hitting something that pushes back hard, you land in something closer to foam.

It can still hurt, just not as bad, and there are other reason's making bubbles helpful. 

So let's dive in ;)

What problem it solves

Learning a new dive means, at some point, doing it for the first time.

And the first attempt at a hard dive is scary. You've drilled it on the trampoline and you've done the lead-ups, but the actual dive is unfamiliar and you don't know what you'll see or when to come out exactly.

Without bubbles, the price of getting that wrong is a full smack. Which hurts, and for some divers it can be pretty debilitating.

With bubbles, a bad attempt is a softer hit. And if it goes poorly, you can potentially get up and do it again in the same session.

The Mental Side

The physical protection is definitely helpful for every diver that uses it, but the mental part probably more important.

Fear in this sport can really hold great divers back more than it should. compounds. One bad experience on a dive can turn into a block that takes a while to work through.

To take the edge off of learning a new dive is priceless.

Nearly every diver who has learned a hard dive in the last couple of decades learned it into bubbles first.

As a diver gets older, they will use bubbles less and less partially because they are learning new dives less frequently, but also because their ability to get over the fear is typically stronger.

Don't confuse these with water disturbers

There are 2 kinds of water disturbers.

One that is more like a sprinkler to splash the water.

And the other is in more high end pools where there are small bubbles that are constantly being released from the bottom to keep consistent movement on the surface of the water for better visibility.

Still water looks like glass from up high and divers can't judge distance against it. That's covered in why is water sprayed on the diving pool.

The training bubble machine, sometimes called a sparger, is a much more powerful thing. When it's running the pool looks like it's boiling.

The limitation

Bubbles change how the water feels, which means they also change the entry.

You can't practice a real rip entry into them, because the water isn't behaving normally. 

But that doesn't really matter when you're doing your first attempts at a new dive.

Not every pool has one either. They're expensive, and plenty of programs get by with spotting belts, trampolines, and a bit of grit.

Other things you're probably wondering

- DG

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