High Diving
Extreme diving discipline from 27 m (men) / 20 m (women) platforms — divers accelerate to ~90 km/h before feet-first entry. World Aquatics event since 2013 World Champs; distinct from Red Bull Cliff Diving (which uses natural cliffs).
What is High Diving?
High Diving is an extreme diving discipline codified by World Aquatics (formerly FINA) with events at World Aquatics Championships since 2013 (Barcelona). Men dive from 27 m (88.5 ft) platform; women from 20 m (65.6 ft) platform — much higher than Olympic diving's 10 m platform. Divers fall for ~3 seconds, reaching entry velocities of ~85-95 km/h (53-59 mph). Entry MUST be feet-first (unlike Olympic diving's head-first entry) due to impact forces at these heights — head-first entry would risk severe spinal injury. Divers execute rotations + twists during freefall (up to 3 somersaults + 5 twists in ~3 seconds). Judged by 7-judge panel on execution + entry cleanness; scored 0-10 per judge, top + bottom dropped, sum of middle 5 × difficulty coefficient = round score. Sport is distinct from Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series (RBCDWS, 2009-present) which uses natural cliffs + fixed 27 m/21 m platforms, though many top athletes compete in both. Rhiannan Iffland (AUS) + Gary Hunt (GBR/FRA) are signature current-era champions. Not yet Olympic but consistently campaigned for inclusion.
Quick facts
Category
Aquatic Sports
Type
Individual
Players
1–1
Duration
~5 min
Where played
both
Country of origin
🇲🇽 Mexico
Estimated origin
Cliff diving tradition dates centuries (Acapulco La Quebrada 1930s); formal World Aquatics discipline from 2013
Olympic
No
Popularity
major
How it works
Objective
Execute maximum-difficulty rotational + twisting dive; achieve vertical, splashless feet-first entry into pool.
Match structure
Preliminary rounds (2-3 dives) + Final (2-3 dives); scores summed across all dives.
Rules
Basic rules
Feet-first entry mandatory
Entry must be feet-first — head-first entry from 20/27 m would risk severe spinal injury; head-first attempts are disallowed at these heights.
Judged by 7-judge panel (0-10 each)
Judges score execution + entry cleanness; top + bottom dropped; middle 5 summed × difficulty coefficient = dive score.
Nominated dives with declared DD (difficulty degree)
Diver nominates each dive pre-round; DD is fixed by rotation + twist count.
Advanced rules
Rotation + twist combinations
Up to 3 somersaults (forward/backward/reverse/inward) + up to 5 twists possible in ~3 sec freefall.
Free position adds points
'C' (free) tuck vs 'B' (pike) vs 'A' (straight) body position multipliers.
Failed rotation / bent entry
Under-rotation or entry not-fully-vertical scored down heavily; entry within ~10° of vertical is standard.
Scoring
Sum of 5 middle judge scores (0-10) × difficulty coefficient (~2.5-5.5) per dive.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Perfect 10 dive at DD 5.0 | 5 judges × 10 × 5.0 = 250 points |
| Average execution | 5 judges × 6 × 4.0 = 120 points |
Win condition · Highest total score across all round dives wins.
Equipment
Swimwear + goggles (optional)
Standard racing swimwear; goggles rarely used due to entry force.
27 m (men) / 20 m (women) platform
Rigid stationary platform above dive pool ~5 m deep with air bubbler for surface softening.
Air bubbler system
Compressed air injected below water surface reduces surface tension, softening ~90 km/h feet-first entry impact.
Positions & roles
High Diver
×1Solo competitor; 4-5 nominated dives across competition.
Officiating
7 judges score; referee validates; technical delegate oversees safety + rules.
- 7 World Aquatics-certified judges
- Referee
- Technical Delegate
- Scorer
Penalties & fouls
Penalties
Failed dive (missed rotation / body position)
Judges score 0-2 per dive; heavy score deduction.
Head-first entry attempt
Not permitted at these heights; disallowed / DSQ per event rules.
Balk (interrupted takeoff)
Interrupted takeoff = 2-point deduction per judge.
Strategies
Signature dive early
Post big DD dive early to build score buffer; safer easier dives later for consistency.
Entry alignment prep
Focus on vertical body alignment ~1 sec before entry — even small angle at 90 km/h causes big splash + score loss.
Wind + platform sway awareness
Outdoor competitions (RBCDWS especially) — wind gusts + platform sway must be read before takeoff.
Terminology
- DD
- Difficulty Degree — multiplier for dive score
- Somersault
- Full-body rotation (forward/backward/reverse/inward)
- Twist
- Axial rotation around vertical body axis
- Free position (C)
- Body position where diver combines tuck + pike + straight
- Balk
- Interrupted takeoff — deduction penalty
- Bubbler
- Air injection system softening water surface
Major competitions
World Aquatics Championships — High Diving
biennial (previously biennial, now annual pattern varies) · worldwide · since 2013
Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series
annual (~7-10 stops) · worldwide (natural cliffs) · since 2009
European Aquatics Championships — High Diving
biennial · Europe · since 2018
Where it is played
Governing bodies
World Aquatics (formerly FINA)
Founded 1908 · Budapest, Hungary
Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series (separate professional circuit)
Founded 2009 · Salzburg, Austria
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Rhiannan Iffland (AUS) — dominant women's WAC + RBCDWS
- Gary Hunt (GBR/FRA) — most RBCDWS titles
- Constantin Popovici (ROU)
- Yaroslav Pashkovskii (RUS)
- Iris Schmidbauer (GER)
Records
World Aquatics inaugural 2013
World Aquatics (FINA) — High Diving debuted at 2013 Barcelona World Aquatics Championships (2013)
Rhiannan Iffland WAC dominance
Rhiannan Iffland (AUS) — Multiple WAC women's high diving gold medals (2015 onwards); also multiple RBCDWS series titles (2024)
Gary Hunt RBCDWS record
Gary Hunt (GBR/FRA) — Most Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series titles in history (9+ series wins) (2024)
Entry velocity ~85-95 km/h
Physics — 27 m free-fall reaches ~85-95 km/h entry velocity — feet-first mandatory to survive safely (2013)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
10 m platform diving fundamentals
Master Olympic-height 10 m platform + basic rotations.
intermediate
- 1
15-20 m progression
Gradually progress to 15 m + 20 m platforms; feet-first entry drills.
advanced
- 1
27 m + high-DD combinations
Full men's 27 m platform with 3 somersault + 5 twist combos; compete in WAC + RBCDWS.
Frequently asked
How is high diving different from Olympic diving?+
Olympic diving is 10 m platform max with head-first entry. High diving is 27 m men / 20 m women with mandatory feet-first entry (head-first would risk spinal injury). Entry velocity ~90 km/h vs. Olympic ~50 km/h.
Is high diving in the Olympics?+
Not yet — high diving is campaigned for Olympic inclusion but not currently on the Olympic programme. It has been a World Aquatics World Championships event since 2013 Barcelona.
How does high diving differ from Red Bull Cliff Diving?+
Same discipline essentially; World Aquatics competitions use rigid pool-side platforms with air bubbler safety; Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series uses natural rocky cliffs at scenic locations (Copenhagen, Sisikon, Polignano a Mare, etc.). Many top athletes compete in both circuits.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — High diving— Wikipedia