From the article: Smacks – They Really Aren’t That Bad!
A smack - everybody has had one. Remember your first smack? Or your last? What is your favorite memory, special name that you or your teammates gave to that wonderful aspect of diving known affectionately as “smacking.” Share your experiences!
Keep em open
- 2nd year of varsity diving and I chucked a 105c. I kept my eyes closed from the beginning and got lost and did a 104.5c. I saw stars an had tunnel vision the rest of practice!
- —Guest Maddie
Diving tryout smack
- On HS swim team, we only had two divers so our coach had tryouts with the whole team to pick a third diver. We went through a bunch of basic dives and the group got smaller and smaller as people decided they didn't want to do it etc. Eventually she had the last two of us attempt an inward one somersault...we both smacked and it didn't feel too good (1 meter). After that, the other girl was crying and didn't want to try the dive again...I attempted it again (and again screwed it up). So, I became the third diver.
- —Guest Andrea
1 Meter Mess-Up
- I was trying to do a back semi with a half twist on the 1 m springboard. I hadn't done it for months, and when I threw myself into the twist I landed perfectly on my right side. The dark bruise with a white center is indicative of the fact that I must learn this dive from scratch!!
- —Guest Kayla
Yes. It did rip.
- I was just doing a 102a. Nuthin crazy at all. Except for the fact that I was going off a 10 meter. I guess I was SO jazzed and nervous about just being on the ten meter I completely forgot what I was doing. Long story short I ended up doing a 3/4 front flip straight, panicking and screaming "an unmentionable word" in front of the judges and landing straight on my back completely horizontal after the long terrifying fall. Plus I'm pretty sure my life flashed before my eyes. I'm a girl, so when I hit the water it ripped thru my suit and supposedly I was half naked. But I don't really remember cuz I woke up in the hospital. I still have 4 huge scars on my back!
- —Guest Tickler
reverse 1 and a half
- playing a game of d.i.v.e. with friends, never have done a reverse one and a half in my life, came up short, the force of coming down on the water with the force of opening up while rotating=no bueno...
- —Guest john
best smack
- just one??? My first ever 105. My coach says to try it standing off the 3m and he'd call. My leg slipped a little as I'm coming around just past 2 and he thinks I'm coming out......I did the perfect 2 3/4 reverese canonball. Not only did I have the welts on my back I knocked the breath out of myself and barely made it to the side of the pool. I don't think I did another dive that night.
- —Guest Marc
Square out, when?
- Best smack or the one that is still burned into my memory? I had just learned 5136d on 3m and began to square them out cleanly. Later that afternoon we were working on our tower list lead-ups, and thought nothing of throwing 5132d off 5m. So I did my approach threw pike, twisted, but when I squared, I only saw the platform i had just left....Yep, 5133, backdrop on the water. I don't remember how I got to the side.....But I still can see that 5m before it was lights out.
- —mdiamondsc
Best Smack
- Diving in Hawaii in 1976 with coach Wally Nakamoto and diver Greg Louganis when I was 17, after attempting some sort of reverse somersault sequence that I cannot remember, but vividly remember the smack onto my front from over rotating. Next day on the beach a woman came over very concerned and upset because she thought I had been either attacked or in a terrible car accident - black/blue head to toe and black eyes. Not a pretty sight on the beach.
- —Guest best smack
Failed front 2 1/2
- I was going for a front 2 1/2 and couldn't bring my legs up fast enough and ended up smacking from my waist up. Had to go to the hospital for my neck.
- —Guest Tyler Larson
Bathing suit welts
- Was attempting a 5132d on 3 meter. Got completely lost and come out sideways. I was wearing a striped bathing suit and the time and had striped welts on my side.
- —Guest Jen
ouchies
- I can hardly narrow down my best smack to just one! One really good smack was when I was trying a 303c on 5 meter. I really nervous so I just threw it really fast and pulled way out of it and landed flat on my stomach. I had bruises all over my thighs for a full week after. Another good one was getting lost on a 5235d on 3 meter and coming out at 2 twists flat to my back. That one was kind of funny, but it was killer. Haha it took a while to get that dive back after that!
- —Guest LS
Listen for the Call
- First year of varsity diving I was doing my approach for the front double and had an out of place step. I went for it anyway...BIG mistake...I felt like I was going to land on a lane line. I threw it, the coach called it but I was "sure" that" it was too early. I opened up a bit after her call feeling like I was perfectly lined up for the ending. I hit what was like a brick wall from the speed I was flipping at. I was completely off guard. 2 1/4. Bruises up my chest for a week. I had water go through my eyes and out my nose. Came in the next day and tried it again. Trying not to over rotate I did a 1 3/4. Cooking both sides of the pancake. I couldn't do one mentally again until a week before sectionals. Lesson learned: Wait for the call
- —Guest Tom
Bent eye lashes
- Forward 2 1/2 pike from the 3m. Came out early and stretched - landed completely horizontal. Besides the welts - my eye lashes were bent into my eye balls for about an hour.
- —Guest Ed
! meter SMACK
- I was doing a forward dive off 1m and as i jumped up i through myself forward like i was doing a forward summi and landed on the water like i was sitting with legs strait out and on my bum... I HURT but only for like 5 mins
- —Guest Sarah
5 meter
- I was doing some reverse dive pikes off 5m, and I threw one of them like it was reverse 1 1/2. Then I stayed hollow instead of pressing away, nice and even with the water and I had a pretty good face plant. First tower smack.
- —Guest E.B.
I Bounced
- Reverse 2 1/2 and something flashed during a meet. Kicked out straight up and down and I don't think I went underwater. Couldn't see when I swam to the side and got out in front of the judges and got them wet. Then wandered off behind the pool and threw up. Still finished 7th with a fail dive!
- —Guest John
Smacking
- Shoulder went out as I was taking off for a back 2 1/2 on 10 meter. Never figured out where I was ..... SMACK!! Plus my shoulder hurt!! :-(
- —Guest Kim Fain