Splash Production of Single Jointed Olympic Diver Models

Olympic divers perform what is called a "rip" entry to minimize their splash production and achieve higher scores. While there are several techniques used to rip the entry of a dive, it is always characterized by a collection of bubbles rising to the surface and the sound of tearing paper. This study focuses on the pike save technique in which the diver rolls forward at the hips immediately after entering the water. Although this entry technique is widespread in competitive diving, there is little research on how the manipulation of the air-water interface leads to a smaller splash. We develop a simplified single jointed diver model and drive it into a pool of water. The impact is recorded at 6000 frames per second to analyze the underwater kinematics, air cavity advancement, and splash production. To understand how the air cavity dynamics are affected by how the diver initiates the pike, we vary the stiffness of the hinge and asymmetric angle. The results of these experiments will illuminate the fluid dynamics of this problem and later be used to validate computational fluid dynamics simulations.