Cliff Divers

[strupgolf]

I saw them 60 years ago and I still remember it today. It was, and still is, a event to see.

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by jackdidley

when i was a kid we watched those on the wide world of sports.

+1

[herr_oberst]

When I was a kid I watched Elvis make that dive.

[stevej37]

He was quite trim in those days!

[gregpark]

Originally Posted by stevej37

^^^ Why/what the diff between fresh and salt water?

Salt water is denser. From 60' it feels like you're hitting a sidewalk. Head first you straight arm with two fists and follow that hole with your forehead. And you don't go vertical until the last second. A back flop could be disastrous. Oh to be young and stupid again

[stevej37]

I did not know that was a factor.
Another reason for me to never try it.

[stevej37]

Expert cliff divers!

[Racerbvd]

I jumped off some bridges in my younger years, and no alcohol was involved.

[stevej37]

^^^ Head first??

[speeder]

My mom was a competitive diver when she was young and probably could have done any of those dives but she stuck to diving boards and pools. I never had the talent or the courage, a couple of bad landings really cured me of the desire.

When I was about 14, I went rock climbing at Taylor’s Falls on the St. Croix river, (MN/WI border), and a teenager died from a miscalculated cliff dive. We stood there and watched them pull him out of the water, he had a hole in his head the size of a softball. Made a lasting impression.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by gregpark

Salt water is denser. From 60' it feels like you're hitting a sidewalk. Head first you straight arm with two fists and follow that hole with your forehead. And you don't go vertical until the last second. A back flop could be disastrous. Oh to be young and stupid again

Yea, we may not make it if we tried again.

[herr_oberst]

Elmore Leonard wrote some fiction about one of those guys who dives from a high ladder into a very small pool. And that was just the backstory!

[stevej37]

The dangerous part of the Acapulco divers is that the gorge that they dive into varies in depth with the diff waves that fill it. It's constantly changing.

They time their dive as to when it is deep enough.


Watching from the viewing platform...there is no room for error on the jump timing.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by stevej37

The dangerous part of the Acapulco divers is that the gorge that they dive into varies in depth with the diff waves that fill it.

I would've thought the dangerous part is dragging their huge balls on the rocks, or tripping over them when they climb back up.

[stevej37]

^^^ That too...lol