What this swimming skill is
In a head-first entry, the hands go in first, then the head between the arms, then the body through the same spot. Once under, your child steers up towards the surface rather than down, which keeps a dive shallow and safe.
Your child starts low, kneeling or crouching at the edge, and only later moves to standing or a starting block. Every step happens in lessons, only where your instructor has confirmed the water is deep enough. Many home pools are not suitable for diving at all, and above-ground pools never are. If yours is not suitable, your instructor will tell you plainly, and lessons stay with feet-first entries.
Why it matters
Safety comes first.
Learning to dive properly, and where never to dive, protects your child for life. They learn to steer up, not down.
A proud milestone.
Many children dream of diving in. Learning it step by step with an instructor makes it a safe achievement.
Ready for swim team.
Race starts begin with a safe, controlled dive. This is the first step towards starting from a block.
Good habits everywhere.
Your child learns never to dive into water unless an adult has confirmed it is deep enough.
Who it is for
This is for children, teens and adults who swim comfortably in deep water and are confident jumping in feet first. They can come up and swim to the wall on their own. Children usually start from kneeling, which keeps them close to the water. If you are learning as an adult, perhaps for an adult swim team, you follow the same careful steps. Nobody is rushed.
Part 1 of 2
From kneeling or crouching
The goal
From kneeling or crouching at the edge, your child tips forward and goes in hands first, head tucked between the arms. They steer up and come to the surface calmly.
Why it matters
Starting low keeps the entry gentle and easy to control. Your child learns the safe way to go in head first before there is any height.
What happens in lessons
Checking the water.
Before anything else, your instructor confirms the water is deep enough for a head-first entry. If it is not, there is no diving there.
Starting low.
Your child kneels close to the water, arms stretched over the head, and gently tips in. The instructor is right there.
Steering up.
Your child practises going in and turning up towards the surface straight away.
Moving to a crouch.
When kneeling feels easy, your child tries from a crouch, a little higher but still close to the water.
How you can help between lessons
Common questions
- Can my child practise diving in our pool between lessons?
- No. Head-first entries are practised in lessons only, where your instructor has confirmed the water is deep enough. Please make that a family rule. It is one of the most important safety rules in swimming.
- Our pool has a deep end. Is it safe for diving?
- Not necessarily. In many home pools the deep part is short, and the bottom slopes up quickly. Above-ground pools and shallow pools are never safe for diving. Your instructor checks your pool first, and says plainly if it is not suitable.
- Why start from kneeling?
- Kneeling keeps your child close to the water, so the entry is gentle and easy to control. They learn to go in hands first and steer up before there is any height.
- My child is scared to go in head first. What then?
- That is very common, and it is a sensible fear. Your instructor never pushes. They go back a step, keep it low and gentle, and move on only when your child is ready.
- When are starting blocks used?
- Only at pools that have blocks and allow them, where the water is deep enough under the pool's own rules. Even then, blocks are used with the pool's permission and with your instructor supervising.
