The average height of the competition platform is 27.5 meters, or around 90 feet. This is approximately the height of the 10th story of most buildings.

Typical training schedule involves double sessions 6 days a week in the pool or gym.

The number of competitions that are hosted every year varies. Between the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series and other sponsored events there tend to be around 10-15 events a year.

While the number of events vary, the invite lists for these competitions can be limited. This means we’re lucky to get 10+ competitions in any given year.

Yes. It always hurts, sometimes much less than others, so it’s really just about minimizing the pain. However, the pain is occasionally masked completely by the adrenaline rush that comes from performing a dive.

Unfortunately it’s extremely difficult to practice from competition height for a couple of reasons:

1. There are almost no places Cliff Divers are legally allowed to practice. In order to practice, most divers work in shows that include high diving. A good example of a show that may include high diving would be Cirque du Soleil, however there are many other shows that include high diving. If you’re a diver interested in finding a show, please contact us!
2. Injuries are another barrier to training from competition height. Training sessions are normally limited to a handful of dives during any one Cliff Diving session.

When you hit the water at ~ 60MPH expecting to stop in 10-15 feet of water a lot of things can go wrong. We’ve seen injuries to just about every part of the body but some of the most common injuries include:

1. Straining of the inner thigh muscle from the force of the water pulling a diver’s legs apart.
2. Compression and whiplash of the back and neck from hitting the water at high speeds.
3. Stinging pain on the bottom of a diver’s feet or any other part of the body that connects with the surface of the water.

Less common injuries include hitting the platform, unless you’re Steven LoBue.

The number of divers who compete professionally in Cliff Diving competitions is growing. However, due to the limited number competitions each year there are only a few dozen men and women who are able to compete professionally.