How to do a dolphin dive
The dolphin dive or technique as it is often called is useful at both the start and end of triathlon swim legs, and could put you 10m ahead of your rivals in the first 5secs
The dolphin dive might look difficult but it’s easily mastered with a bit of practice. The best Olympic swimming speed is 2m per second, but with the dolphin technique you can cover 3-4m per second if you do it well.
That might not sound a lot but it could put you up to 10m ahead of your rivals in the first 5secs of racing. This isn’t ideal if the swim start/finish area is crowded and compact. But if you’re at the front and have space, it’s a great card to have up your sleeve to put distance between yourself and the opposition.
1 Reach forward after diving in, hold the seabed and pull your legs up under you (as if you’re doing a squat thrust). It’s the same method when you reach the end of the swim but without the dive.
2 Drive off your legs and dive forward into the water, throwing your arms out ahead of you to gain extra momentum and cover a greater distance.
3 Drop your chin, lift your hips and try to avoid belly flopping. Remember: you’re diving into shallow water with a lot of momentum, so be careful not to spear into the ground.
220 Triathlon Team
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