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The Straight Story

(48,121 posts)
Tue Jul 23, 2013, 08:25 AM Jul 2013

More award winning journalism from CNN: Belly-flops can cause injuries

(CNN) -- Q: Can belly-flops be dangerous?

A: A belly-flop, for the uninitiated, is when you land flat on your belly and face in the water -- intentionally or unintentionally.

Believe it or not, some people have made a profession out of this.

Darren Taylor, aka "Professor Splash," professionally jumps from high ledges, landing belly-down in a small pool of water. Even reality shows have caught on to the entertainment value of a well-executed belly-flop; ABC's "Splash" features celebrities executing dives poorly.

For those of us who may not be the best divers, there is good news: Belly-flops rarely cause serious injuries. That said, let's talk about what can happen, other than a bruised ego.

The higher you jump or dive from, the faster you will hit the water. Some experts believe that you can reach speeds of up to 40 mph diving from a 10-meter board (almost 33 feet). And as nice as the water feels when you are in it, it does not act that way when you enter it at a high speed.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/23/health/belly-flop-risks/index.html?eref=rss_mostpopular&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_mostpopular+%28RSS%3A+Most+Popular%29

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