Why do divers jump backwards from boats when they enter the water? is it always done?
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There are two ways to enter the water from a boat or platform: the roll and the giant’s stride.
The giant’s stride is just a big step forward, right off the boat into the water. The benefit here is that you are in a familiar orientation the whole time (head up towards the sky/surface), so it’s very easy to reorient yourself after hitting the water. The drawback is that it requires you to lug your gear around the boat/platform to get to the step-off point, then make a big movement with a heavy weight on your back. For the uninitiated, this can be difficult to accomplish safely.
The roll is easier to do from a lower position, where you don’t fall very far. It’s also easier to do; typically, you are seated prior to the roll, so you don’t have to carry the tank. This is especially true for dive boats that have slots for the tanks built into the seats on the sides. However, one drawback is that, since you’re doing a backwards somersault to get into the water, you may be slightly disorientated once you’re in, so you need to take a bit of time to get your bearings before swimming away.
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