The Art of Diving - How Spargers Affect the Impact of a Diver as they Enter the Water

Sparger systems have been used in collegiate diving to allow practice with a significantly reduced likelihood of injury by delivering a large flow rate of air to the section of water a diver will be entering. The study investigated the contribution of the reduction in impact force on a diver due to the reduction in surface tension of the water and also the reduction in the localized density of the water/air mixture. Surface tension effects on the impact force were quantified by using soap to reduce the surface tension of water and measuring the force with an accelerometer mounted inside a spherical object entering the water. Correlations between the impact force and air flow rate of the sparger have been experimentally determined by measuring the deceleration rate while regulating the driving pressure of the air flow.