Extreme high diving made possible by turning the diver into a dart
Darko SavicJan 23, 2022
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A way to dive from extreme heights without injury (if done right). A diver straps something resembling a medieval jousting lance to their feet, effectively transforming oneself into a dart. Jousting lance cushions the blow.
Currently, the world record for highest dive is 58.8 m (193 ft). The World High Diving Federation advises that no one should dive from 20 meters (65.5 feet) or higher unless professional rescue scuba divers are standing by.
Why?
A new extreme sport for adrenaline junkies to have fun.
This contraption should enable dives that are significantly higher than the current world record.
How it works
Consider the anatomy of a dart (below). Replace the barrel and shaft with a human and strap the flight to their body, starting from their waist and ending around their chest.
The end result is something like this:
Make the flight look more manly and you have a new adrenaline sport:) The flight is made out of parachute fabric and is fluffy enough to cause significan air resistance. This helps the contraption point downwards.
Quick release straps open as soon as the contraption hits the water so that the diver's swimming can be unobstructed.
During the jump, the diver would hold their arms close to their body. They could be released from a helicopter or from platforms on top of suitable clifs.
Physics
it's not the fall that kills you it's the sudden stop (high G force) at the end. The jousting lance cushions the blow by piercing the water and gradually spreading it. The diver is eventually slowed down by friction coming from all sides rather than a sudden stop.
Tests and software
Crash dummy experiments would be done with different dummy weights, heights, body composition, etc. Eventually a real diver would be measured and the software would output:
maximum permissible height of the dive
comfortable height
The diver would then choose how high they want to go.
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General comments
Shubhankar Kulkarni2 years ago
Looks like a fun sport! How would the diver wear the lance (strap in their feet) and stand before making the jump? The whole equipment is structured for providing minimal air resistance and for the action of falling or being a projectile. Imaging keeping darts upright on a surface with their tips down. It is not possible. Similarly, there needs to be some mechanism where the person is strapped in and can still stand upright before making the jump.
How about using a surface that opens from below and drops the person? The surface or platform will be suspended over the diving spot (water body). The platform has a lance-shaped hole. The lance will be attached to the platform from below. Once the person straps the lance on, the hinges holding the lance in position will be removed and the lance drops with the person attached to it. Maybe the hole needs to be bigger for the entire human to fit. Something like this, but suspended in the air.
Also, when the lance and the flight equipment detach from the person's body, how do you recover them? Since the lance will be heavier than the person, there is a good chance that it does not float. Recovering these parts from the water might be a pain.
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Darko Savic2 years ago
Shubhankar Kulkarni Yes, that's how I imagined it as well:)
The lance would float back up via a remotely activated inflatable buoy that blows out from where the diver used to stand.
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Danny Weir2 years ago
A novel idea for sure and definitely something that adrenaline junkies would be interested in! This is the equivalent of the flying suit used by skydivers, taking an extreme sport to the next level.
Questions:
What happens if the diver can't keep their body straight (I know the flights and the tip should take care of this)? Would they have the option to abort or would it be restrictive?
What do you suppose the lance should be made of? It would need to be heavy enough to ensure direct downward motion and strong enough not to break on impact.
Can you think of any quirky names for the new sport? Darting?!
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Povilas S2 years ago
Danny Weir As for aborting the fall, if the altitude is still high enough, a parachute could be used. I can't think of any other possible means of "escape". In that case, the diver should be in control of the quick release of the tip and the flight. Maybe a strap that you pull to spread the parachute could at the same time drop the tip and the flight. However, a parachute landing on water is not something easy to achieve either.
Darko Savic Jan 23, 2022
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