According to the provided reference, falling into water from a significant height can have an impact comparable to hitting concrete from 30 feet. The reference highlights that the effect of the fall is "pretty close to ... 30 ft. to concrete".
The Science Behind Water Impact
Water, while appearing soft and yielding, becomes effectively solid upon high-speed impact due to its incompressibility. When a body hits the water surface at high velocity from a great height, the water cannot instantly displace to accommodate the body. This rapid deceleration creates a force similar to hitting a hard surface like concrete.
What the Reference States
The reference emphasizes the role of water's incompressibility:
Water is incompressible. So the fall ends up being pretty close to 300 ft. to concrete vs. 30 ft. to concrete. Entering the water toes-first would just mean you have broken legs as well as being dead.
This passage compares the force of falling into water from an unspecified height to the force experienced when hitting concrete from heights like 30 feet or 300 feet. It specifically calls out the "30 ft. to concrete" comparison.
Understanding the Comparison
The reference suggests that the impact severity of falling into water from a certain height is equivalent to the impact of falling onto concrete from 30 feet. This comparison illustrates the significant danger involved in high falls into water.
It's important to understand that this refers to the effect or severity of the impact, not necessarily the exact height into the water being 30 feet. Falling into water from relatively lower heights (like 30 feet) is generally survivable if proper form is maintained, although still dangerous. The reference implies that from a higher, unspecified point, the impact on water is as severe as hitting concrete from 30 feet, which is a height known to cause serious, often fatal, injury.
Dangers of High Falls into Water
As the reference starkly puts it, even attempting to mitigate impact by entering feet first is insufficient at significant heights:
- Entering the water toes-first would just mean you have broken legs as well as being dead.
This underscores that once a certain velocity is reached, the water surface presents an extreme hazard.
Conclusion
Based on the provided reference, while the exact height of the fall into water isn't specified, its impact is compared to falling onto concrete from 30 feet. This comparison highlights the severe danger of high falls into water due to its incompressibility.
