Advanced Cliff Diving Calculator

Impact Velocity: 0.00 m/s
Air Time: 0.00 s
Safety Score: 0

How to Use this Advanced Cliff Diving Calculator for Free Worldwide

1. Understanding the Layout

When you open the page, you’ll see:

  1. A big heading: “Advanced Cliff Diving Calculator” at the top, centered in a calm blue‐gray color (that’s your h1 styled with var(--primary)). It sets the tone and immediately tells you what you’re about to use.

  2. A white “calculator container” in the middle of the screen—kind of like a card with a soft shadow and rounded edges. Inside that box are:

    • Input fields for your cliff height, takeoff angle, and wind speed.

    • A big “Calculate Dive” button.

    • A “results” section showing Impact Velocity, Air Time, and a Safety Score indicator.

    • A canvas area below that where the calculator draws your dive’s trajectory graphically.

2. Entering Your Inputs

A. Cliff Height (in meters)

  • Label: “Cliff Height (meters):”

  • Input type: A number field (<input type="number">) that lets you choose a value between 5 m and 30 m, stepping by 0.5 m. The default is 10 m.

  • How to use: Click or tap inside that box and type a new height, or use your keyboard’s up/down arrows to nudge the value by 0.5 m.

    • If you want a jump from a shorter rock ledge, you might set it to 5 m.

    • For a daring tall‐cliff leap, slide all the way up to 30 m.

B. Takeoff Angle (in degrees)

  • Label: “Takeoff Angle: 45°” (initially). The number next to it, 45, updates live whenever you move the slider.

  • Input type: A range slider (<input type="range" id="angle">) from 0° to 90°, defaulting at 45°.

  • How to use: Click and drag the little circle on the slider to set your launch angle.

    • 0° means you’re almost diving straight out parallel to the water.

    • 90° is straight up—unlikely in real cliff diving but it demonstrates the extremes.

    • A typical safe angle is around 75°, because it helps minimize your impact speed when you hit the water.

As you slide, notice the number inside <span id="angleValue"> jump to reflect the exact angle (thanks to the input event listener).

C. Wind Speed (in m/s)

  • Label: “Wind Speed: 0 m/s” initially, with a matching slider underneath.

  • Input type: Another range slider (<input type="range" id="wind">) from 0 m/s to 15 m/s.

  • How to use: Drag the slider to introduce a headwind or tailwind effect.

    • 0 m/s means no wind.

    • As you increase wind speed, the calculator “penalizes” your Safety Score (more on that soon).

Again, the number in <span id="windValue"> updates live as you move the slider.

3. Running the Calculation

Once you’ve set your height, angle, and wind speed, simply click the big “Calculate Dive” button (styled in a bold blue, var(--secondary), with a slight hover‐lift animation).

When you click it, the JavaScript function calculate() runs. Here’s roughly what happens under the hood:

  1. Grab your inputs:

    const height = parseFloat(document.getElementById('height').value);
const angle = parseFloat(document.getElementById('angle').value);
const wind = parseFloat(document.getElementById('wind').value);

  2. Convert angle to radians:

    const theta = angle * Math.PI / 180;

  3. Assume a fixed takeoff speed of 4.5 m/s (represented by const v0 = 4.5;). This is a simplified average speed a cliff diver might have at takeoff.

  4. Split that speed into horizontal (vx) and vertical (vy) components:

    const vx = v0 * Math.cos(theta);
const vy = v0 * Math.sin(theta);

  5. Compute your airtime:

    • Using the physics formula for an object launched upward from a height hh:
      t=vy+vy2+2ghgt = \frac{v_y + \sqrt{v_y^2 + 2gh}}{g}

    • Here, g = 9.81 m/s².

    • That gives you how long (in seconds) you stay in the air.

  6. Compute your impact velocity when you hit the water:

    const impactVelocity = Math.sqrt(
    Math.pow(vy + g * airTime, 2) + Math.pow(vx, 2)
);

    • This merges the final vertical speed (vy+gt)(v_y + g t) and your constant horizontal speed vxv_x into one resultant speed (by using the Pythagorean theorem).

  7. Calculate a “Safety Score” from 0 to 100:

    • There’s a small penalty if your angle differs from 75° (the “ideal” angle).

    • You also lose points for wind (multiplied by 3.5) and for higher cliff heights (multiplied by 0.7).

    • Finally, the code clamps that score between 0 and 100 (so it never goes negative or above 100) and rounds to a whole number.

  8. Update the page:

    • Impact Velocity shows up in #impactVelocity (e.g. “12.34 m/s”).

    • Air Time shows up in #diveTime (e.g. “2.56 s”).

    • Safety Score is written inside #safetyScore and also receives a background color:

      • Green (#2ecc71) if your score ≥ 75 (safe).

      • Yellow (#f1c40f) if it’s between 50 and 74 (caution).

      • Red (#e74c3c) if it’s below 50 (danger).

4. Reading Your Results

  1. Impact Velocity (m/s)

    • This is how fast you’ll hit the water. Lower is generally safer because hitting water too fast can cause injury.

    • If you see something above 15 m/s (roughly 54 km/h), that’s quite high—exercise caution.

  2. Air Time (s)

    • How many seconds you spend flying through the air before splashdown.

    • A higher jump or steeper takeoff angle usually increases airtime, but that can also magnify your vertical speed on impact.

  3. Safety Score (0–100)

    • Green (75–100) means you’re in a relatively safe zone given ideal angle and moderate height.

    • Yellow (50–74) is a caution zone—maybe adjust your angle closer to 75°, reduce your height, or wait for calmer wind.

    • Red (below 50) definitely indicates high risk. Consider choosing a lower height or a safer angle before you take the leap.

5. Visualizing the Trajectory

Below the results box, you’ll find a canvas element with id="trajectoryGraph". Once you hit “Calculate Dive,” the script runs drawTrajectory(...):

  • It clears any previous drawing (so you always see a fresh curve).

  • It resizes the canvas to fit its container.

  • It calculates the maximum horizontal distance (maxX = vx * totalTime) and maximum vertical height reached during the flight (maxY), then scales both axes to fit the canvas.

  • It loops from t=0t = 0 to t=totalTimet = \text{totalTime} in small increments (0.1 s), computing each point’s (x,y)(x, y) coordinates:

    x=vx⋅t,y=h+vy⋅t−12gt2 x = v_x \cdot t, \quad y = h + v_y \cdot t – \tfrac{1}{2} g t^2

  • Finally, it draws a smooth blue line (#3498db) tracing your dive from the cliff edge down to the water. A second horizontal line (navy) marks the water surface at the bottom.

This visual rhythm helps you see the parabolic arc of your jump—how far you’ll travel horizontally and how high you might rise above the cliff lip before gravity takes over.

6. Tips for Getting Realistic, Safe Results

  1. Choose an ideal takeoff angle (around 75°) for minimal impact shock.

  2. Keep your cliff height moderate if you’re new or unpracticed; 10 – 15 m is already plenty of adrenaline.

  3. Wait for calm days—wind speeds above 5 m/s can dramatically reduce your safety score (wind penalty is multiplied by 3.5!).

  4. Use the colored safety indicator:

    • If you see green, you’re in the “safer” zone—but remember, real‐world conditions can vary (water depth, currents, diver posture).

    • If you’re in the yellow or red zone, tweak your inputs: lower the height, adjust the angle, or pick a calm day with less wind.

7. Final Thoughts

This little calculator is both fun and educational:

  • You’ll get a quick estimate of how fast you’ll hit the water.

  • You learn how height, angle, and wind interact to change airtime and risk.

  • The Safety Score is a simple guideline—always treat it as a general warning rather than a guarantee.

With a few clicks and slides, you’ll have a good sense of whether your next cliff dive will be a safe thrill or too risky. Enjoy the process, stay mindful of real‐world conditions, and happy (and safe!) diving.

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