To make the biggest splash when you dive-bomb into water, the secret seems to be to use the Manu technique practised by the Maori of New Zealand. This involves folding yourself so your torso and legs make a V-shape as you fall and making sure your buttocks hit the water first.

The origins of the Manu, which is Maori for bird, are unclear, but leaping from bridges, docks, rocks and diving platforms, aiming to produce the largest possible splash, has…