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I know what is mean by "dives into the water". It means you stand near the pool and you jump into the water keeping you head down.

Now I'm looking for a phrase for the following scenario (to describe the action in the bold).

Lets say you are swimming in the pool (in the water). Now your entire body is inside the water except your head. Now you go inside the water, I mean you entire body including the head goes inside the water. Is this action also called dive?

Still if you are not clear what I'm asking, read below.

You are in the water but you head is above the water surface. Now you go inside the water by getting your head inside the water. What is word to describe this action?

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The two popular words for this would be "dive" (or "dove", past-tense) or wade

To "dive into the water" is close in meaning to saying "jumping into the water so as to entirely (or mostly) cover oneself in water". But to "wade into the water" generally means a slower and more gentle entry into the water, and to be incompletely submerged in the water. To wade in the water further implies walking rather than outright swimming.

So if you want to note going into the water and being completely submerged, you might say "dive under the water" instead of "dive into the water", as this makes it entirely clear that you mean complete submersion - but either is pretty clear.

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  • No. You miss understood my question. Dive means jumping into the water, right? But in my context, the person already in the water but his head above the water surface. Now he goes inside the water. What is the word to describe this action?
    – T2E
    May 28, 2013 at 5:04
  • @T2E: BrianDHall's answer is correct. I don't think he misunderstood your question. Both these distinct actions are called "dive". See definitions (1) and (2) here.
    – Stephan B
    May 28, 2013 at 9:14
  • @Stephan Oh! Sorry. I thought I knew the meaning of dive. I should double checked the dictionary. My fault. Sorry.
    – T2E
    May 28, 2013 at 9:21
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    Another term for submerging when you are already "in" the water is duck under the water or the surface.
    – StoneyB on hiatus
    May 28, 2013 at 10:57
  • @StoneyB 'duck' is word that I was looking. Thanks.
    – T2E
    May 29, 2013 at 1:19

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