Three measures--physiological, behavioral, and phenomenological in nature--were used to register inexperienced springboard divers' perceptions of stress when faced with the execution of a forward dive from three standard heights; pool deck, one-meter and three-meter springboards. Forty-eight subjects were divided into four groups representing girls, boys, men, and women. Six possible sequences of dives were counterbalanced so that two subjects from each group were randomly assigned to each sequence. Results showed dramatic increases in stress response for all subjects as the height of the dive attempt increased. The ANOVA test for differences in stress response according to sequence of attempts showed no significant differences. Female subjects showed significantly greater stress responses for all three measures. Although younger subjects showed longer hesitation latencies, the differences were not significant. High correlations between performance and phenomenological measures bolstered their reliability as measures of stress. Results suggest a reconsideration of coeducational diving instruction for beginners. (Author/JS)