Beware of diving board dangers
Kevin Woodhurst
Jul. 23, 2005 12:00 AM
This year more than ever I have done major renovations of existing pools, and many of them were older diving pools that did not meet a diving pool standard. In at least two cases it is a miracle that no one had been injured. We either converted them to play pools or removed the diving board.
With so many people moving into our state and so much construction going on, my hunch is some diving pools being built today may not meet the industry standard. It is just not as easy as making a pool a little deeper and installing a diving board.
Although there is little that can be done with older pools other than updating them during renovations and remodels, you could take off the diving board if the pool is suspect. If you are considering a new swimming pool with a diving board, make sure your builder builds to the standards. These standards have been published for years and are available through the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals.
Diving board manufacturers also specify the shape, size, depth and other specifications for the installation of their boards. Exceeding the standards can only make the pool safer.
Diving accidents can be catastrophic, life-changing injuries, so it makes sense to take this seriously.
I believe residential diving pools should be a least 36 feet long and 16 feet wide. They should be no less than 8.5 to 9 feet deep, and the break where the pool makes the transition from the deeper end to the shallow end should be at least 18 feet from the tip of the board.
The deepest part of the pool should slope no more than 1 foot every 3 feet until it gets to the break, at which point the slope should be no more than 1 foot in 7 feet. This is important because of the way you may be deflected off the bottom of the pool should you dive at the wrong angle.
The size of the board is the No. 1 contributing factor in determining the correct size of the pool, so this is generalized information. A professional pool builder should know and adhere to the standards. Make sure it is built that way. Understanding this will make you a more aware pool owner. Ask your builder about this and have him or her explain how the pool will be constructed.
If you have an older pool and you think the pool is unsafe - maybe you have scraped your own nose on the floor of the pool once or twice during a dive - this may be an indication that something is not right. If this is the case, then take off the board. We do this regularly on renovations or remodels because so many older pools do not meet the standards. In some cases, we may replace the board with a platform-style rock that juts out over the pool a bit so that you may still dive. With the platform lower and with no spring action, it is difficult to get the trajectory and momentum to facilitate an injury.
Another important thing is to learn how to dive correctly. Most residential pools are neither big enough, nor deep enough, to perform some of the dives you did at the public pool on 1-meter boards. Those pools are much larger and deeper and were designed specifically for that purpose. Learn to shallow dive. Our national association has a great publication explaining how this is done. It can be downloaded at www.theAPSP.org.
As professionals it is up to us to ensure the public has safe environments to swim in. This is a great way to pick up some additional remodeling work!
Dive safe, swim safe and be safe.
Comments