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Building a Pool for Diving - Dive Pool Options

I had a customer 2 years ago purchase a large Full L shaped pool, probably the largest pool I have sold through Specialty Pool Products. The size of the Full L pool was 26' x 35' x 60' and they were looking to create a practice area for their kids that are on the high school diving team.

Originally this customer wanted the pool to be 12ft deep in the deep end diving area of the pool but our manufacturer will not provide Dig Specs for any pool deeper than 10ft deep. This customer also wanted to order a commercial dive stand and a 12ft long diving board. I told them about the very strict standards on what can be a diving pool and that a 12' diving board would not be a possible selection because it did not meet code. I was able to get them an 10ft diving board with a steel stand which they are very happy with.

When it comes to a diving pool for a residential pool the diving stand and board must meet the minimum specification requirements for a residential inground diving pool. The governing body of the residential pools is ANSI/APSP/ICC-5 2011 and all residential pools must meet these requirements. Please see detailed requirements below for a residential diving pool; these dimensions can be very confusing. To help explain the minimum requirements the pool must be a minimum of 16ft wide and 32ft long and have at least an 8 ft hopper. The hopper is the area in the deep end which the water is deeper.

ANSI/APSP/ICC-5 2011 Standard for Residential In-Ground Swimming Pools

It is VERY important to ensure that the stand and board meet the minimum specifications for in-ground residential swimming pools.

Diving Board Safety Envelope - Depth/Distance

All of the options below must meet the ANSI/APSP/ICC-5 2011 for installation requirements. Check with chart above to figure what what class pool you have or are installing so you can figure what options are available for a diving pool. There are typically 4 classifications for a residential diving pool.

  • Dive Rocks - Provides an elegant diving board base option for customers that want to have the natural rock design in their backyard. This unique looking diving board base adds beauty and functionality to your backyard swimming pool. One of the Dive Rocks is called Boulder Springs from Interfab, this is available as a 6ft or 8ft option. As a rule of thumb a 16'x32' pool can only install the 6ft option and our standard 18'x36' & 20'x40' can have either the 6ft or 8ft options installed on their pool.

  • Jump Boards - as with all diving boards you must classify the type of pool you have 1-5 to determine the proper size jump board for your backyard. When installing this jump board you must follow manufacturer's requirements. One popular jump board which is especially recommended for a pool that has a salt water chlorine generator is the SR Smith Saltwater diving board. This diving board is available in 6ft or 8ft sizes. This is manufactured out of composite materials and guaranteed to resist rust often caused by salt water in pools. This diving board has composite springs with active spring feature which gives you a lot of spring when jumping off the diving board into the pool.

  • Diving Boards - We have many different diving boards to choose from our most popular is the style with the fiberglass diving base with either the 6ft or 8ft diving board. The sleek appearance and strong construction of the SR Smith Flyte Deck II Stand or the Interfab La Mesa make these two our most popular diving boards for vinyl pools.

  • Competition boards are typically used only on commercial pools or very large residential pools. Depending on depth of the pool and the slope to the shallow end, a vinyl pool could safely install a 1/2 meter board, but not a 3/4 meter or 1 meter board. The Interfab Techni-Beam 10 ft board could be a suitable practice board for

Installation of a dive stand and dive board

When installing a diving board or dive stand it is VERY important to follow the manufacturer's installation instructions. There are certain requirements with installing a diving board such as how far the base of the diving board is located from the edge of pool water, how far board extends over the pool, and height above the pool water see instructions for very detailed guidelines and it is mandatory to follow these specifications in order to properly install your diving board. A properly installed diving board will help eliminate a careless injury.

Please make sure you pay very close attention to the technical information in regards to the installation there is a minimum distance from the edge of the pool to the stand on the diving board that is required. There are also requirements for bonding the diving board stand in many parts of the country, or connecting it to the electrical bonding wire that runs around the pool. Understanding the requirements for a diving board can be very confusing so give one of our experts at SPP a call and we can help make sure you get what is needed for your particular pool.

Seeing the kids' smiles on their faces is priceless as they cannonball into the pool so keep those kids happy and install a diving board with your new inground swimming pool.



In The Swim makes every effort to provide accurate recommendations based upon current ANSI/APSP/ICC-5 2011 (R2022) standards, but codes and regulations change, and In The Swim assumes no liability for any omissions or errors in this article or the outcome of any project. You must always exercise reasonable caution, carefully read the label on all products, follow all product directions, follow any current codes and regulations that may apply, and consult with a licensed professional if in doubt about any procedures. In The Swim assumes no legal responsibility for your reliance or interpretation of the data contained herein, and makes no representations or warranties of any kind concerning the quality, safety, or suitability of the information, whether express or implied, including, without limitation, any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.