Getting a back yard swimming pool installed will, no doubt, come with many benefits. From accommodating enjoyable exercise to adding ambiance and easy-to-plan parties, your family’s property and lifestyle will be greatly impacted by the addition of a pool, no matter what size or style you select.
One of the many benefits unique to in-ground swimming pools is that you have the potential to add a diving board to your pool. From back flips to belly flops, diving boards offer a great jumping-off point for all kinds of skills.
It’s important to be aware of a few issues relating to safety, liability, and associated costs before having your new diving board installed.
Safety Issues
Safety is a huge concern when it comes to pools in general and diving boards in particular. Many backyard swimming pools aren’t realistically large enough or deep enough to allow for a diving board to be safely added to them. If a pool isn’t deep enough, a diver could hit the bottom, causing head or neck injuries. If a pool isn’t wide enough, the diver could hit the wall. Paralysis and death are very real possibilities. However, most diving injuries are actually less severe and affect the extremities or soft tissue.
According to a 2008 study regarding diving injuries in the U.S., children between the ages of 10 and 14 are most at-risk for diving injuries, and boys are twice as likely as girls to experience fractures or injuries to their heads or necks. Most diving injuries are not caused by those doing high dives or platform dives; instead, 4 out of every 5 diving injuries occur as a result of a dive from a board a meter or less in height.
Preventive Measures
As the number of young competitive divers increases, even more children and teens show interest in developing greater diving skills. (This tendency often peaks around the time of the summer Olympics.) Recreational diving can certainly be done safely, and the best way for your kids to learn what that means is to sign them up for diving lessons. Some instructors may be willing to come teach your children along with a few of their friends at your own pool!
In the meantime, you’ll want to put parameters on the kinds of stunts which kids can try off your diving boards. Those attempting flips in general (and back flips in particular) are most at risk, so it may be best to add one more “pool rule” relating the diving board: No one may attempt flips unless they’ve had training in those skills from a qualified instructor. Some diving boards also incorporate safety features, such as slip-resistant coatings and hand rails.
In Part 2, we’ll look at a couple other issues to consider before you have your new diving board installed.
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