The Pros and Cons of a Diving Board

admin |

Diving boards remain a popular accessory for pool owners. They are fun, they can give you what you need to practice diving and they make your pool that much closer to feeling like a public or higher-end pool.

However, as any pool contractor in Los Angeles, CA can tell you, there are also plenty of drawbacks associated with diving boards. If you’re considering adding one to your pool, it’s important that you take all of those drawbacks into consideration to determine if the positives of having one outweigh the negatives.

Here’s a quick overview of some of the reasons why pool owners might be hesitant to add a diving board:

  • Safety: The most common concern pool owners have about diving boards is whether or not they’re actually safe for use. Think about it—the people using it are barefoot, bouncing up and down on a wet plank and jumping (often headfirst) into a pool surrounded by concrete. You must consider carefully if the people who are most likely to be using the pool are capable of using the diving board safely. If you have very young children, for example, you’re probably not going to want to install a diving board.
  • Increased insurance premiums: When you consider the fact that diving boards come with some significant safety concerns, it should come as no surprise that adding one to your pool could result in your homeowners insurance premiums seeing a significant increase. Adding a pool will already increase your premiums because of the potential added dangers, but adding a diving board will result in an even greater increase, as insurers must weigh the risks of your addition.
  • Space requirements: Diving boards require a surprising amount of space. Safety standards indicate there should be at least 38 feet of pool length if you are to have a safe diving zone. This is because diving boards require some significant depth, and you’ll need a certain amount space over which to create that drop-off. The size and depth of a pool with a diving board takes up a lot more real estate, and can also result in significantly increased installation costs.
  • Reduced pool space: While a diving board requires more real estate for your pool, it also reduces the amount of usable pool space you’ll have, because any swimmers in the pool will need to keep a certain distance away from the diving board. It also means there will be a smaller area in which swimmers will be able to touch the bottom of the pool with their feet.
  • Quality: There are some concerns about the quality of modern diving boards. They don’t have quite the spring of some of the diving boards of years past, which can make them not quite as much fun to use. You’ll need to do some thorough research to find a board that is both safe and enjoyable to use.

If you’re looking for more information about the pros and cons of getting a diving board for your pool, it makes sense to reach out to a pool contractor in Los Angeles, CA with your questions. Contact Avanti Pools, Inc. today to learn more about diving boards and other pool accessories.