Diving board or jumping rock? Help!

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shannnon

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Jun 30, 2018
32
St. George/UT
We are getting to the final details on our pool plans and I am having a hard time deciding between a jumping rock or diving board!

We can only find two insurance companies that will insure us with a diving board and they require it to be no more than 20" off the water. Well, that seems kind of boring. Or not? Is that a pretty standard residential pool diving board? Plus our annual premiums will double not to mention the cost of taking out an umbrella policy for extra protection which we would also do. What about a jumping rock? Insurance premiums won't change and can we have less depth (less than 8' which is required for a diving board) therefore having a bigger shallow end? That's a plus because we hear having a big shallow end is good too.

Do you LOVE your diving board? Please share why!

Do you LOVE your jumping rock? Please share why!

Has anybody else made this same decision and can share why they went one way or another? Thanks!
 
Each pool owner has to decide what risks are acceptable. We went with a tired wall so kids and others can jump (no diving allowed) until there hearts are content! Your pool design and size should dictate the features you want. Teens and young adults seem to be the most adventurous :)
 
We changed our insurance to Nationwide when the pool was built. No change in premium. Actually cheaper for higher limits. Maybe we were getting taken before? It was actually the excess/umbrella policy that didn't like the diving board. I was told it would be ok. But apparently that was only for the base coverage, not the umbrella. Then we got "the letter". Remove it within 30 days or you will be cancelled. No chance. We removed THEM instead of IT.

I like having a diving board. It is especially used when groups of kids/young adults are using the pool. I also wanted one for me. I like to occasionally dive, and also for games like jumping, catching the basketball and then shooting. Which by the way, I'm no good at. But it's fun. If you have space, and don't mind the slope it creates, I'd get a diving board. I always recommend going 8 1/2' or 9' for a diving board. Just my experience having touched the bottom with my hands without being crazy and we have 8 1/2'. There are specific ways to dive (shallow) that should always be taught.

But to echo CTRAV, clearly it adds risks and you have to be comfortable with them. And a pool itself is quite risky by it's nature of holding water. Though aside from the obvious spine concern, the much more common issue is breaks/rashes from falling on/off of the diving board.
 
My 2 cents. IMHO I would not add a diving board. As mentioned above, the insurance companies one by one will not be covering diving boards for much longer. In today’s sue happy world, they see to much risk, and I tend to agree.
I would keep the deep end, and add the rock. That way then can jump or dive off it at will.
 
A rock if its sitting on the beam or just back will not rot out like a metal diving board frame will.

Also looks more natural and safer in my opinion as kids can't really run and jump or spring up.

Regardless of what you do kids will dive into a pool, and their friends will do flips or worse.

I have two rocks - small and large and everyone loves them.
 
blakeusa said:
A rock if its sitting on the beam or just back will not rot out like a metal diving board frame will.

Also looks more natural and safer in my opinion as kids can't really run and jump or spring up.

Regardless of what you do kids will dive into a pool, and their friends will do flips or worse.

I have two rocks - small and large and everyone loves them.
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How tall are your rocks? And how deep is your deep end?
 
We have a diving board and love it. It encourages jumping in the deep end where the depth can accommodate it.

Called my insurance company (My pool was built earlier this year) to add the pool and mentioned the diving board. The agent didn’t have any issues with the diving board and my premiums only went very slightly up as I increased my coverages in general.
 
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sngencarelli said:
We have a diving board and love it. It encourages jumping in the deep end where the depth can accommodate it.

Called my insurance company (My pool was built earlier this year) to add the pool and mentioned the diving board. The agent didn’t have any issues with the diving board and my premiums only went very slightly up as I increased my coverages in general.
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My insurer was only concerned about adequate fencing. I specifically mentioned the diving board because I'd heard it can be an issue, the agent said it posed no problems - the fence was the key.

The one clear benefit is that we have taught all visitors that diving is only appropriate from the board. Even the toddlers learn that it's only okay to jump off the board (an adult is there to catch them).
 
Had a diving board in an old house (1971 construction) and removed it after parties & kids got too rowdy with it. If you see how easy and quick it is for anyone to drown, I took an insane safety bent to reduce any injuries with pool gate, alarms security cams and a no slip deck.
Insurance company evaluations were never a driving force, I almost drowned in a pool as a child riding bike around the pool, shoe lace bound up in gears and splash.
We had teenagers jump our back wall and swim while we were away a few years back, and the pool splash alarm scared them off. Don’t want any accidental liability either!
I unbolted the diving board and sawsalled it up and found the foundation bolts were poorly repaired and it was a Miracle it was still planted in the concrete. It was a 10 foot Deep pool and added a fountain and rock work when we redid deck and coping, and kids still had a good time jumping off the edge.
Sorry to be an voice of dissent.
 

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Sorry to be an voice of dissent.
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You’re not, not at all. That’s what makes this forum great. You get other people’s advice/opinions, and it helps people make their choice. Sometimes it’s just one little thing good or bad, that can resonate with someone, that makes all the difference. :cheers:
 
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