Is pool depth of 7 feet safe?

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Cloverprop

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Sep 29, 2021
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Maryland
I am in the process of building a pool and I wanted a nice big shallow end but also a deep end that was deep enough to dive in safely from deck (no diving board or jumping rock). I am doing a rectangular pool (16 x 40) with a 3.5 foot shallow end. My builder suggested 7 feet for deep end. Is this a safe enough depth to dive off of pool deck?
 
Cloverprop said:
I am in the process of building a pool and I wanted a nice big shallow end but also a deep end that was deep enough to dive in safely from deck (no diving board or jumping rock). I am doing a rectangular pool (16 x 40) with a 3.5 foot shallow end. My builder suggested 7 feet for deep end. Is this a safe enough depth to dive off of pool deck?
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You can dive into a 4 foot section of pool with no issues. Plenty of people have pools that are 6 feet deep as well and I am sure many dive into them. I wouldn't worry about it. Just pay attention to the slope out of the deep well if that is too steep that can cause issues. Try not to exceed a slope of 1 foot of rise over 3 foot of run. That is what most dive envelopes are set at.
 
7ft is not deep enough for diving, even from a ledge. I have a 7ft depth and my kids are only allowed to cannonball jump (bottoms in first). If I jump in and cannonball my bum easily hits the bottom of the pool. Kids are notoriously unaware of the dangers involved with a pool and a head in first dive in a shallow pool can easily result in a traumatic, lifelong brain or spinal injury.

If you want a pool to dive in, then the SR Smith document that @ajw22 linked is the minimum design that should be followed.
 
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I had an 8 ft (keep in mind the water depth is 6 inches less than the wall height) 20x40. Even with the slope being further in a larger pool, I would bounce off the slope if I didn’t try not to. I’m 6’4’’, but still. IMHO 7ft (6.5 water depth) isn’t enough for guaranteed safety while diving.
 
Keep in mind the ANSI standard is to have a diving board installed, which was not the question asked. That minimum appears to be 7'6" if the depth profile and widths are met. I don't know that there is a standard for what is asked, which is deck diving. I will say that it's more of a risk question of what you are willing to assume as the owner? 7' should be plenty for someone who knows how to dive. However, are you willing to take that chance for someone you don't know? FWIW, kids in the Atlanta area who do summer swim team are trained to dive in 3 1/2' of water from the shallow end deck for relays from about 8 years on up (younger kids have to jump), and in my 16 years living here I've never seen an injury. It's all about the training and understanding of angle of entry when diving. Note, swim meets are the only time our HOA allows diving from the shallow end, due to liability.
 
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(In the attached article, it has numerical pool types. Is there a link to decode the pool types?)

Edit: OK, I see that the dimensional list is what designates the pool type and then the max height of the pool stationary diving platform is define later for that.

My pool meets the definition of a type 3 pool (8 foot depth at B - Table 1). Which translates to a stationary platform at the center of the deep end of no more than 50" above the waterline, which in my case would be 44" above the coping. (5.10.2)

Is this correct?

Also Section G...Don't drink and dive.
 
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red-beard said:
In the attached article, it has numerical pool types. Is there a link to decode the pool types?
Click to expand...
The pool types are based on the diving board types to be installed... this is defined by how long the board is, the height of the board over the water and the overhang of the board of the water. To get these you need the install manual for the board you are installing. The guide is an ANSI standard for dive envelopes. I became an expert at this after my pool company screwed my board location up. That and the fact that I have spent 25 years in IC Physical Design Engineering chasing advanced technology DRC rules that make these diving rules seem like child's play.

If you aren't adding a board they really don't apply. There is no guideline for diving off the edge of the pool The only reason there are these guidelines for the board types is to create a safe dive envelope and to shield the board manufacture/pool builder from liability. For diving off the edge I think it can be done with a shallow pool and a shallow dive as others have mentioned. If you cannonball or jump straight in of course you will hit the bottom and this can cause an issue for someone if they dive headfirst into a shallow pool. But it comes with the caution/liability that someone could get hurt. Same with a diving pool... pools are inherently more dangerous than just having grass in the back yard.
 
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Well 8 would be great, but I am also trying to make my shallow end as big as possible. So I have weigh the pros and cons. Safety is a must. But as long as it's safe for diving, I would like to max my shallow end. Without the diving board, I can't find any published reccomendations.
 
Cloverprop said:
Without the diving board, I can't find any published reccomendations.
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I think you are looking for fine points to wiggle out of what you should do. Since you can't find any recommendations for a pool without a diving board the conservative and safe thing is to follow the diving board ANSI standards if you intend to allow diving.

Having a family member get injured diving into a pool it is not something you want to happen to anyone. You cannot assume that everyone will know how to dive properly or that every dive will be executed to perfection.

If you are going to allow diving then make the depth 8 feet.
 
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+1. And I can tell ya from experience, your own kids will know the ‘rules’ and do very well with them. Anyone that comes to visit will terrify you as they don’t. Or forget the rules once they’ve been told. Or don’t think they really need to listen to you because they are a newer friend and y’all don’t go way back as a fake uncle/aunt. Or they are just *kids* who will ultimately do kid things with no ill intent.

Yeah. Everybody else’s kids that came to visit terrified me. Even with me there and 100% on top of it.
 
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Cloverprop said:
Well 8 would be great, but I am also trying to make my shallow end as big as possible. So I have weigh the pros and cons. Safety is a must. But as long as it's safe for diving, I would like to max my shallow end. Without the diving board, I can't find any published recommendations.
Click to expand...
Your pool is essentially my pool. The shallow end is 3.5 feet and it gradually drops to 4.5 feet, over about 20 feet. Then it drops from 4.5 feet to 8 feet over about 10-11 feet. So my Shallow area is about 15 wide and 20 feet long or about 1/2 of my pool.
 
At the end of the day we can all argue and nitpick standards and say why or why not something applies. But these facts remain -
  1. Kids are stupid and take risks;
  2. Kids don’t listen well;
  3. When in a group of other kids their age, stupidity and risk-taking increase exponentially with each new kid added to the pool while listening decreases exponentially;
  4. The pool owner is totally responsible for the health and well-being of all kids at a pool regardless of how stupid the kid(s) act.
Therefore, QED, get a deeper pool….
 
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