That’s a nice diving board you have there. However, with the maximum depth of your pool only being five feet, is it okay to be jumping off that?

As long as you don’t hit face first upon diving, you should be okay, right? Well, believe it or not, manufacturers of diving boards won’t just let you buy one if they see your pool not up to spec. This is in accordance with existing pool regulations as dictated by the International Swimming Federation (FINA). Given the five-feet example above, you can forget about installing a diving board.

According to Duraflex, manufacturer of diving boards used by swimming competitions, installing a board one meter high requires a depth of 11.2 feet at the plummet. If you’ll be jumping some distance away from the plummet, the depth at least 16.4 feet from the plummet must be no less than 10.8 feet deep. The huge clearance prevents any injury caused by diving in shallow water.

For safety, pools with diving boards or platforms come with what experts call a no-intrusion area. This area must be clear of intrusions and obstacles to prevent injury. As the area comprises most of the pool, you’ll need a really big pool built just to accommodate the proper dimension.