How to Select a Diving Board

The first question we will want to answer when considering boards is, what are my pool’s dimensions? Specifically, the deep end determines the size of the board and the height of the board that can be safely used on your pool. For example, see Section C in the Frontier Cantilever 656/658 Stand Manual. Follow the chart and its requirements closely as they are meant for your safety. The blown-up version shows that a board of 6 feet should have at least 6 feet of water depth under the board. And the projected “entry point” of the person have a depth of at least 7’6”. These dimensions will vary on the board length as you can see in the chart.

Now we can determine the type of board/base combo we want for our pool. The two types of boards to choose from are the jump board or the diving board. Some might say a “board is a board” but this is not the case. There is a distinct difference between the two and that deals with the springiness of the board and base. A springy base or often called a “jump stand” has a spring assembly connected to the base. This configuration comes in different configurations, determined by the manufacture and time period. If you take a look at the old “Duro-Spring boards made by Interfab they had actual springs as the fulcrum point of the board. The current springboards have spring assemblies that consist of spring leafs kind of like a heavy-duty truck suspension. These are curved pieces of metal between the board and base that create the desired bounce effect without looking so outdated as the spring design. A good example of the leaf configuration is the S.R. Smith Frontier III Spring Board and Cantilever Stand. You can see that these are a sleeker design and the favored type over the old coil springs. The other option for a jump stand is the spring stand made by S.R. Smith which is a fulcrum base jump stand called the Frontier II w/ Spring Stand. The spring stand differs from Cantilever and Supreme stand as the entire base is a spring. The jump stand is a metal leaf that system meant only for use with the Frontier II board. If you are looking for hangtime though the best option would be the Cantilever Stand as the spring assemblies provide much more of the boost the adventurous pool-goers desire. The stiffest of the boards is the Glas-Hide making it the board with the least amount of spring. What it lacks in spring it makes up for durability; meant for heavy-duty use on residential pools it is great for pools expecting a lot of parties. Also with the composition of the board there are none of the usual weather restrictions other systems are burdened with.

In terms of bounce the S.R. Smith boards are ranked from highest to lowest in the Frontier III w/ Cantilever Stand Salt Pool Jump System Frontier III w/ Supreme Stand Glas-Hide w/ Cantilever Stand Glas-Hide w/ Supreme Stand

The second option for a diving board and stand combo is the “Dive Board and Base.” Its rigidity is meant to offer a more stable platform for diving. Any “bounce” created from this board and base combo would be created by the board itself. The board with the most spring under the dive board category is the Fibre-Dive board. It features a dual beam design that provides greater flex angle. It is not meant for heavy use, so this would not be ideal for an installation expecting more than a party here and there.

An advantage dive boards have over the springy jump boards is the weight capacity they can withstand. The dive board and stands like the Frontier IV with either the U-Frame or steel meter stand can hold an adult that weighs up to 400 pounds.

A new style of dive Board S.R. Smith offers is one that provides a sleeker low profile design. The HipHop or FreeStyle board coupled with the D-Lux Stand gives the homeowner a diving platform without detracting from their poolscape. Made from durable composite materials

For homeowners with saltwater pools, SR Smith offers Salt Pool Jump System