Pool Diving Safety
The University of Alabama's Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation reports that 850 spinal cord injuries are received each year due to a diving accident. 300 of these injuries occur in backyard swimming pools because of improper diver safety. Diving in your backyard in an unsafe manner poses a high safety hazard, as divers can receive many injuries to the spinal cord, head and other body parts. Does this Spark an idea?
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Check the Area
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Check the area of the before completing a dive. Be aware of floating debris, swimmers, or other permanent fixtures. Diving into water without completing a check can pose a high safety risk to other swimmers and yourself. Hitting an object when diving into water can result in spinal cord and head injuries.
Know the Depth
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Know the exact depth of the water that you will be diving into. Backyard pools with a depth of six feet are considered safe to complete small dives. The American Red Cross recommends that swimming pools should have a minimum depth of nine feet or more if swimmers are completing headfirst dives into the pool from a higher object such as a block.
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Head and Hands Up
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When diving in a swimming pool do so with your arms extended over your head. This will not only help steer your dive, but can protect your head and spinal cord if you happen to hit another object or the pool's floor.
Don't Fancy Dive
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Fancy dives are best left for professionals in an Olympic size swimming pool that has a safe depth of water. Dives that include back flips or straight and vertical entries are dangerous in backyard swimming pools. These types of dives require a very deep swimming pool and a higher distance that helps slow the diver down.
Other Safety Precautions
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Do not dive from pool ladders, fences or off objects located near the pool. Diving from the edge of the pool in the deep end is the safest. Running and diving at the same time should be discouraged as not only can you slip and fall, but will create a more forceful dive. Diving boards should also not be used in a backyard swimming pool due to the amount of force it gives to a dive. Never dive alone and make sure you have a 'buddy' with you at all times in case you injure yourself.
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References
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- Photo Credit plongeon dans la piscine image by laurent gehant from Fotolia.com
