SD2 - Teaching Diving

Teaching Diving (current ref: AP9)

Teaching a student in a structured and formal class is inherently different from permitting recreational users from diving (or teaching diving to others), and that if delivered with appropriate risk management by suitably trained and qualified instructors, is an important part of teaching swimming and water safety skills.

The teaching of diving in the context of swimming and water safety lessons can pose a serious risk of injury to the swimmer which could result in a spinal injury, particularly to the head and neck, if teaching diving is not conducted safely and in an appropriate environment.

There is also a significant difference in the level of risk posed by the size / height of the student in relation water depth (e.g. adult-sized vs toddler sized).

Diving should be taught using a progressive instruction sequence, such as:

• In-water push glides from a standing position
• Instructor-guided seated push and glide
• Poolside seated dive
• Instructor-assisted crouching dive
• Poolside un-assisted crouching dive
• Poolside standing dive
• Starting block dive.

Progression to the next level should only be permitted after successful demonstration of the current skill.

Swimming and water safety teachers are (generally) not qualified to teach competitive dive starts entries. Swim and/or diving coaching accreditation are needed for instructing this skill.

Minimum depths assume a typical-sized student in typical conditions, and settings should be adjusted based on the physical attributes of the student.

Teaching of diving should only be permitted provided the following is in place:

Risk Assessment

Aquatic education program providers should complete a Teaching Diving Risk Assessment (or incorporate into a broader aquatic education program or aquatic risk assessment).

The risk assessment should consider:

• Whether the facility has the appropriate water depths for the safe teaching of diving in relation to the size of the student
• The qualifications, training, professional licensing (if applicable) and experience the swimming and water safety instructor needs to conduct diving lessons safely
• The teaching progression for safe diving lessons
• Whether the swimming and water safety instructor is medically fit and healthy to teach diving lessons
• The availability of backup supervision and trained personnel in aquatic spinal injury management
• The availability of suitable aquatic spinal injury management rescue equipment.
• The availability of appropriate signage during the lesson to indicate that ‘diving lesson in progress.

In addition to the documented risk assessment, aquatic education program providers should undertake dynamic risk management strategies that consider the instructors’ physical attributes and the students’ physical attributes and the environment.

Water Depth Minimum Requirements

• Minimum Depth for Sitting Dive: 1.2m
• Optimal Depth for Sitting Dive: 1.5m
• Minimum Depth for Instructor-assisted Crouching Dives: 1.3m
• Optimal Depth for Instructor-assisted Crouching Dives: 1.5m
• Minimum Depth for Unassisted Crouching and Standing Dives: 1.5m
• Optimal Depth for Crouching and Standing Dives: 2m
• Forward Clearance: 6m of forward clearance from the edge of the pool, the first 5m of which should be at least the recommended water depth.

Supervision

• Qualified Personnel for Teaching Diving: Only qualified swimming and water safety teachers or swim coaches should teach diving. Refer: Guidelines for Safe Pool Operations – Training & Qualifications for qualification requirements.
• Qualified Personnel for Spinal Management: a person holding a lifeguard skillset (or the appropriate complex water rescue competencies for aquatic spinal management) who has access to appropriate spinal rescue equipment should be on site when diving is being taught.
• Protocol: Swimming and water safety teachers should not permit or teach diving activities if the water depth and/or forward clearance is inadequate.

Additional Safety Considerations

• Signage: In addition to the usual permanent pool safety signage, when teaching sitting diving or diving in a pool depth between 1.2m and 1.8m, temporary signage should be displayed stating that “Warning: Lesson in Progress. Dive Entries Permitted by Students Under Instructor Supervision Only”, or similar. Note: A sign is not necessary where the pool is being used solely for learn to swim under supervision.’ ‘No diving’ signage should be mounted around the pool anywhere where the depth is less than 1.8m.
• Instructor height: It is noted that many swim instructors may not be able to assist a student through a sitting or crouch dive when the pool depth is 1.5m or greater, due to the manual handling risk on the instructor. In these circumstances, aquatic facility operators should ensure the manual handling risk is considered.
• Teaching Points: can be used to assist in student safety, such as ‘Lock hands, lock head steer up. Grip edge with toes.’
• Prohibited Practices: Running dives and diving in wave pools should be prohibited, regardless of depth.
• Simultaneous Instruction: Diving classes should be segregated from swimming areas; one teacher should not attempt to conduct both diving and swimming instruction simultaneously.
• Facility Familiarisation: Students should receive instructions on safety considerations prior to the commencement of diving lessons.
• Water Depth Check: Teachers should verify water depth and forward clearance before diving.
• Student Vulnerabilities: Teachers should consider whether students have any features or characteristics that may mean additional safety precautions are needed, such as a particularly large or tall student, or a student with either physical or intellectual impairments that may make following safety instructions more difficult. Reasonable adjustments should be made to ensure student safety, including if necessary, forgoing diving instruction.

REFERENCES

• Blanksby, B., Wearne, F. K., Elliott, B., & Blitvich, J. D. (1997). Aetiology and occurrence of diving injuries: A review of diving safety. Sports Medicine, 23(4), 228-246. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-199723040-0000
• Diving Position Statement (2024). AUSTSWIM, Melbourne
• Teaching Swimming and Water Safety – The Australian Way, 2nd Ed, 2008, Mosby
• FINA Facility Rules 2021 - 2025. FINA, Lausanne.
• Safe Diving Practices: Competitive Applications (Keith McElroy), J Blitvich et al, 1999.
• Guide to Ontario Public Pools Regulation, 2nd Edition, 2004, Lifesaving Society, Toronto
• Managing Health and Safety in Swimming Pools, 3rd Edition, 2003, Sport England Publications, Wetherby.
• GSPO Guideline FD24 Design of Starting Blocks (Starting Platforms)
• GSPO Guideline SU22 Safe Water Entry For Competitions
• GSPO Guideline PR8 Qualifications For Providing Safe Aquatic Programs
• Safe Depths for Teaching Children to Dive (Blanksby B.A, Wearne F.K, Elliott B.C 1996), The Australian Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.

PREVIOUS GUIDELINES

• Guideline AP9 - Teaching of Safe Water Entries And Diving, Issue 1,
• Guideline PR7 Teaching of Diving Issue 3, April 2013
• Guideline PR9 Teaching of Water Entry and Diving, Issue 2, November 2002
• Guideline PR9 Teaching of Water Entry and Diving, Issue 1, July 1996