Headfirst Entry - Diving and Sliding
 Do not
allow any diving or headfirst entry into any pool until you are sure the pool is designed
for diving and meets all standards for diving pools, such as the NSPI standards. Consult
your pool builder or NSPI member if you have any doubts. Do not allow diving into a pool,
or any part of the pool, that is not deep enough for diving. It is recommended that
"No Diving" signs be placed at all areas of the pool where diving is not
appropriate.
Your first entry into a pool should be
feet first so you can determine water depth and pool configuration. As a responsible pool
owner, pay special attention to headfirst entry - diving and sliding. Both activities
involve headfirst entry into the water at high speed - a situation that can lead to very
serious, life-threatening accident.
The chief danger
for divers or headfirst sliders is serious spinal injury. They may hit their heads against the
bottom or side of the pool or against some object or person. Injuries to the spinal cord
may result, causing temporary or permanent paralysis or death. Never use alcohol or
drugs while diving or swimming.
Research studies have shown that you
cannot rely on the water alone to slow you down sufficiently to avoid injury. Protective
action must be taken by the diver or headfirst slider. Serious spinal injuries can occur even at very slow speeds
if the head strikes firmly against the pool bottom or side. The spine cannot absorb
as great an impact as the skull can, especially if the head has been fixed against an
immovable object. If you are diving or sliding headfirst and hit your head on a hard
surface, your chin goes down (rotates) to your chest. Your head stops, but the rest of
your body keeps on coming. You could break your neck, back and/or sever your spinal
cord.
To properly supervise an inground pool
that was designed to accommodate diving, you must also be able to identify "real
divers" and areas or locations where diving is permitted. As with swimming, the most
practical definition of a diver might be someone who has achieved minimum safe diving
skills through training in a certified course of instruction. People may overestimate
their abilities and claim to be "divers," so use extreme caution.
"Steer
up for a safe dive."
"Too steep a dive can
cause your head to hit the bottom. This can result in a broken neck and paralysis."
While
there is no substitution for diving instruction and actual practice at poolside, it is
important for you to familiarize yourself, youngsters and everyone who uses the pool with
the following principles of headfirst entry.
 Some do's and don'ts of diving.
Do's
n Do know the shape of the pool bottom and
the water depth before you dive or slide headfirst.
n Do plan your path to avoid submerged
obstacles, surface objects or other swimmers.
n Do hold your head up, arms up, and steer up with your hands.
n Do keep arms extended and head and hands
up.
n Do practice carefully before you dive or
slide headfirst.
n Do test the diving board for its spring
before using.
n Do remember that when you dive down, you
must steer up.
n Do dive straight ahead - not off the side
of a diving board.
Don't
n Don't drink and dive.
n Don't dive into an aboveground pool.
n Don't dive into a pool not meeting a
"diving pool" standard.
n Don't dive or slide headfirst in the
shallow part of the pool.
n Don't dive across the narrow part of
pools.
n Don't run and dive.
n Don't dive from any place that is not
specifically designed for diving.
n Don't engage in horseplay on diving or
sliding equipment.
n Don't use diving equipment as a
trampoline.
n Don't do a back dive; backyard pools are
not built for this dangerous dive.
n Don't try fancy dives; keep the dives
simple.
n Don't dive or slide headfirst at or
through objects such as inner tubes.
n Don't put diving or sliding equipment on a
pool that wasn't designed for it.
n Don't swim or dive alone.
n Don't dive into unfamiliar bodies of
water.
Principles of Headfirst Entry
 Diving and
headfirst sliding require you to think ahead. Your personal safety depends on it.
Because once you've started your dive or headfirst slide, you don't have time to think or
change. Before you dive or slide headfirst, you should determine the shape of the pool
bottom, find out how deep the water is and plan your entry path to avoid other persons or
obstructions.
Most headfirst entry accidents happen in
shallow water. Don't dive or slide headfirst in the shallow part of the pool. A
well-trained diver can execute a dive in shallow water, but for the majority of people,
such a dive represents a serious risk of injury. Be concerned. Be smart - do not dive into
shallow water. When appropriate, use a rope and float line to indicate where the shallow
water ends. The pool owner is responsible for allowing diving only into the proper area of
the pool. If you are not able to always supervise pool use, you should post "No
Diving" signs where the water is too shallow for diving.
When you begin
your dive or headfirst slide, you must get ready to steer up. As you enter the water, your arms
must be extended over your head, hands flat and aiming up. Hold your head up and arch your
back. This way, your whole body helps you steer up, away from the bottom.
By keeping your
head and hands up, you help protect your head from striking bottom. If a diver's or slider's head hits
bottom, serious neck and spinal injuries may occur. So always remember, head and hands up!
And finally, as
you follow through, you must learn to control your entry path through proper use of hands
and arms. The proper
follow-through technique is arms extended fully, hands flat and tipped up.
Investigations have shown that many diving
and headfirst sliding accidents have resulted when people were using the pool under the
influence of alcohol or drugs. No one should dive or slide headfirst after
drinking alcohol or while under the influence of any drugs.
Don't run and dive. That can give you the
same impact as a dive from a board. And don't dive across the narrow part of pools.
Remember that injuries have occurred after diving from strange places such as roofs,
balconies, walls, fences and other places that were not meant for diving. Therefore, never
dive from any elevation other than a properly installed diving board.
Diving and
sliding equipment must not be used improperly - absolutely no horseplay. Only one person at a time should use such
equipment. The second person does not enter the water until the first person has cleared
the entry area. Never allow diving equipment to be used as a trampoline.
General Use of Pool Slides
Improper use of
pool slides can present the same potential dangers as improper diving techniques. The principles for headfirst sliding are
the same as for diving and are covered in the preceding section of this booklet.
"Standing,
diving, jumping or horseplay on or around a slide can lead to falls resulting in paralysis
or other serious injury. Make sure your slide is right for your pool. Learn the correct
ways to slide and enforce proper use."
If you use a pool slide, you must have a
landing area with adequate clearance over the deck or the edge of the pool (the coping),
and with an appropriate depth of water. Follow the slide manufacturer's specifications
regarding clearance and depth, installation instructions and proper use.
If headfirst slides are to be attempted,
the pool slide must exit into deep water. There are
only two proper ways to use a slide - sitting, going down feet first, and lying flat on
your belly, headfirst, pursuant to 16 CFR Ch. II (1-1-93 Edition) U.S. Consumer Product
Safety Commission, Part 1207 Safety Standard for Swimming Pool Slides. All
other methods of using a slide are dangerous and present a risk of serious injury.
When you are writing your "pool
rules," consider who will be using your slide and how. Enforce proper use of the
slide.
Under all circumstances you
should prohibit:
n Any slide other than sitting, feet first,
or flat on the belly, headfirst
n Headfirst entries from a slide that exits
into shallow water
n Horseplay
n Any slide entries by non-swimmers into
deep water, to protect them from drowning
n Standing on the top of a slide or outside
the guide rails 
n Jumping from a slide
n Diving from a slide
n Sliding into areas with submerged
obstacles, surface objects or other swimmers. |
