A generation ago, around 50% of homes with swimming pools also had a diving board. But pools installed nowadays rarely include one, and the reason is ... liability. A well- publicized lawsuit in 1993 (in which a 14-year-old boy did a no-handed “suicide” dive into a residential pool and was paralyzed) found both the diving board manufacturer and the swimming pool builder to be at fault, as well as the safety standard–setting organization NSPI, which ended up filing for bankruptcy.

The case sent a chill through the pool industry with ripples affecting homeowner insurance rates, building codes, and builders’ willingness to install boards. No one wanted to be responsible for the next major injury.

The traditional springboard, the type of diving board found in commercial pools that is either 1 or 3 meters high (the latter is used for diving competitions), is now prohibited by most building codes for use in residential pools.

There are three basic options for homeowners, all of which are fairly low over the water. In fact, the highest option cannot exceed 40 inches from the board edge to the top of the water’s surface; 20 inches is more common. The three options are:

(1) A flexible board on a rigid stand called a diving board. The board itself may be made of wood coated with acrylic or fiberglass, or it may be made of aluminum. All boards have a textured no-slip finish, typically with a sandy feel. Often this will involve an extra layer of acrylic with the texturing added.

(2) A flexible board on a flexible stand called a jump board. The stand is flexible because it has a pair of large opposing-force steel springs, one on each side of the stand. This does not offer the propulsion of a commercial pool’s springboard, but it does provide some lift.

(3) A rigid board on a rigid stand called a diving platform. This option may have a stand that swivels at a 90-degree angle and can also be locked into place to serve as a bench.

Whether you are adding a diving board to an existing pool or building a new pool and board together, check with local codes to be sure you meet specifications for pool depth and envelope size. Contractors have sometimes added a diving board according to a manufacturer’s specifications and then found that the building inspector refused to approve the installation because local codes had slightly different requirements. Also, check with your homeowner’s insurance company to see what a diving board would do to your rates.

Generally, the water depth from the top of the water’s surface to the bottom of the pool at the spot just under the board should be 7 1/2 feet for a very low board and more as the board’s height, length, and springiness increase. There are a number of factors specified by codes and by manufacturers, and you may be required to use a licensed pro for the installation.

Most residential boards are 18 inches wide (compared to 20 inches for commercial boards), and they range in length from 6 to 12 feet (compared with 16 feet for commercial boards).

Boards need to be anchored to a concrete pad and so cannot be installed on a pool deck. The minimum concrete pad is 4 by 8 by 6 feet and contains an anchor jig, which is basically a set of large bolts set in concrete that firmly anchor the stand for the board. The stand fits over the bolts and is secured with hex nuts. Then the board is installed on the stand. Board-and-stand combos start at around $300 and go up to around $1,500, not counting the concrete pad or installation.

If you have an old board that is showing signs of wear and tear, you may be able to replace it and re-use the same stand. But check your local codes first to be sure that is permitted.