SD1 - Recreational Diving
| Issue Date | Effective Date | Version |
|---|---|---|
| 12/12/2025 | 01/07/26 | 1.0 |
Recreational Diving (current ref: AP13)
Recreational diving should only be permitted provided the following is in place:
Risk Assessment
Aquatic facility owners / operators should complete a Recreational Diving Risk Assessment (or incorporate into the broader aquatic supervision risk assessment and supervision plan).
The risk assessment should consider:
- Whether the facility has the appropriate water depths for safe recreational diving
- What qualifications, training, professional licensing (if applicable) and experience the lifeguards needs to supervise diving effectively and ensure safety
- Whether the lifeguard is medically fit and healthy to supervise diving and conduct diving-related rescues (such as deep-water spinals)
- The availability of suitable aquatic spinal injury management rescue equipment
- The availability of appropriate signage to indicate where recreational diving is permitted and/or prohibited.
Water Depth Requirements
The following water depths should be in place for recreational diving:
| Description | Depth (m) |
|---|---|
| Minimum Depth for Diving From Water Level | 1.8m |
| Optimal Depth for Diving From Water Level | 2m |
| Minimum Depth for Diving from Starting Blocks or Upstands (up to 750mm in height above water level) | 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
Lifeguards should be in place wherever recreational diving is permitted.
Lifeguards should enforce facility rules and prohibit diving if the water depth or forward clearance requirements are not met.
Additional Safety Considerations
Signage should comply with Guidelines for Safe Pool Operations - Aquatic Signage and ISO 20712- Water safety signs and beach flags.
Unsafe practices such as running dives and diving in wave pools should be prohibited, regardless of depth.
Starting Blocks should be isolated to prevent recreational use where the pool depth is less than 2m
No Diving Areas should be clearly marked with ‘no diving’ signage, consistent with the Guidelines for Safe Pool Operations - Aquatic Signage and ISO 20712- Water safety signs and beach flags.
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/10.2165/00007256-199723040-00003
- 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
PREVIOUS GUIDELINES
- Guideline SU23 Supervision of Diving (Recreational Swimming), Issue 1, January 2001
- Guideline AP13 - Supervision of Safe Water Entry (Diving) For Recreational Swimming, Issue 1,
