• Massachusetts has regulations in place for diving boardsgirl on diving board image by Sandra Henderson from Fotolia.com
  
  Installing a diving board the right way can provide for years of pool fun. If installed the wrong way it provides for years of trouble, and it will eventually have to be removed and the installation process started over. Furthermore, if installed incorrectly the board could break completely off its mount, leading to injury. The state of Massachusetts has established regulations on diving board installations.
  
  

Construction

• Under Section 435.15 of the State Sanitary Code, a diving board must be made of sufficiently strong materials. It also must be solidly anchored to the pool base to withstand the designed loads and stresses involved with diving. The board itself must have a non-slip surface, and free of splinters and other materials that can cause injury.
  
  

Headroom Clearances

• According to 435.15 subsection 3, headroom clearance above the board must be a minimum of 13 feet, extended out 8 feet behind the board, 16 feet in front of the board, and 8 feet on each side of the board.
  
  

Height above water level in Public Pools

• If a pool is open to the general public, persons enjoying the pool may be unqualified for high dives, but attempt to do so anyway. Therefore, according to 435.15 subsection 3, no diving board can be installed over one meter, or 39 inches, above the water level.
  
  

Guard Rails

• If a diving board is installed above one meter from the water line in a private or educational pool, then guard rails have to be installed. These rails must extend at least 36 inches above the surface of the board, and extend to the edge of the pool wall.