FREQUENT QUESTIONS

WHY DIVE?

We think diving is just about the perfect sport. Yes, it’s hard work, but it’s fun, with a big payout.

  • Diving is both an individual and a team sport, with the benefits of both.

  • Divers learn that patience and hard work pay off.

  • Divers work together in practice to master new dives, developing connections with their coaches and fellow divers along the way.

  • Through diving competition, divers learn about good sportsmanship, how to be graceful in competition, and deal with success and failure.

  • Divers learn to set goals, and when they achieve them, to set even higher ones.

  • They learn to support their teammates in their struggles and to applaud their achievements.

All that, AND it’s awfully fun to move that board, float through the air, and execute that perfect dive! 

 

IS DIVING SAFE?

Many parents express concern about the safety of diving.  However, for an athlete who is properly trained by a safety certified coach, diving is an extremely safe sport.

“Diving Safety, A Position Paper” published by United States Diving reports on a study conducted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission which found that there were fewer accidents related to diving and diving boards than to golf, bowling, or bleachers.  A study conducted by the National Spinal Cord Injury Data Research Center found that half of all diving injuries occurred in rivers, lakes, and oceans and that most diving injuries “result from horseplay and injudicious behavior.”

As former Olympic Coach Ron O’Brien has explained: "The sport of diving has suffered a poor image through association with accidents involving a dive into the water, but having no connection to the sport of diving itself."These accidents occur in the shallow end of the pool, not the deep end, and they usually involve people who are not divers, have received little instruction, and whose activities are not properly supervised."
 

WHAT IS AAU?

The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) was formed in 1888 to serve as a forum for athletic competition among young men and women. The AAU is the largest nonprofit, volunteer-based, sports organization in the United States. It supports over 500,000 athletes in 34 sports on the local, regional, and national level with more than 250 national championships. It was designed for all who share a passion for athletics. The AAU has helped to mold and shape our young athletes to become faster, stronger, and smarter.  There are currently 17,000 AAU Diving members.

You can learn more about AAU @ www.aausports.org and www.diveaau.org

 

WHAT IS USA DIVING?

USA Diving, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization recognized by the U.S.Olympic Committee as the sport’s national governing body. USA Diving teams range from Junior Divers to the National Team and the US Olympic Team. USA Diving conducts meets each dive season that culminates in USA Diving Nationals. To learn more, visit www.usadiving.org.

 

WHAT IS DD?

DD stands for the degree of difficulty.

Each dive has an assigned DD. DD goes up with the difficulty of a dive. For example, a 103C (forward 1 1/2 tuck) has a DD of 1.6. If it's done in a pike position (103B), the DD is 1.7.  At diving competitions, the DD is multiplied by the scores the judges award the diver for the dive. These numbers are added up to determine the diver's final score in the competition.

Click here for DD Table


WHICH AGE GROUP DO YOU BELONG?

Competition levels are divided into the following age groups:

9 & Un.
10 to 11
12 to 13
14 to 15
16 to 18

A diver's 'age' is determined by the actual age of the diver on or before December 31st of the current year.  For example: If a diver is 11, but will turn 12 by December 31st - that diver will dive in the 12 to 13 age group.