Diving, 3 Metre Dive Tower

A 3-Metre Dive Tower (3-Metre Diving Stand / Platform Structure) is a heavy-duty commercial aquatic fixture engineered to support competitive springboards (typically 16-foot Duraflex or Maxiflex boards) or serve as a rigid diving platform in competition natatoriums, university aquatic complexes, and commercial municipal dive wells.

Fabricated from structural 304 or 316L stainless steel or primed/powder-coated heavy carbon steel, these towers are governed by strict safety, hydraulic depth, and dimensional envelopes mandated by World Aquatics (formerly FINA), USA Diving, and local commercial building and public health codes.

Structural Framework & Material Options

• Stand Configurations:

  • Cantilever / Double-Leg Pedestal: Single or double heavy-gauge steel uprights supporting an angled fulcrum ladder beam. Common in space-constrained retrofits.

  • Tower / Ladder Platform Structure: Full four-post or triangulated truss structural frame equipped with wide-tread access stairs or a vertical angled ladder, structural handrails, and an intermediate access landing.

• Material & Corrosion Protection:

  • 304 / 316L Stainless Steel: Polished or electro-passivated to resist airborne chloramines and natatorium humidity.

  • Epoxy / Polyurethane Coated Carbon Steel: Sandblasted to near-white metal, zinc-rich primed, and finished with an industrial two-part polyurethane topcoat.

• Deck Mounting & Anchorage: Anchored to reinforced structural concrete pool deck footings using high-tensile 316 stainless steel adhesive capsule anchors or cast-in-place J-bolts (typically 5/8" to 3/4" diameter, min. 6" embedment).

Dimensional & Safety Regulations (World Aquatics / USA Diving Standard)

• Tower Height ($H$): 3.00 metres (9 ft 10 in) from the operational water surface level to the top surface of the board or platform.

• Minimum Water Depth Envelope:

  • Plummet Point Depth: Minimum 3.80 to 4.00 metres (12 ft 6 in to 13 ft 1 in) directly beneath the tip of the board (plummet line).

  • Safety Forward Slope: Deep-water envelope must extend forward at least 5.00 to 6.00 metres (16 ft 5 in to 19 ft 8 in) from the plummet line before sloping up to shallower water.

• Board Overhang: The front edge of a 16-foot springboard mounted on a 3-metre stand must overhang the pool wall edge by a minimum of 1.50 metres (4 ft 11 in).

• Side Clearances:

  • Minimum 2.50 to 3.00 metres (8 ft 2 in to 9 ft 10 in) from the board center line to adjacent side pool walls.

  • Minimum 2.50 metres (8 ft 2 in) center-to-center between parallel boards (e.g., between an adjacent 1-metre and 3-metre stand).

• Overhead Ceiling Clearance: Minimum unobstructed ceiling height of 5.00 metres (16 ft 5 in) measured above the entire length of the board.

Integrated Hardware & Springboard Interface

• Duraflex / Maxiflex Fulcrum Assembly: Compatible with the standard Duraflex mechanical slide-fulcrum gear track (Duraflex 16' Maxi-Flex Model B or standard Duraflex 16' Board), allowing divers to dial in board spring stiffness and mechanical leverage.

• Safety Handrails & Barrier Guardrails:

  • Continuous stainless steel handrails extending along access stairs/ladder up to the stand platform level.

  • Dual-tier safety guardrails extending along both sides of the board base to prevent accidental side falls from the tower deck.

• Water Agitation System (Bubbler / Surface Agitator): Typically plumbed adjacent to 3-metre dive wells. Air spargers (cushion bubblers) and high-velocity water sprays create surface ripples, providing divers visual surface cues and soft-landing cushioning during training.

Weight and Logistics Profile

• Net Unit Weight: Approximately 450 to 750 lbs (approx. 204 to 340 kg), depending on ladder vs. full stair-step configuration (excluding the 16 ft aluminum springboard itself, which weighs ~145 lbs / 66 kg).

• Shipping Dimensions (Disassembled): Packed on two oversized skids/crates:

  • Primary Uprights / Structural Frame: Approx. 140" L × 40" W × 48" H.

  • Stairs, Handrails & Sub-plate Hardware: Approx. 96" L × 36" W × 36" H.

• Palletized Shipping Weight: Approximately 600 to 950 lbs (approx. 272 to 431 kg).

• Freight Handling: Requires dedicated Flatbed or LTL Overlength (Class 85 to 125) shipping with liftgate/boom offloading or crane staging on site.