I think diving is a lot more difficult than swimming. First because of the dangers involved. Second the dives are very difficult too. Also, a diver needs to br a noraml size person rather than tall like many top swimmers. Its easier for a diver to swim than for a swimmer to dive. I remember Greg Lagunas competering against other top sportspeople in a money winning competion. He swam a 24 second 50 yard freestyle while Carl Lewis did a 29 second. Greg could do a flip while Carl and the others couldn't. I also think that US diving is much worst than US swimming. In Athens we even didn't medal. There are less and less kids that go out for the sport in the US and the Chinese and Russians and even now the Canadians have knock us off the podium in most diving competitions.
Given the fact that pools traditionally cost more to operate and build than they will ever bring in, I think insurance becomes a convenient scapegoat for why pools have cut back on diving. Insurance is a fixed cost, to be sure, but it isn't the insurance that is driving people away from diving boards, it is the lawsuits that such boards seem to inspire. Insurance is the only thing that keeps boards around. If you can't get insurance you certainly won't have a board.
I contend, however, that it's primarily the cost associated with diving well construction and maintenance. They drive the costs way up, both in building and mainteance costs. Plus, in order to have an adequate diving well, you have to have a pretty darn big pool, not just the 3' low dive at your neighborhood pool.
It takes a hefty financial committment to build a pool. When you add on a good well, you have taken it out of the realm of what most neighborhood and small municipalities can afford.
Given the fact that pools traditionally cost more to operate and build than they will ever bring in, I think insurance becomes a convenient scapegoat for why pools have cut back on diving. Insurance is a fixed cost, to be sure, but it isn't the insurance that is driving people away from diving boards, it is the lawsuits that such boards seem to inspire. Insurance is the only thing that keeps boards around. If you can't get insurance you certainly won't have a board.
I contend, however, that it's primarily the cost associated with diving well construction and maintenance. They drive the costs way up, both in building and mainteance costs. Plus, in order to have an adequate diving well, you have to have a pretty darn big pool, not just the 3' low dive at your neighborhood pool.
It takes a hefty financial committment to build a pool. When you add on a good well, you have taken it out of the realm of what most neighborhood and small municipalities can afford.
