Pool Safety

- Know the shape of the pool bottom and the water depth before you dive or slide headfirst.

- Plan your path to avoid submerged obstacles, surface objects or other swimmers.

- Hold your head up, arms up, and steer up with your hands.

- Keep arms extended and head and hands up.

- Practice carefully before you dive or slide headfirst.

- Test the diving board for its spring before using.

- Remember that when you dive down, you must steer up.

- Dive straight ahead - not off the side of a diving board.

- Drink and dive.

- Dive into an above-ground pool.

- Dive into a pool not meeting a "diving pool" standard.

- Dive or slide headfirst in the shallow part of the pool.

- Dive across the narrow part of pools.

- Run and dive.

- Dive from any place that is not specifically designed for diving.

- Engage in horseplay on diving or sliding equipment.

- Use diving equipment as a trampoline.

- Do a back dive; backyard pools are not built for this dangerous dive.

- Try fancy dives; keep the dives simple.

- Dive or slide headfirst at or through objects such as inner tubes.

- Put diving or sliding equipment on a pool that wasn't designed for it.

- Swim or dive alone.

- Dive into unfamiliar bodies of water.