How Deep Is an Olympic Diving Pool?

By Staff WriterLast Updated April 12, 2020

Pools used for diving competitions in the Olympic Games are known as diving wells and must be at least 5 meters deep. A diver enters the water by launching off a springboard or platform located at the edge of the diving well.

As of 2014, eight diving events are contested at any given Olympic Games, four for men and four for women. A springboard, which is built at a height of 3 meters above the water, is the apparatus for one set of individual and synchronized competitions. Divers can adjust the degree of spring in the board by rotating a wheel under the board. The 10-meter-high platform is rigid and is used for the remaining individual and synchronized events.