Platform Diving Protection System: Frequently Asked Questions
Boost your divers' Confidence and Focus in learning Inward and Reverse dives

Recent Announcements

  • How confident and safe are your divers with DiveGuard? Consider the more important question: "How confident and safe are your divers without DiveGuard when performing inward or reverse dives, especially new ones?"Until DiveGuard is adopted by every single ...
    Posted Sep 18, 2014, 12:41 PM by alxpvz
  • Mitch Geller, CTO, Diving Canada "We provide divers with the extra confidence of having a cushion that will just deploy, go right under them so that they can dive and not worry about a thing ...
    Posted Sep 16, 2014, 9:20 AM by alxpvz
  • Dany Boulanger, Head Coach, RetO "I've installed it, for trials, and it works really well! It is a great tool for any diving program!", says Dany Boulanger, Head Diving Coach at RetO diving club ...
    Posted Sep 15, 2014, 11:21 AM by alxpvz
Showing posts 1 - 3 of 3. View more »
How much does DiveGuard cost?
  • A full stationary DiveGuard set costs US $1,990, all necessary parts and tools included (such as the cushion, remote control, batteries, anchors etc), plus shipping and tax.
Can I order DiveGuard today?
Is DiveGuard a distraction at the take-off?
  • No, it is not. For example, as Jose Guerra performed several 405c with DiveGuard at the World Series, he never knew if DiveGuard cushion in fact went out and asked the coach to confirm it every single time! If the cushion launch were a distraction, Jose wouldn't need to ask!
Are divers more confident taking off with DiveGuard?
  • Every diver who used DiveGuard was asked if they felt more confident with DiveGuard than without. Invariably divers said "Yes, I felt more confident with DiveGuard!"
How does DiveGuard know when to launch the safety cushion?
  • DiveGuard is coach-operated and does not rely on any kind of artificial intelligence to determine the safety cushion launch time. The coach has a remote control unit and will press a button when the diver is approaching the highest point of the dive trajectory. Therefore, you can think of DiveGuard as a remote spotting device. From the coach's perspective, the right moment is easy to identify and minimum training is required for the coach to properly operate the device.
How proven is the safety technique of pushing a safety mat/cushion under the athlete upon take-off?
  • A similar safety technique has been successfully used in trampolining for years. Trampolinists call this technique "pit" if the coach manually throws the safety mat regardless of how the skill goes; alternatively, athletes may ask their coach for "safety" and then the coach only throws the mat if in his view something is going wrong with the skill). This safety technique has worked so well for trampolinists that trampoline coaches are allowed to use it in competitions!
  • Both in gymnastics and trampolining regulations require that all hard surfaces where athletes can be reasonably expected to land have to be covered with safety mats similar to DiveGuard's.
Can I trust DiveGuard?
  • The reliability of DiveGuard depends on the mechanics of the device but also on the coach who operates it, as DiveGuard is coach-operated. Remember that DiveGuard simply a remote spotting device. If as a diver you trust your coach, you should trust DiveGuard in the same way you trust the coach-operated spotting rig. As far as the mechanics of the device go, the hypothetical worst case scenario is that the coach presses the button but the cushion doesn't go out. In this unlikely scenario, the diver is just as safe as he or she has been for years while training without DiveGuard. It is common sense that as long as the coach does a good job operating DiveGuard, the diver is much safer with DiveGuard than without it.
Has anyone hit the DiveGuard safety cushion with his/her head? What is the cushion made of?
  • The cushion is made of foam similar to what gymnastics safety mats are made of.
  • Many have tested the cushion by putting it on the floor or desk and then banging their head and/or face on it AS HARD AS THEY COULD and didn't feel any pain or concussion. To the best of our knowledge, nobody has hit the DiveGuard cushion with their head while performing a dive.
  • With that said, many gymnasts have hit gymnastics safety mats, for instance when they missed the high bar with their hands. There are many video clips on YouTube that show in slow motion gymnasts fall from much greater heights (than those in platform diving) on safety mats, head first while spinning. While this is not a pleasant experience, similar accidents would likely be fatal had they happened without the safety mat. It is common knowledge and common sense, beyond any reasonable doubt, that falling on a safety mat is much safer than falling on concrete. So much so that in other sports, such as gymnastics or trampoline, safety padding is mandatory.
  • Note that unlike gymnasts, divers often hit the platform just with their hands or feet - this type of hits would not even be felt with the safety cushion present.
What happens if you push the button too soon... do you knock the diver off their feet sideways?
  • The cushion is quite light and the force that pushes it out is not that great. We tested DiveGuard many times by shooting the cushion while standing or jumping in front of the device - the impact is very light and really feels like nothing; it does not nearly come to knocking one off his/her feet or causing one lose his/her balance.
  • Even if deployed too soon, while it may create some very minor if at all noticeable side spin, it can't change the dive trajectory. In other words, the diver will not go closer to the tower or hit the tower because the cushion was deployed too early.
  • Normally, it is easy for the coach to identify the right moment for deployment - the coach simply waits for the diver to reach the highest point in the dive before pressing the button.
What if I want a DiveGuard on every board - should every coach carry a bunch of remote controls or worse yet pass these remote controls to each other?
  • No, the same remote control unit has the capacity to operate up to 4 different DiveGuard units. On the other hand, the same DiveGuard unit can be operated from several different remote controls. Therefore, every coach will only have one remote control.
How close do I have to be to the DiveGuard device to operate it?
  • DiveGuard wireless remote control covers 100' of straight line distance, or about 30m. In other words, the coach has to be within 65' or 20m away from the base of the platform. Custom modifications of DiveGuard are also available that can oparate from 180' or 60m away from the platform base. A straight line visibility of the bottom of the take-off area is required for DiveGuard to properly operate.
How often do I need to change DiveGuard betteries?
  • DiveGuard is designed for minimum energy consumption and with reasonable usage patterns the batteries should last for about a month (four "D" batteries are required).
How long does it take to prepare a tower for DiveGuard installation?
  • DiveGuard installation requires two holes 1/4" in diameter, 1.5" deep in the side of the platform. This type of drilling normally should not take more than 20 minutes of work, measurements included. Then two anchors (also supplied) are set in the holes within another 2 minutes. No other preparations are necessary.
How long does it take to install or remove DiveGuard once the tower has been prepared?
  • Installation or removal of DiveGuard, once the platform has been prepared as described above, takes about 2 minutes.
How much does DiveGuard weigh?
  • DiveGuard launcher weighs about 3.5 kb, or just under 8 Lb; the weight of the cushion is - 1.5Kg, or 3Lb.
The cushion seems quite small - what if the diver misses the cushion?
  • Inward and reverse dives are performed with a static take-off (with no approach/running involved) and for this reason the risk area on the platform surface is quite predicable. While hypothetically it is possible to land outside the area covered by the cushion, such a take-off, as improbable as it is, will likely come with little height and spin, resulting into less net risk for the diver.
  • DiveGuard can be supplied with a custom-size cushion of a larger size, if need be. The default size of the cushion (72cm x 43cm x 15.5cm or 17" x 29" x 6") has been chosen based on reasonable assessment of the risk area on the platform surface.
Does DiveGuard completely eliminate the risk of injury?
  • Similar to safety devices in other sports, DiveGuard does not completely eliminate the risk of injury. Instead, DiveGuard reduces the likelihood of potential injury for lower spin/height dives and it reduces the severity of potential injury for higher spin/height dives.

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Recent Announcements

  • José Guerra demonstrates DiveGuard at World Series in Windsor, Ontario, Canada José Guerra successfully demonstrated DiveGuard just before the platform finals at Word Series earlier this Summer in Canada, to a crowd of about 600 spectators. José said he was quite ...
    Posted Sep 15, 2014, 1:31 PM by alxpvz
  • DiveGuard to be featured at FINA/NVC Diving World Series Windsor 2014 DiveGuard will be featured by Diving Canada (www.diving.ca) at the FINA/NVC Diving World Series 2014 in Windsor, Ontario where world-class divers will perform DiveGuard-assisted high ...
    Posted May 28, 2014, 1:59 PM by alxpvz
  • DiveGuard to be unveiled at 2014 Gillette Canada Cup Mitch Geller, CTO of Diving Canada is unveiling DiveGuard, the world's first platform diving protection system, at the Technical Meeting of 2014 Gillette Canada Cup in Quebec at 7pm ...
    Posted Apr 30, 2014, 7:53 AM by alxpvz
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