Competitive Diving in Ohio

An Olympic sport that has its origins as far back as the 17th century, competitive diving has flourished in the United States and around the world. In Ohio, competitive divers find many opportunities for competition, diving instruction, practice pools and diving equipment within the state.

Competition

High school and college aged divers have the greatest number of competitive diving opportunities in Ohio. For minors, many high schools in the state have competitive diving teams. The state hosts an annual swimming and diving championship for both boys and girls, with opportunities to compete against the best young divers in the state. An impressive performance at the state championship helps get some competitors noticed for college competition. For those already at a university or college, the Mid-American Conference Swimming & Diving Championships have also been held in the state of Ohio. For those looking to compete against friends, some colleges also host diving clubs and teams, including Ohio State and Oberlin College.

Instruction

For those who are not quite ready to compete, Ohio also features at least one prominent competitive diving instructional program. DIVE Cincinnati (divecincinnati.com) teaches students how to dive competitively and hone diving skills. The company welcomes all skill levels, from beginners to champions, and classes feature one-on-one instruction, with a maximum of eight participants per group. DIVE Cincinnati also offers judging and referee services for private competitive diving clubs and groups.

Practice

A number of public facilities have springboards and diving boards for competitive divers seeking practice. Among these, Pleasant Hill Swim Club (pleasanthillswimclub.com) in Centerville features a separate diving pool a 12-foot diving well. Guests must pay a membership fee to use the facilities. For Ohio residents near Columbus, Ohio State University's McCorckle Aquatic Pavilion (recsports.osu.edu) is open to both students and non-students, though a student or faculty member must sponsor the latter. Additionally, the diving well is only open on a limited basis for recreational divers.

Equipment

For competitive divers looking for equipment and supplies, Ohio is home to a very large online store called Springboards and More (springboardsandmore.com), with equipment suited specifically toward divers. This includes instructional books and videos, wrist guards, training equipment, and smack suits. The company also offers springboards trampolines, mats and pits, and spotting equipment, which may be helpful for Ohio facilities.