The problems the Karl B. Michael Pool faces seem interminable. First, the diving board was closed for NCAA competition and later deemed unusable by Risk Management. This weekend, mechanical difficulties closed the main pool for most of the week.
Two years ago, the NCAA began tower diving from 10 meter platforms. But Dartmouth's architectural design of the gymnasium only accommodated a tower about nine meters high.
To increase the height to NCAA standards, diving coach Ron Keenhold immediately began working on a one meter boost. Due to insufficient ceiling clearance directly above the diving tower, the length of the boost would be four to five feet longer than the actual platform.
Part of the preparation included measuring the plummet line, a vertical line drawn from the edge of the board to the bottom of the pool.
Competition regulations require at least 15 feet from the surface to the pool bottom. Coach Keenhold discovered that Dartmouth's 14'9" plummet line is 3" short of regulation. But the pool plans show there is enough clearance, bringing the other measurements into question.
The NCAA requires a 12-foot plummet line for the 3-meter springboard and 11 feet for the one-meter board. If they do not meet these standards, the boards are ineligible for competition.
An independent agent was recruited to measure the pool's exact dimensions. Unfortunately, the 3 meter plummet turned out to be several inches short.
The bottom of the Michael pool quickly slants downward from a depth of approximately 11'5" to almost fifteen feet under the tower. All divers enter the water several feet from the board. By this distance, the pool has tapered to a depth well over 12 feet, which the NCAA deems to be a safe diving environment.
While NCAA regulations preclude competition on Dartmouth's high board, they do not prevent the diving team from practicing. In November, Risk Management decided to close the 3 meter board to the public and the team for liability reasons.
The pool opened in October of 1963. Since that time, there has not been a single accident involving impact with the bottom of the pool.
The Dartmouth swimming staff is already working on a solution. Coach Keenhold is hoping to build a new diving stand. After removing the current one, a movable stand will be installed.
The stand will enable the board to move about four feet further, where the depth is over 12 feet. Work for this project is scheduled to begin shortly after the new fiscal year and the end of the Spring term.
