Don't risk an injury from someone slipping on your diving board just as they are about to launch into a front flip! Keep the focal point of your pool safe by ensuring the slip-resistant surface on your diving board is intact. Proper maintenance and cleaning, and a few hours once a year to repaint your board, will keep it durable while keeping cracks, corrosion, and wear and tear at bay.

Planning and Preparation

Start working on your diving board on Monday evening so by Friday night the swimming pool is open and ready for diving and splashing. This is a perfect weekday evening project: remove the board on Monday, sand Tuesday, paint Wednesday, reattach Thursday, and let the fun begin on Friday! Make sure you have everything on hand before you get started to speed the process along.
Materials Needed:

Refinishing the Diving Board

You may be tempted to maneuver yourself and your tools around the board, but the safest and best way to ensure you do a thorough job is to remove the diving board first. Not only does it allow you full access to the board, it will also prevent dust and paint from contaminating the pool and water.

  1. Loosen and remove all the bolts that hold the diving board in place, and carefully place the board on a tarp on the pool deck. Replace any rusted out bolts with new ones for re-assembly.
  2. Carefully scrape off any old, loosened paint using the putty knife. Be careful to keep the paint chips from falling into the pool. This step will make the sanding process go faster.
  3. Pull out your hand or portable sander and thoroughly sand away the remaining paint chips. Depending on the condition of the board, you may need to start with a coarse 120-grit paper. If there are still imperfections, consider using a very fine 400-grit paper to finish and make sure the paint sticks.
  4. Unpack the Olympic Coating Kit for Diving Boards, which includes Super Convoy safety paint, catalyst, solvent, and other items needed to cover a 25-ft diving board.

Steps for a Shiny, Slip-Resistant Diving Board

  1. Follow the instructions included with the Olympic diving board resurfacing to mix the epoxy and catalyst. (Note: Once combined the mixture is good for four hours.) Thoroughly wipe off the board one last time to make sure it is completely dry. Liberally apply one coat of the non-slip coating to the diving board using a latex brush or roller. Olympic is a one-coat product, however, some users prefer to add a second and third coat. Wait three hours between additional coats.
  2. Let the paint dry at least 24-hours before using the board. If you are doing this project in the evening, let it dry in the sun all day.
  3. If your diving board steps or pool steps have lost their traction, you can also use a non-slip coating spray on them as well. These paints dry quickly and enable you to control how much you want on a particular surface.
  4. Reattach the diving board after the board is completely dry. Use new bolts as needed and reassemble the diving board. Check and double-check all connections to ensure it is safely attached.
  5. Clean up the deck area one last time to make sure none of the dust or chemicals end up in the pool.

Customer Questions

How much does it cost to replace a diving board?

Diving boards typically cost between $300 and 600, but you can also find high-end aluminum models for over $1000.

The Inter-Fab Duro-Beam Replacement Board is a popular choice and comes in 6ft or 8ft sizes. For 10ft boards, we recommend the SR Smith Fibre-Dive Replacement. Check out more In-ground pool diving boards.

How often should diving boards be replaced?

It is common for diving boards to last between seven and ten years. Usually, if a board is older than 10 years, it is time to replace it. An important functionality of a diving board is its compatibility with its base. The new board must come from the same manufacturer as the base and be the same length as the old one.

Can a fiberglass diving board be repaired?

When the fiberglass has cracked or delaminated, it can cause the wooden interior of the board to rot. The damage is irreversible. It is best to replace the board.

Watch Out Below!

Put up the "pool is open" sign and step back while the fun begins. Add new life to your pool with a safe and freshly-painted diving board!

Doheny’s Recommends:

- Coating Kit for Diving Boards

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