I might be a grown man physically, but in my heart, I am still a kid. I absolutely love jumping into the pool. I jump right into the pool before nearly every swim exercise routine 3x-4x a week to this day. The pool I use for my daily exercise though isn’t very deep and I really shouldn’t be jumping in it. The depth of this pool is actually similar to the depths of the average above ground pool. So, can you jump into an above ground pool?
You can jump into an above-ground pool feet first even as an adult but you probably shouldn’t jump at all. If you do jump into an above ground pool, you have to be extremely careful to do the jump correctly without much downforce because you will touch the bottom. Kids and Tweens should really have no problem since their bodies are so light that head-first jumping into the pool is okay and when they touch the bottom it will not be with much force. Both Adults and Children should NEVER dive into an above-ground pool. No above ground pool in the world has the proper depths for diving head first.
I’ll discuss more about above-ground pools and how you might make a safer pool by adding some more depth to your pool.
Important Statistics About Pool Injuries
Most injuries damage the neck and spine and are the result of head-first diving. This section of the article is important to know and understand if you have children playing and jumping in an above ground pool. Even if we tell our children not to dive into the pool, we know that they don’t always listen so hopefully we can take the appropriate steps to prevent these accidents from occurring by having the knowledge of the most common injuries and when they occur.
Pool injuries are more common in what is considered shallow pools. 57.2% of accidents occur in water 4 feet deep or less. This is the standard depth for nearly all above-ground pools that do not have expandable liners. This means that accidents have a high likely hood of occurring in above ground pools, especially if there isn’t any adult supervision or signs posted about no diving.
Less than 10% of most diving accidents happen from running or misjudged distances and while this statistic applies to diving this surely can be the case for jumping as well. We all remember jumping into pools as a kid and trying to do cool jumps like “the corkscrew or the Super Cannon Ball” or any other stupid name we could give to our goofy jumps. This is fun and a normal part of playing in the pool as a kid but many accidents happen from trick dives. Again, this statistic doesn’t apply to jumping but I am putting it here to make those with children aware of when and how pool accidents occur.
What Age and Size Can Jump into an Above-Ground Pool?
For above-ground pools, the lighter and shorter the better when it comes to jumping into the pool. The average wall height for above-ground pools are 48″-54″ which really isn’t very deep. Even children when jumping will hit the bottom in some cases. While fun jumps like the Cannonball will not result in any injury for children, it definitely can in adults if they are not careful.
If you are having fun as an adult or with your grown teenage and adult children in the pool be sure that everyone is being cautious and jumping properly which would be a light outward jump. I highly recommend not jumping vertically high and never jump from an elevated platform into an above-ground pool.
Will Jumping Damage an Above-Ground Pool?
If you have a metal or resin pool kit set up like one from Doughboy, Leslies, or Pool Factory then I wouldn’t have any concerns. These pools are extremely durable and meant to last decades. They can withstand the force against the walls caused by displaced water from jumping.
Softwall pools like the Intex or Bestway models, not so much. These are not sturdy pools but rather a cheap option for homeowners to be able to place a temporary pool in their backyard for a really inexpensive price. My recommendation for these pools for children, let them jump and have fun. The amount of water and motion they cause will not be enough to damage even a soft-wall pool. Adults and teenagers on the other hand should not be jumping into this pool. And if they do, they should be careful about how much motion they are causing from the jump.
This isn’t a knock against the soft wall pool products. Personally, I think if you have never had a pool before and looking for your first pool for your home, the large soft wall products are fantastic, cheap, and non-permanent. This gives you the option to upgrade later to something bigger and better if you decide that owning a pool is for you. Then, you can really create a pool that is made for jumping.
How Can I Make My Above Ground Pool Safer for Jumping?
If you want to make your above-ground pool safer for jumping then you want to add more depth to the pool. There are some awesome expandable liner products on the market that you can install into an existing pool model or buy for your brand-new pool installation. The deepest these pools can go is up to 7 feet but that is only from certain suppliers like Radiant Pools and Doughboy Pools. If you are taking this on as a DIY, then 72″ will be the deepest you are going to be able to get with the expandable liner.
I 100% think this is the way to go for above-ground pool owners with the metal-walled pool kit. I think this takes above-ground pools to the next level in my opinion. And as the statistics show, having a deeper pool prevents injury from jumping.
References for Can You Jump into an Above Ground Pool
- https://www.swoperodante.com/pools-and-diving-accidents-injury-statistics/?fbclid=IwAR0EfX5TKuQsqeqM8u3CUsc_O4AAaCXD02XTHJ5Hu5u8913YrKImQjaOaJo
- https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/outdoors/camps/aquatics/minimum_water_depths_for_head_first_diving.htm