Aquatic centre popular but diving platform bombs

Timaru District Council's Caroline Bay Trust Aoraki Centre (CBay) has proved popular since its opening last year.

A recent report to the Council's District Services Committee said that attendance numbers had been above expectations, while learn-to-swim programmes at the facility had received over 1,000 enrolments for the first term in 2013.

To meet demand, additional aqua gentle classes are being considered as the twice-weekly sessions are attracting 35-40 people, close to capacity.

Council Recreation Facilities Manager Craig Motley also recently explained that more schools have booked CBay for their swimming sports this term than used Century Pool last year.

One frustration with the centre is that its 3 metre diving platform is not available for diving and, used for 'bombing' has been renamed a 'bombing tower'.

Safety considerations at the water depth in the pool at CBay mean that users cannot dive from the platform.

The loss of the diving well at the Council's former Maori Park facility, on which CBay was built, was repeatedly raised by those who opposed the new centre.

During its design phase, project architects Boon Goldsmith Bhaskar Brebner Team Architects (BGBBTA), were asked to investigate incorporating a diving board into the 25 mere pool.

BBGBTA came back with the information that in line with international swimming governing body FINA regulations a 3.4 metre water depth was required for a 1 metre board and 3.5 metre for a 3 metre platform, the depth of the northern end of the 25-metre pool.

However, safety requirements for untrained divers appear to require a deeper pool.

District Services Manager Ashley Harper, who oversaw the project, explained "I don't think people understood necessarily, and certainly I did not understand, that basically FINA regs are for people who know what they are doing with diving.

"The safer use (for the tower) is bombing, that is for sure.

"(As a diving platform it is) more for experienced and trained divers, but we don't have any of those."

Harper is enthusiastic about the bombing tower, adding "I have always seen it as a fun item for youth. Fun in terms of bombing, and that is what youth get fun out of."

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