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How to Find a Dive Club:
Research diving clubs in your area! THIS link will be your BEST FRIEND for finding a club near you.
Local high school or college dive coaches also may have good recommendations!
Other ways to become involved in the diving community:
Volunteer at Meets: Help with scoring, announcing, or hospitality at local, high school, or USA Diving competitions. It’s a great way to meet coaches, judges, and athletes.
Become a Judge: Take a judging course through USA Diving or your state athletic association. Judging deepens your understanding of the sport and helps you get plugged into the broader community.
Work at a Diving Camp or Lessons: Camps and lessons are great for networking, gaining hands-on experience, and learning different coaching styles.
Join a Local Club: Whether as an athlete, assistant coach, or supporter, being part of a club helps you stay current and connected.
Attend Clinics or Conferences: Coaching clinics, technique seminars, and USA Diving events are excellent for education and networking.
Mentor or Shadow a Coach: Reach out to local coaches and ask if you can observe practices or help with beginner groups.
Engage Online: Follow diving organizations, coaches, and athletes on social media. Join diving forums or Facebook groups to ask questions and share insights.
Support Younger Divers: Being a positive presence on deck, offering encouragement, or helping with dryland can make you a valued part of any team.
More:
Professional Diving Coaches Association - http://prodivingcoach.org/
Fina Diving Judging - https://www.fina.org/content/d-8-judging
USA Diving Judging - http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Diving/About-Us/Diving-101/Judging-and-Scoring
Tips on getting Recruited for College Diving:
Start Early: Begin the recruiting process sophomore or junior year (NCAA coaches are allowed to talk to you on June 15th of the summer before your Junior year of high school). Research programs that fit your goals academically, athletically, and socially.
Create a Dive Video: Coaches want to see clean footage of your best dives from multiple directions. Include both 1m and 3m, and show consistency and control, not just difficulty.
Email Coaches Directly: Send a professional email with your stats, GPA, video link, and why you're interested in their program. Personalize it: coaches can tell when it's a copy-paste.
Be Honest About Your Level: Know where you stand competitively (D1, D2, D3, NAIA) and target schools that match your current ability and potential.
Compete Often: Attend big meets like Zones, Regionals, State, or Nationals. Results from recognized competitions give coaches a benchmark to how you perform competitively.
Focus on Academics Too: A strong GPA and test scores can help open doors, especially for scholarship consideration or admissions support.
Stay in Touch: Follow up with coaches, keep them updated on your progress, and show genuine interest. Relationships matter in recruiting.
Consider Club and Summer Training: Joining a club team or diving at camps can boost your skill level, expand your network, and get you seen by more coaches.
Common Questions
Is 15 years old too late to start diving?
Definitely not! Krysta Palmer, an American bronze medalist on 3m springboard, didn't start diving until she was 20 years old! Everyone will progress differently in the sport of diving based on their previous athletic experiences, training programs, and more, but middle school and high school is actually the time that many springboard and platform divers start their diving careers.
Do I need to pay for a recruiting website or service?
This is up to you. Many athletes do not pay for any services and are able to have recruiting success. Other athletes find these services to be beneficial in their recruiting process, especially if they do not know how to begin or go through the process individually, or are wanting additional representation.
Personally, I received offers from multiple NCAA DI, DII, and DIII schools without paying for recruiting services.
Am I good enough to go Division I?
If you are not sure, the best way to find out is by reaching out to the programs you are interested in. College programs in every division often range in the athletes they are looking for. Some programs will prefer very experienced athletes or require a minimum dive list, but others will focus more on personality, potential, and ability to click with the team.
In some cases, a school will be unable to offer a specific athlete a scholarship during their first year, but will allow them to walk-on to their teams instead.
What's the difference between DI, DII, and DIII?
NCAA athletics is split into 3 divisions (DI, DII, and DIII.) Each Division competes in a separate national meet and has a different set of standards required to qualify. Typically NCAA Divisions are determined by school size and competitiveness in athletics, though it is possible for schools to change divisions or have sports in different divisions from each other.
Division I is the only collegiate division where platform diving is competed. Divers compete 6-dive optional lists (5 dive lists for women's platform). Divers must first compete in their NCAA Zone Championship to qualify for the NCAA National Diving Championship. Diver's qualify for zones by performing well at their conference championships, and qualify for nationals by performing well at zones. The number of divers from each zone qualifying for the NCAA Diving Championships varies. There are five NCAA zones, and each zone has a certain number of qualifying spots based on their previous performance at the NCAA Championships. For example, in some zones, the top 11 divers in an event might qualify, while others might have the top 5 or 6 qualify. The top 18 divers in the prelims of each event advance to the finals, and their final scores are used to determine who qualifies for NCAAs.
Division II competes 1m and 3m springboard. Divers will compete in both 6 dive and 11 dive meets (with all optionals performed, then all voluntaries performed.) Divers must achieve a specific 6-dive score AND a specific 11-dive score on the same board to qualify for nationals. Once these scores have been achieved, national qualifiers will compete in an event known as "Black Tuesday" which is held in the nationals pool the day before this event begins. Typically, the top 18-22 finishers in this event move on to the official competition during the remainder of the week.
Division III competes 1m and 3m springboard, with divers competing in 6-dive as well as 11-dive meets. In 11-dive meets, all voluntaries are performed, then all optionals are performed. To qualify for NCAA Division III Nationals, divers must hit qualifying scores at two regular-season meets to enter a regional competition. At regionals, a set number of top finishers per board advance to nationals based on their placements, with selections alternating between 1m and 3m until each region’s allocation is filled. Athletic scholarships are not offered at the Division III level.
What is NJCAA or NCAA JC?
This is Junior College (more commonly referred to as community college) athletics. In many sports, less experienced athletes will complete a year or two at a JUCO program in order to further develop their talent and technique before being recruited by an NCAA or NAIA program. While this is not commonly talked about within the sport of diving, these programs do exist and could be a great option to look into!
How does NAIA compare to NCAA for diving?
NAIA schools are typically equivalent to an NCAA DII or DIII level program. NAIA is a separate collegiate organization, meaning that they have their own set of eligibility guidelines, competition rules, and conference/national meets. Despite this, NAIA teams can compete in regular season meets against NCAA teams.
While NAIA is a smaller division than the NCAA, it is growing as a program and will likely continue this trend, especially as recent NCAA DI regulation changes alter the structure of collegiate athletics.
Eligibility and Transferring schools?
For more information on these guidelines, reach out to your school's eligibility staff, your coach, or your specific governing body.
How to become a diving coach?
There’s no single path to becoming a diving coach, but most start by combining personal experience in the sport with hands-on learning. Many coaches begin at the high school or club level, either assisting an established program or coaching beginner athletes. Volunteering at a diving camp or seeking volunteer positions with a college team is a great way to gain experience, make connections, and learn from more seasoned coaches.
Coaching at the college level often requires more advanced knowledge, certifications, and a proven track record. Earning a USA Diving coaching certification and attending clinics can strengthen your foundation. Whether you're working with young kids or elite athletes, the key is to keep learning, study video, observe other coaches, and build your ability to teach technique, build trust, and manage diverse skill levels.
Click here to find current open diving coach positions.
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