So, Your New "Cheeseboard" Does NOT Fit Your Stand!?!?

You are all excited because your High School or Summer Swim Club ordered a new "Cheeseboard" and it just arrived from the factory. You are an experienced and savvy diving board customer so of course you know to INSPECT the diving board upon arrival by opening the box to look for any shipping damage in the presence of the driver. As is usually the case, no shipping damage has occurred so now you enthusiastically install the new "Cheeseboard" and much to your shock and dismay -- IT DOES NOT FIT! The fulcrum will only roll back to about the "7" on the number strip and even worse -- if you roll the fulcrum all the forward, it rolls OFF the rubber channels and onto the unprotected metal of the diving board in front of the "1" on the number strip. HOW COULD THIS BE?

There is a simple explanation for what has occurred. The diving stand that you have installed now was originally installed to accept the non-competition model diving board (aka the 16' Duraflex Board). The board you just purchased is the competition model diving board (aka the 16' Modified Maxiflex Model B "Cheeseboard"). If you were to lay a 16' Duraflex Diving Board next to a 16' Maxiflex Model B "Cheeseboard" (upside down) the first thing you would notice is the rubber channels on the underside of the "Cheeseboard" are 5.5 inches farther back than those of the 16' Duraflex Board. This is because the competition model board bends at a point that is farther back than that of the non-competition model board and therefore the installation footprint of the diving stand with Cheeseboard is 5.5 inches different from the installation footprint for a diving stand with a 16' Duraflex (non-competition board). The quickest way to ruin a diving board is to allow a metal on metal contact situation where the unprotected metal ribs of the diving board are allowed to bounce directly on the metal of the fulcrum roller. (Your $3500.00 "rocket ship" can become a $60.00 piece of scrap aluminum very quickly!)

The simple "fix" for this problem is to order a set of eight six-inch rubber channels with glue kit and attach them to the underside of the board directly in front of the existing rubber channels. While this will NOT allow you to get the full range of motion for the fulcrum back past the number "7," it will protect your diving board by making sure the fulcrum does not "roll off" the existing rubber channels as is the case now.

The correct "fix" is to un-install the main support (legs and fulcrum box) and re-install them 5.5" farther back OR remove the ladder assembly and re-install it 5.5" farther forward (assuming your pool depth and slope would allow for this moving the board forward). Most schools or clubs in your situation choose the first option until they have the time and money to do the 2nd option. Choosing the correct "fix" method not only protects your diving board from the "metal on metal" situation but it also allows the diver to get the full range of intended fulcrum settings.

Whichever method you choose -- it should be done before anybody is allowed to dive off the board. You never want the unprotected metal diving board bouncing directly on the metal fulcrum -- properly positioned rubber channels are a must!

The "Perfect" Installation (Part 3 of 3)

The final piece of the puzzle to create a "perfect" installation of a Duraflex Diving Board onto a Durafirm Diving Stand is to make sure the Roller Clamps ("C" shaped metal bands that hold the fulcrum roller to the fulcrum assembly) move between the 1st and 2nd "rib" of the diving board (on the foot wheel side) and between the 7th and 8th "rib" of the diving board on the non foot wheel side of the board.

If you get the 2nd element of a "perfect" installation correct AND you get one of your Roller Clamps to line up as shown in the photo above (between ribs 1 and 2) -- then the roller clamp on the other side of the fulcrum assembly will line up exactly the same on the other side of the board (between ribs 7 and 8). Since the rubber channels of the board and the slide tracks of the fulcrum are parallel (see part 2 of 3) -- the roller clamps will stay positioned between the ribs as the fulcrum is rolled back and forth.

The situation you want to avoid is where the rib of the diving board is directly on top of the roller clamp. When the diving board is bounced, it puts undue stress on all the working components of the fulcrum assembly and usually means your board is out of alignment and therefore not bending "squarely" over the fulcrum.

The "Perfect" Installation (Part 2 of 3)

The second element of a "perfect" installation of a Duraflex Diving Board to a Durafirm Diving Stand is to make sure the Rubber Channels on the underside of the diving board are PARALLEL to the Slide Tracks of the Fulcrum Box.

Look at the picture above and notice how the Rubber Channel on the outside edge of the diving board is parallel to the Slide Track of the Fulcrum Box. This is important because it insures that the diving board and the fulcrum roller are PERPENDICULAR to each other and as a result, the diving boards bends in a straight line over the fulcrum.

The "Perfect" Installation (Part 1 of 3)

In order to achieve a "perfect" installation of a Duraflex Diving Board to a Durafirm Diving Stand, look for three things.

#1) The Diving Board is LEVEL.

In theory, the diving board should be level no matter where the fulcrum is set or or no matter where you "check" the board for being level. If we were to suggest a "standard" check -- it would be to set the fulcrum at the number "5" (on the calibrated number strip of the diving board) and then place a six foot long level on the installed diving board with the mid-point of the level over the fulcrum. In most cases, the TIP END of the diving board will be level if the standard check discussed above is level. (It is just difficult to get a level this far out on the diving board and be able to see it without falling into the pool. The photo above was taken of a dryland diving board.

There are several ways to level a diving board, but the most common way is to use Duraflex shims to first level the diving stand -- left to right and front to back. Then (in theory) the installed diving board will be level as well.

Duraflex Spare Parts -- Emergency Kit

I often get asked "what would be a good supply of Duraflex parts to keep on hand at my pool"? The answer really depends on how many diving boards that you have and if you have guard rails or not. So, in a nutshell, what follows is a list of parts that would make for a very nice emergency parts kit at a pool with 1-2 diving boards. I have also listed the tools and supplies you should keep on hand as well that are needed to change out these parts.

FOR SURE HAVE THESE PARTS:

Qty. 2 -- Item #515 Rubber Bumpers for Fulcrum Assembly
Qty. 2 -- Item #516 Anti-Rattle Clamps for Fulcrum Assembly
Qty. 4 -- Item #518 Fulcrum Slide Bearings
Qty. 2 -- Item #521 Fulcrum Roller Clamps
Qty. 4 -- Item #524 Fulcrum Roller Bearings
Qty. 2 -- Item 528 Anti Rattle Bolt and Nuts for Fulcrum Assembly
Qty 4 -- Item 526 Tie Plate Bolt, Nut and Washer
Qty 4 -- Item SF152 Lock-nut for Roller Clamp Stud
Qty 2 -- Item 533 Roller Clamp Stud with Lock-nut
Qty 2 -- Item C203 Hinge Pin
Qty 8 -- Item C209 Hinge Pin Nyliner ("Bushing")
Qty 8 -- Item C210 Hinge Pin "O" Ring
Qty 4 -- Item SF106 Hinge Attachment Bolts and Nuts
Qty 4 -- Item SF105 Guard Rail Arm Attachment Bolts and Nuts
Qty 4 -- Item C207 Stainless Steel Guard Rail Band Clamp
Qty 8 -- Item SF117, SF118, SF119 and SF 153 -- Two of each -- Guard Rail Attachment Bolts
Qty 1 -- Item SF122 SET of 2 Diving Board Carriage Bolts, Washers and Nuts with Anti-seize lubricant

OTHER ITEMS TO CONSIDER HAVING ON HAND:

Qty 1 -- Item MP112 Set of EIGHT Rubber Channels with Glue Kit for Underside of Board
Qty 2 -- Item C208A Fulcrum Slide Tracks with Installation Bolts

TOOLS AND SUPPLIES TO HAVE ON HAND:

15/16" Box Wrench -- For Diving Board Attachment Bolts and Diving Stand Attachment to deck.
9/16" Combo Wrench -- For Hinge Bolts; Guard Rail Arm Bolts, Fulcrum Anti-Rattle Bolts
1/2" Combo Wrench -- For Roller Clamp Stud Lock-nuts, Tie Plate Bolts and Guard Rail Attachment Bolts.
3 in 1 Oil -- To lubricate hinges
Mystik JT6 Grease -- 3 Ounce Tube with Grease Gun
Can or WD-40 or similar lubricant spray for cleaning slide tracks, etc.
Rags, old towels etc. for cleanup

We wish you a very safe and successful diving season!

Common Problem Seen at Summer Swim Clubs

Look at the picture above and (hopefully) you will notice that the diving board does not line-up correctly with the diving stand. If the fulcrum is rolled forward, it will roll off the rubber channels causing an unsafe "metal on metal" situation which is the quickest way to crack your board -- a $3,500.00 problem! This commonly seen situation occurs when a pool upgrades their diving board from a 16' Duraflex Board to a 16' Modified Maxiflex Model B "Cheeseboard." The installation "foot print" for the diving stand is dependant on what model diving board is installed upon it.

Although the two boards look similar to the untrained eye -- they are in fact very different. The Cheeseboard is tapered at BOTH ends of the board whereas the 16' Duraflex Board is tapered only at the end over the water. The Cheeseboard has about 200 perforations in the tip end of the board but the 16' Duraflex Board has none. The placement of the rubber channels on the underside of each diving board occurs at a different location because each board is designed to bend at a different spot.

The quick fix for this situation is to simply purchase a six inch set of rubber channels and attach them to the underside of your diving board in front of the existing 30" rubber channels currently installed. However, the long term (and correct) fix for this situation is to re-install the stand with the correct dimensions between the two parts (the Ladder Assembly and the Main Support). In a nutshell -- they need to be 5.5 inches closer together. This can be accomplished by moving the Main Support BACK 5.5 inches closer to the Ladder Assembly OR moving the Ladder Assembly 5.5 inches FORWARD. You can get a factory installation template as well as engineered Spec. Sheets to help you do this or you can hire a competent contractor to do the work for you.

Please note that the Duraflex Factory makes five different height 1M Diving Stands to conform to the myriad of pool deck to water levels found around the country. Before placing your order for an installation template and spec. sheet -- you will need to get the "casting number" from both your Main Support and Ladder Assembly as well as your pool deck to water level.

Made in America!

While travelling to China on our recent Diving Goodwill Tour, a member of our group joked about trying to find something in China that was "Made in America."

Well -- we found all sorts of items that were "Made in America" -- namely Duraflex Diving Boards, Durafirm Diving Stands and 2-Ply Black Rough-tex (Non-Slip Diving Platform Surface). In Beijing at The Water Cube Olympic Pool and The National Aquatic Training Center; In Shanghai at the venue being built for the 2011 World Championships; and in Guangzhou at the site of the 2010 Asian Games -- "Made in America" was everywhere!

Does Your Diving Board "Squeak"?

One question we often get at Springboards and More is "My diving board is squeaking -- what is the problem"?

The first thing you should do if your diving board is making strange noises is to do a visual inspection (while somebody is bouncing on the board) and try to determine from where the noise is coming. Is it the board itself or is it from the fulcrum area? Perhaps the hinge area? Maybe the guard rails? Could it be where the stand is bolted to the pool deck? Could it be a combination of some of these?

Often times, it is difficult to determine because noise travels so fast, it can be hard to pin point.

If you can isolate the noise, you should make the necessary adjustments to the fulcrum, guard rails, stand, etc. If you CANNOT isolate the noise, I would suggest you oil the hinges. Yes, that is correct -- oil the hinges. A Duraflex hinge has a "male" and "female" part that are held together with a (hinge) "pin" that is surrounded by four plastic Nyliners ("bushings") and an "O" ring at either end of the hinge pin to keep it from sliding out of the hinge.

You will notice that Duraflex hinges have a small hole in the center of the "male" portion. This is where you insert oil into the hinge assembly. (The Duraflex factory suggests 3 in 1 Oil). The hinges should be oiled every time you grease the fulcrum (about 2x per month). Every time the board is bounced, the hinge pin pivots inside the Nyliners and Hinge. If you do NOT oil the hinges, the (plastic) Nyliners (bushings) start to dry out and as the board is bounced, the hinge pins have difficulty pivoting inside the Nyliners and this is often times where you get the squeaking sound you hear when the board is bounced.

If the problem has persisted for quite some time, it is very possible that the Nyliners have cracked or broken and you may need to replace the hinge pin, the Nyliners and the "O" rings (aka the Hinge "Guts" Kit -- sold exclusively by Springboards and More).

Regardless of what needs to be done, remember the four "P's" and one "M" of diving board maintenance: Proper Maintenance Prevents Poor Performance (of your equipment).

DURAFLEX ANNOUNCES PRICE INCREASE!

The Duraflex International Corporation has announced a 5% across the board price increase effective for all orders that ship on or after January 1, 2010.

Due to the lead times involved with diving board and diving stands, the cut-off date for placing orders for these items to guarantee shipment before the end of the year (and therefore get current pricing) is December 1st, 2009. For small parts orders, the cut-off date to guarantee current pricing is December 28, 2009.

Pictured above is current Duraflex President JAN RUDE with her late father RAY RUDE -- the inventor of the Duraflex Diving Board. This photo was taken inside the main entrance to the Duraflex International Factory circa 2002.

The Answer? Ray Rude -- Inventor of the Duraflex Diving Board

The man you see pictured on the Harley Motorcycle below (taken in 1936) is the same man you see pictured above -- Ray Rude -- the inventor of the Duraflex Diving Board.

Ray dropped out of school in the 8th grade and went on to become an airplane tool manufacturer for Lockheed Martin. A neighbor was having a pool party one day and his wooden diving board broke. He stopped by Ray's shop to see if he had anything they could use. Ray had an old airplane wing panel laying around. They mounted it to the pool and as they say -- the rest is history!!

Click here to read more about this fascinating individual and his legendary invention.

How To Grease A Duraflex Fulcrum Assembly

A simple yet often overlooked or incorrectly performed diving equipment maintenance task is that of greasing your Duraflex Fulcrum Assembly and Slide Tracks. If done properly and routinely, you will notice that more dives get done during practice and your diving meets will run quicker – all because the fulcrum can be easily moved by all divers. As most coaches know, there is nothing that slows down a practice or a meet more than a fulcrum that does not move easily. Every diving coach should know and understand simple equipment maintenance tasks and none is easier than this one. Here is what you need and how to do it.

REQUIRED ITEMS / TOOLS:

Grease Gun (Duraflex Item PM110)
3 ounce tube of Duraflex Mystik JT-6 Grease (Duraflex Item PM111)
Bag of rags or old towels
Paint thinner, WD-40 or other “spray-on” grease solvent

BI-WEEKLY MAINTENANCE (Time required -- 2 minutes per fulcrum)

Using a can of grease solvent or lubricant, spray the Durafirm Slide Tracks (Duraflex Item C208A). Then, take a rag or old towel and wipe off the Fulcrum Slide Tracks. Be sure to thoroughly clean all FOUR exposed sides of the Fulcrum Slide Tracks – the top, the outside, the inside AND the inside bottom. The grease solvent should clean the Fulcrum Slide Tracks to look virtually brand new. NOTE: The Fulcrum Slide Tracks should be all black -- if you can see any shiny metal or scratches on the Slide Tracks, they should be replaced.

After thoroughly cleaning the Fulcrum Slide Tracks, grease the Fulcrum Assembly and the Slide Tracks. To do this, put two “pumps” of grease into each Roller Block (Duraflex Item #517) by attaching the Duraflex Grease Gun (Duraflex Item PM110) to the “zerk fitting” (grease nipple) that is located near the bottom corner of each Roller Block. Then, put a SMALL amount of grease on each slide track and using your fingers, spread it over all FOUR exposed sides of the Slide Tracks. THREE COMMON MISTAKES: 1) Not cleaning the slide tracks before greasing them. 2) Putting the grease on too thick – in this instance, LESS is better than more 3) Not spreading the grease over all four sides of the Fulcrum Slide Track including the inside bottom.

It Never Ceases To Amaze Me!

Now that the Summer Swim Club season is over, it is time to remind everybody to TAKE PROPER CARE OF YOUR EQUIPMENT FOR THE WINTER!

It never ceases to amaze me the number of summer swim clubs and country clubs that leave their THREE THOUSAND DOLLAR Diving Boards sitting unprotected in the weather all Fall, Winter and Spring. It never ceases to amaze me that those who DO take down their diving board for the off season simply leave them lay out on the pool deck or against a fence UNPROTECTED from the elements all year long. I would say that diving coaches -- it is partly YOUR responsibility to prod your pool manager to take a few steps to protect your valuable equipment by doing the following:

1. Take down your diving boards from the stands and store them INSIDE (Filter room, bathhouse, concession stand, etc.) Be sure to store them OUT OF THE WAY so people do not step on them or drop things on them or drive the club tractor over them. I suggest leaning them against a wall (top surface towards the wall) set upon three 2x4's (cut short) to keep them off the ground. Put one in the middle and the other two about three feet from each end of the board. If you have more than one diving board, drape a couple of folded towels over the second board and then rest it against the first board. These act like bumpers to keep your boards from possibly scraping each other.
2. Remove the carriage bolts from the diving board and spray them with some WD-40 or similar lubricant. After they dry, wrap them in newspaper and place between the ribs on the underside of the board (so you know exactly where they are next summer).
3. Use a rag and some WD-40 and completely clean your fulcrum slide tracks. Also, use some 3 in 1 Oil to lubricate your hinges.
4. Finally, take some large garbage bags and completely cover your fulcrum assembly and hinge assembly. Secure these with Duct tape or bungee cords. You may even want to take a large tarp and completely cover your entire diving stand as well.

Duraflex Equipment is known round the world for high quality that provides years and years of service -- but you must do your part and take care of your equipment -- even when not in use.

How To Tell The Age Of Your Diving Board

Every Duraflex Diving Board has a serial tag that tells the year in which the board was made. The serial number can be found on a small metal tag that is attached to the diving board at the very back -- on top -- between the two bolts that attach the diving board to the hinges.

The serial number (for all boards made 1988 - Present) starts with a letter followed by six numbers. The letter tells you the model of the diving board. In Duraflex lingo, "B" means Model B Cheeseboard. "A" refers to a 16' Duraflex Board; "M" refers to a 16' Maxiflex Board and "C" refers to 14' Duraflex Board.

The first two digits following the letter tell the year the diving board was made and the last four numbers refer to the production number of that diving board.

So to summarize: If your diving board has the serial number B030548 -- that means that you have the 548th Model "B" Cheeseboard made in 2003.

If your serial number does not follow this "formula" then your diving board was made before 1988 and you would need to call the Duraflex Factory to research the serial number and tell you the age of your board. (PS: When you call, ask for Penny!!)

Torque The Bolts!

One of the most frequently asked questions we get at http://www.springboardsandmore.com/ is "how tight should the diving board carriage bolts be when installing a diving board?"

The correct answer is 110 foot pounds of torque using an 18 inch handle torque wrench. You can purchase one of these at a local hardware store -- although they are a bit pricey ($50.00 - $75.00). You simply set the "torque" on the wrench to 110 foot pounds and tighten the board bolts until the wrench "clicks" or "slips" which tells you that the bolts are torqued to the correct setting.

It is important to "torque" the bolts to the correct setting so as not to over-tighten them as well as to insure that they are tight enough!

You should also try to torque the bolts that go into the deck (stand installation bolts) to 110 foot pounds as well -- although it is sometimes difficult to get the torque wrench onto some of these bolts.

Duraflex Factoid

Did you know that the very first Durafirm Stand (as we know if today) was designed by Ray Rude and manufactured in the Fall of 1961. It was installed at Princeton University. The coach there at the time was Bob Schneider (of RIP Magazine Fame).

Source -- Jan Rude -- President of Duraflex International Corporation

What Is That Noise?

A phone call I often get from coaches involves the the loud noise coming from their diving equipment when being bounced. In most cases, this is due to one of two things:

1. The FULCRUM is not properly adjusted (either the Anti-Rattle Bolts or the Roller Clamp Lock-Nuts)
2. The HINGE has either missing or broken Nyliners ("bushings") which allows the Hinge Pin to rattle around inside the Hinge.

To adjust the fulcrum, you need a 1/2-inch combination wrench and a 9/16-inch combination wrench. Try to isolate which side of the fulcrum is making the noise and then determine if the Roller Blocks is lifting up and banging on the Slide Track (loose Anti Rattle Bolt) or if the Fulcrum Roller is lifting up and banging on the Roller Block (loose Roller Clamp). When tightening, always do so in quarter-turn increments and then re-test. Do NOT over-tighten.

If the noise is coming from the hinge (you can usually see the hinge pin moving inside the hinge), then you need to replace the Nyliners ("hinge bushings"). To do this, you must first remove the diving board and then knock the pin out of the hinge. Clean or replace the hinge pin and then add the four NEW Nyliners to the hinge and then re-insert the hinge pin. Put new "O" rings on either end of the hinge pin to prevent it from working itself out of the hinge assembly. If you run into problems, feel free to contact me at Springboards and More for trouble-shooting over the phone.

Diving Board Tool Kit

Having diving equipment that is in good working order is paramount to running a successful diving team. Every diving coach should have a basic knowledge of how to maintain their diving stand and board. The following items should be kept at the pool:

• Grease Gun with Tube of Grease (Duraflex Mystik JT-6 is recommended)
• Can of 3 in 1 Oil (to lubricate hinges)
• Rags (for wiping off fulcrum slide tracks BEFORE greasing)
• Can of WD-40 or similar product to help remove dirt and grease from fulcrum slide tracks
• 15/16-inch combination wrench (Tightens diving board bolts / stand installation bolts / fulcrum box installation bolts)
• 9/16-inch combination wrench (Tightens ALL bolts that go into Durafirm diving stand plus the fulcrum anti-rattle bolt)
• 1/2-inch combination wrench (Tightens guard rail attachment bolts and all fulcrum bolts except anti-rattle bolt)

Best Wishes for a Safe and Successful Season!