FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale’s new aquatic center has one of the highest dive platforms in the world.
The 27-meter platform is designed to bring professional swimmers from across the globe to South Florida and help train the next generation.
For decades, South Florida residents, visitors from all corners of the world and even Gold Medalists have dove in, splashed and trained in the pools at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center.
To keep the facility in tip-top shape and prep it for future competitions, renovations are currently underway and have been three years in the making.
“It’s all new pools, grandstand seating, administrative seating and locker rooms,” said aquatic’s complex manager Laura Voet.
The iconic feature is the dive tower, designed to look like the hull of a ship.
It’s built for springboard diving, platform diving and high diving.
The only other one like it in the world is in China.
“I’m going to get up there today and I will absolutely have the fear and the nerves the same day I did it for the very first time,” said retired professional cliff diver Steven Loube.
He believes the new platform will allow young athletes from the area to be trained from the ground up in a sport that has been growing in popularity.
“What that allows us to do is really train the next generation of high divers as this sport makes its way towards the Olympics,” Loube said.
The pools and diving boards at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center will be open once permits and inspections are squared away.
When it does open, college swim teams and potential future Olympians will train there. It also promises to bring competitions that can bring big bucks to South Florida.