A Guide for TVD Families
Diving Meets 101:
What to Expect
Your child has their first dive meet coming up. This page covers what a meet is, how scoring works, how to register, where you sit, and what the day looks like, so you know what is going on when you get there.
Every family in our program started here.
What is a dive meet?
A dive meet is a competition where each diver performs a set list of dives and a panel of judges scores each one. These are the basics.
Each diver competes a "list."
Before the meet, your athlete and their coach set the list: the specific dives your diver will perform, in order. Beginner lists are generally shorter and consist of simple skills and dives. Advanced divers generally compete more complex dives. Lists can be competed from the 1 meter springboard, the 3 meter springboard, or the platform.
How the judging works.
Judges score each dive from 0 to 10 in half-point steps. The score reflects how well the dive was executed (approach, takeoff, flight, and entry), not how hard it was. Dives are scored in one of the following categories:
Meets use at least three judges, and bigger meets may use five, seven, or more. With more than three, the highest and lowest scores get dropped, and the middle three count. Those three are added up and multiplied by the dive's degree of difficulty to get the score for that dive. (USA Diving has the full scoring breakdown.)
Difficulty is a factor, but execution matters more.
Every dive has a "degree of difficulty" (DD) that multiplies the judges' scores. A clean, simpler dive usually beats a harder one done poorly, because low scores get multiplied too. Difficulty pays off once a dive is solid. That is why our approach is to develop a dive to a high standard before adding harder ones.
Meet length varies.
A small local meet can be done in an hour or two. A large invitational can run several hours, and championship meets run over multiple days. Your coach will send an event timeline before each meet so you know when your diver competes and how long the day runs.
Levels of competition
It also helps to know the level your diver competes at. Level is mostly about the dive list expected of them (how many dives, from which groups, and how hard), and it tracks development more than age.
Future Champions / Novice
The entry level. Built around fundamental skills and beginner dives, with shorter lists and skill level-based groups, so a newer diver can compete in a low-pressure setting. The focus is learning and steady improvement. Most divers start here.
Junior Olympic (JO)
The main age-group track. Divers compete a fuller list (required dives plus optionals, scored with degree of difficulty) in their age division, and can qualify toward Regional, Zone, and National championships. Divers move up to JO once they can perform enough dives consistently and well.
Senior
The elite, open level, no age cap. The most advanced divers compete here, on the path toward Senior Nationals and international meets. Divers reach it after coming up through the junior ranks.
High School
A separate system run through schools (in California, the CIF), with its own season, format, and rules. It runs alongside club diving, and many TVD athletes do both: club year-round, high school in its season. (See "High school dual meets and championships" below.)
For the exact requirements at each level (number of dives, groups, and difficulty limits), see the governing bodies' standards:
Technical Rulebook and policies → AAU Diving
AAU Aquatics Handbook → NFHS · High School
Swimming and Diving rules →
Ask your coach which level fits your athlete and what it takes to move up.
Types of meets TVD attends
Meets range from low-key and internal to formal and travel-heavy. It helps to know which kind your athlete is heading to.
Intersquad meets
Held at Las Positas, and often a diver’s first competitive experience. Your athlete competes against teammates to get comfortable with the format. If your child’s first meet is an intersquad, there is nothing to do beyond showing up.
AAU and USA Diving Sanctioned Invitationals
Local meets held year round throughout northern California with events for all levels of divers. Your athlete needs current AAU and USA Diving memberships to participate (see registration info below). This is where divers learn to compete.
High school dual meets and championships
Run through schools rather than clubs, for divers competing for their high school teams. The season and rules differ from club competition. Many TVD athletes compete in both.
AAU and USA Diving Championship meets
Consists of Regional, Zone and National meets in the late spring and summer, usually requiring multiple days of travel and strong competition.
How to register for meets
There are two pieces: annual memberships, and registering for each meet.
Once per year
Annual memberships
Before competing in sanctioned meets, your athlete needs two memberships:
Go to the USA Diving Registration Portal
Select Athlete (17U) ($40). If your child is 18 or older, choose Athlete (AQUA Age 18+) ($40).
Select NO. CALIFORNIA as your Association, TRI-VALLEY DIVERS as your Team, and LOGAN CHAMPION as your Coach of Record
Complete the info and submit payment. Save your membership number and login; you'll need them all season.
Go to the AAU membership portal and choose Athlete membership (Youth Program)
Select Diving as the sport
Choose the Extended Coverage Membership (AB) ($24; regular is $22, but the extended AB coverage is required for non-AAU-hosted meets)
Enter club code U3JGUMW3M to attach your diver to Tri-Valley Divers
Complete the info and submit payment. Save the AAU membership number; you'll need it for meet registration.
Note: the AAU membership year runs September 1 to August 31, so memberships purchased mid-year still expire August 31.
For each meet
Registering for a meet
Meets are run on one of two systems: DiveLive, a free app where your diver builds their list and signs up, or DiveMeets.com, the long-running meet management site. The meet announcement will say which one to use. Both are separate from the memberships above: those make your diver eligible; these are how you enter each meet.
Install the app. Search "Dive Live" (also written DiveLive) in the App Store or Google Play. You can also use it on a computer at DiveLiveApp.com.
Create an account with your diver's information. The account represents the athlete, so use your child's details, not yours.
Join Tri-Valley Divers. Use "Find a team," search Tri-Valley Divers, and request to join. Your coach has to accept you before you can register, so if a meet is soon, give them a heads-up.
Find the meet. Once you're on the team, use the calendar or search (magnifying glass) to pull up the meet.
Register and enter the list. Tap the meet, tap Register, choose the event, and enter the dives. If you don't see the event you expect, check the "Other eligible events" tab. The app checks the list against that event's rules as you go.
Pay if needed. If there's an entry fee, tap Proceed to pay.
Signing up and using the app is free. There's an optional paid subscription for extra features, but you don't need it to register.
Create an account at DiveMeets.com. Click "Get a DiveMeets ID" and fill out the registration form with your diver's information, not yours. The DiveMeets ID follows your diver for their whole career, so save the ID and password.
Link the memberships. Under "Organization Membership," check the boxes for AAU and USA Diving, then click Register. When the page refreshes, scroll down and enter your diver's AAU and USA Diving membership numbers in the dropdowns that appear.
Set the team and coach. Make sure Tri-Valley Divers is your diver's team and Logan Champion is the Coach of Record, so the coaches can review and edit dive lists.
Find the meet. Log in, then locate the meet under upcoming meets and select your diver from the list.
Register and enter the list. Sign the waivers and consents, check the box for each event your diver will compete, and enter the dives in order. Double-check before submitting; entry fees on DiveMeets are non-refundable.
Review the list with your diver. They're responsible for knowing their dives and the order on meet day.
TVD’s walkthrough with screenshots: How to register on DiveMeets (PDF).
What meets cost
Beyond the memberships, entry fees usually run $30 to $60 per event, depending on the meet. Championship meet entry fees tend to cost more per event.
What to expect at
your first meet
A step-by-step of the day.
The week before
Your coach confirms the details (location, date, arrival time) and helps your diver finalize their list. Make sure registration is done (covered above), then pack:
Day-of arrival
Divers arrive before the start for warm-ups. Arrive at the time your coach gives you, not the start time on the meet announcement. A diver who misses warm-ups is at a disadvantage. Your athlete checks in and heads to the deck. You find a seat in the spectator area.
Where you sit
Parents watch from the spectator area. The deck is for athletes and coaches only, the same as at practice. Seating is usually bleachers, so a stadium cushion or folding chair helps. Bring a layer, since decks are warm and spectator areas can be cold.
During the competition
Your diver competes one dive at a time, with a wait between each one while the other divers go. Cheer after the dive and leave the corrections to the coaches. Instructions from the stands add pressure and usually contradict what we just told them on deck. A thumbs-up between dives is all they need.
After the meet
Ask which dive they were most proud of before you ask about the score. At a first meet, the accomplishment is getting up on the board and doing the dives. The scores come with time.
Which meets
are coming up
We keep a current, season-by-season list of the meets TVD competes in, with names, dates, locations, and which programs usually attend.
See the TVD Meet Schedule →Dates change through the year, so the schedule page has the latest. Your coach will confirm which meets your athlete is attending and what they'll need.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question
we didn't cover?
If this page did not answer your question, email Coach Logan at coachlogan@trivalleydivers.com.
If you are new to Tri-Valley Divers and want to see what a practice looks like, come to a free trial class on a Wednesday.
Last reviewed: September 2026. Schedules, registration systems, and costs change periodically; your coach is the best source for current specifics.