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the fort lauderdale diving team
The Fort Lauderdale Diving Team is the premiere springboard and platform diving team in Florida. We have a competitive dive team and offer private and group lessons. In short, if you are looking for anything to do with diving, you’ve come to the right place!
The Ft. Lauderdale Diving Team is a member of USA Diving, the national governing body for the United States Olympic Committee for the sport of diving. Our mission is to teach the sport of diving while allowing individuals the opportunity to reach their goal, in a fun and safe environment.
Dave Burgering, the Director of Diving and Head Coach, brings with him over 32 years of coaching experience and a great coaching and diving resume. Dave was a member of the 1980 USA Olympic Diving Team and the 2008 USA Olympic Team Coaching Staff. Please feel free to contact Dave if you have any questions.
Our team has a rich history. The Fort Lauderdale Diving Team has won an unprecedented 23 United States National Team Championship Titles from 1991-1997. These Team Championships include Men’s Team, Women’s Team and Combined Men’s and Women’s Team. Listed below are Olympians and national champions while they were on the Ft. Lauderdale Diving Team.
ft. lauderdale diving team
Olympians & National Champions
Diving Olympians
World Champion
Pan American Games
World University Games
our facility:
27-Meter dive Tower & Observation Deck
Our facility—the newly renovated Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex—features the highest dive platform in the Western Hemisphere! This is the second such tower in the world and the first to incorporate diving and high diving for competition in one structure.
The high dive platform levels are 1, 3, 5, 7 1/2, 10, 15, 20, 24 and 27 meters, along with 3-meter and 1-meter springboards. With all this equipment, the Fort Lauderdale Diving Team can accommodate divers at every level. High school, college, Junior National, Senior National, Olympic, and high diving. No other program in the USA can claim that at this time!
The Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex is located at 501 Seabreeze Blvd, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316. It is one block from the famous Fort Lauderdale Beach and is one block south of Los Olas Blvd. Click here for a map and directions to the facility.
ft. lauderdale diving team
Coaching Staff
Dave Burgering
Head Coach
Dave is a graduate of Michigan State University with a B.S. degree in Education. Dave started coaching full time for the Mission Viejo Nadadores in California where his team won 2 junior national championships back to back (1988 and 1989). Dave then moved to Boca Raton, FL and coached for the Mission Bay Makos, where he won his third straight junior national title. Dave then moved to the Coral Springs Aquatic Complex when the Mission Bay facility closed. After coaching in Coral Springs for 13 years, he became the Director and Head Coach for the Fort Lauderdale Diving Team at the world famous Swimming Hall of Fame Pool at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex.
Dave has coached over 173 junior national finalists and 51 senior national finalists, including 30 gold medalists at the junior nationals and 11 senior national gold medalists. Dave has been a member of the USA Diving Coaching staff for several Grand Prix events, World Series events, 2017 Junior Pan Am Games, the 2008 Olympic Games, 2023 High Dive World Championships, 2024 High Dive World Cup, along with several coaching stops on the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.
While Dave was a diver, he was on the USA National Team from 1977-1984, and was a member of the 1980 USA Olympic Team that boycotted the Moscow Olympic Games. While diving, Dave was able to travel the world representing the United States of America. His past coaching and diving experiences gives Dave the knowledge he uses each day to run our successful program.
We have a program that is for everyone. Just because I have coached at the Olympic Games, doesn’t mean we do not teach beginners. We have group lessons, private lessons, beginning team, national team, and a Masters team (21 and older that want to dive and compete, but at a fun level). Come try us out. I’m sure you will enjoy our program. Our facility is the only facility in Florida with bubbles under the 3-meter springboards and all the platform levels (1, 3, 5, 7 ½, 10, 15, 20, 24 and 27 meters). On deck, we have a dryland area with one trampoline and one with overhead harnesses and an indoor warm-up area. We also use SideLine Scout and poolside live video system with 3 cameras. This allows us to show you visual feedback after your dive, as well as giving you a copy of the dives on your iPhone or iPad to take home and watch later. We are also getting an indoor dryland center in the new International Hall of Fame (once that project is completed).
— Coach Dave
Mikey Lewark
Assistant Coach
Michael Lewark graduated from Florida State in 2014 with a degree in Environmental Science. He then performed in diving shows from 2015-2016 with Royal Caribbean. Michael was the Head coach of Rebel Diving Club in Las Vegas from 2016-2018. He has been with Fort Lauderdale since 2018 where he has coached multiple national finalists, including two national titles and a gold medal at the Junior Pan American Games. He has also been selected to be the High Dive coach for the Junior Pan American Games (2023) and Junior World Championships (2024). Michael also runs our Learn to Dive program.
Steven LoBue
High Dive Coordinator
Originally from Ewing, New Jersey, Steven LoBue began his career 29 years ago at the age of seven. After a successful junior career at the national level, he accepted a scholarship to Purdue University and later went on to become a 3-time NCAA Division-I All-American athlete, Big Ten Diver of the Year and 2004 Olympic Trials finalist in synchronized platform. He graduated from Purdue University in 2009 with a Health and Human Sciences degree in both Health & Safety and Physical Education, and later obtained his license to become an NSCA certified personal trainer and strength and conditioning specialist.
LoBue made the transition to high diving in 2011 after qualifying for the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series where he was a permanent diver for the next decade. During that time LoBue collected 5 FINA World medals, including Gold at the FINA World Championships in Budapest in 2017. Highlights also include 5-time Red Bull event winner and runner-up in the overall world rankings in 2018. LoBue currently lives with his wife and two kids in South Florida, working for the City of Fort Lauderdale as the High Diving Program Coordinator at the new aquatic center, which includes the first ever permanent high diving platform in the western hemisphere.
Coaching Staff
Contact Information
important
phone numbers
SFTL/FLDT Admin. Office (General Info, Registration & Billing Inquiries):
please remember
Practice Etiquette
Parents: Please refrain from speaking to Coaches during actual practice.
Coaches are available to speak with parents 10-15 minutes before and after practices.
Coaches need to give 100% of their attention to the athletes during practice. If a coach is interrupted they are taking that attention away – including from your child!
(The FLDT coaching staff greatly appreciates your cooperation with the above.)
Facility Website: https://fortlauderdale.gov/flac
our sponsors
The Ft. Lauderdale Diving Booster Club, Inc., is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization that is looking for sponsors to help cover the cost of travel and training expenses for the demanding travel schedule each year.
The budget for travel is between $12,000 and $25,000 each year. If you would like to become a sponsor, please contact Dave Burgering, Head Coach.
Speedo is currently our team supplier.
SideLine Scout is our video equipment team.
what our divers have to say
Student Testimonials
about us
The Fort Lauderdale Diving Team is the premier springboard and platform diving team in Florida. We have a competitive dive team and offer private and group lessons. In short, if you are looking for anything to do with diving, you’ve come to the right place!
contact us
Phone: (561) 213-2914
Email: info@ftldiveteam.com
Address: 501 Seabreeze Boulevard
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316