GYMNOVA pit advice

Pascal Tremblay from GYMNOVA Canada responded to my request for advice on best pits:

From our perspective, choosing the right type of pit will take a complete analysis considering every factor involved with this purchase (primarily the security of the users of course!).

1-Your actual gymnasium’s realities and impositions. For example, it is quite possible that to create a sunken pit in a gym situated on the 2nd floor is simply impossible.

2-The desired dimensions as well as all of the equipment you would like to into the pit.

3-The available budget (whichever type of pit you end up choosing, this project will be expensive.)

4-Your preference base on your experience. From a gymnast and coach point of view, a pit with foam cubes is psychologically more inviting to attempt difficult and complicated movements. From an administrator point of view, the pit with foam cubes seem less hygienic (even if the foam cubes are protected with covers…. covered or not, if a child vomits in the pit, it is a pain!).

From my personal point of view, I would opt for a suspended sunken pit for it’s easiness regarding maintenance and especially for the possibility to adjust the elasticity of the net and re-tension the pit (it is also cheaper in term of $$). I also believe that mixing a suspended pit and a pit with foam cubes could be a great compromise! Attractive proposition because it offers a sense of security for the users with the net preventing athletes to reach the ground between cubes, maintenance is easier and cheaper (less cubes).

Whichever pit you choose, you should always use it with a foam safety mat to prevent tearing up the pit’s foam. …