I'm trying to finalize my pool plan and I'm looking for some advice. We considered a vanishing edge….but the budgets just not that big. It will be a raised gunite pool exposed on two sides. The attached photos should give you an idea of what I'm talking about. The first step goes all the way across and has 3 bubblers on it. The next step is a tanning ledge with steps on either side.

Here are my questions:
1. How deep should the water be on the first step (is there a min. depth for bubblers to work properly? I would like them to be flush with the step not in a raised box like the picture.)
2. What's a good water depth for a tanning ledge? Is 12" too deep?
3. I was thinking of just having 3 Savi Melody lights but should I also have one for the tanning ledge? (they aren't cheap!)
4. Is one skimmer sufficient for a pool this size (19,000 gallons) I can't put one in the oustide walls so placement is an issue.

Thanks in advance.

1. Not sure about a minimum depth...your builder should know though. Too shallow and they'll shoot all over the deck, too deep and you won't get any effect.
2. While I don't have one, I'm pretty sure a tanning ledge is just supposed to be a few inches deep so you can lay in the water while tanning. 12" and you'll be under!
3. When in doubt, more light is better than less. Would you be putting it on the flat bottom of the ledge?
4. One skimmer is probably fine; pay attention to which way the wind normally blows and put it on the downwind side. Two skimmers in the long wall wouldn't hurt.

Also, when you plan umbrella sleeves, think about where the sun will be in the sky and where you will want the shade, and place them accordingly. It may mean that the sleeve is off to the side, but if you want the shade in the middle you'll need to think about it a little.

For tanning shelves I usually go 6"-8"
For the skimmers you could just put both on the house side and place the returns on the away side to get e verything moving in the right direction.

You could also go with front load skimmers and put them how you want. Doen side of the front load is exactly as it sounds, you pull the basket out trough the throat.

My 10x10 tanning shelf is about 6" deep with thi idea being to set deck chairs out there so you are in the water yet dry, and can drop your feet in the water to cool off or splash yourself if you desire. I would think if you did that you could do away with that entrance step and put bubblers on the tanning shelf itself.

Most of the answers that I have seen for the depth of tanning shelfs are around 6". I on the other hand put mine in at 12" due to what we use it for. My wife teaches lessons and at 12" deep the shelf is a great area to teach the under 3 year old kids. It is a perfect depth for them to be able to play and learn to swim. I like to lay on the shelf and not have any colder air on the body. We don't use the shelf for tanning.

My tanning shelf is a 7x7 ledge 15 inches deep, which is large enough and just deep enough that two loungers set side by side with the seats right at water level. My wife loves the setup.

our ledge shelf is sloped from 3 to 6 inches...

as for skimmer location, it looks like yours should be at the deeper end. However, it works best when skimmer is located where it could 'catches' the wind. So, determine wind direction happens most of the time in your area, and place the skimmer at the opposite end of the wind direction.