Ok, my first winter with a pool. It rarely freezes down here in Southern VA so I've gone for a soft closing (no draining, just shock/treat/cover and run the pump on cold nights).

I put the cover on last weekend. The cover pump that conveyed with the house doesn't seem to work so I have been able to use it. Here's a picture of my cover with a little water on it. Should I be concerned? Do I need to pump the water off? Will the cover just dip down to the pool water level?

You need to get a pump for it.

You're right, it will just go down to the water level, but your hardware will suffer (bent springs, stretched straps, warped buckles, etc) over time and you'll build up a lot of leaves and gunk on top of the cover that would otherwise just blow away.

Looks to me like you might be able to tighten some of the straps near the depressed areas to raise the cover up, unless the cover is permanently sagged there.

My experience with my cover is that it sits level with the ground when there isn't snow on it. During rain, it will sag, but quickly rise as the water drains through (within a day). Depending on the winter, I might end up with a bunch of snow, a rapid melt during the day and a quick freeze at night. Following this, the cover is under water with a thick layer of ice on top of it.
Two winters of this and no problems. The cover maker says it's normal and don't sweat it.

It's this brand, made by Latham Plastics http://www.boldtpools.ca/flyers/safety-covers-web.pdf
Of course, depending on how you close your pool, it might sag more in the early winter, and less in the late winter as rain and snow melt drip through and raise the water level.

When I close my pool, I drain to below the returns, blow the lines etc. etc. With this type of closing method / cover, I will get water in my skimmer as the water rises so I have a gizmo and antifreeze in the skimmer. It's scary looking at the pool when it's -10 celsius (or lower) and there is a solid cover of ice ON TOP of the cover.

Yes, you want to keep as much water off the cover as possible, but sometimes that is not practical. be sure your lines are tight and secure.

Edit to remove link. Butterfly

Remember, its a Safety cover. Having large ponds are now drowning risks. A properly tensioned solid cover normally has only one pond on a flat pool. Very large pools and those with waterfalls may have two. Automatic pumps make your life easier. Just watch where the discharge hose goes, downhill and away from the house and not hidden from the landscapers. Their mowers will cut it up.

Don't lower the water below the tile line, ever, unless you are servicing the coping, tile or plaster. This will void your warranty on the cover and creates another potentially unsafe condition. The cover, when loaded with weight, needs the water to be no more than 18" under it for support. That weight may be ice, snow, unpumped rain, and a person or large animal. The cover material may not hold additional weight and can tear. As a cover ages, this issue becomes more important. It doesn't do the springs and buckles any good either as was said earlier.

Expect to get wet when you winterize and close a pool. When blowing out lines, blow from the equipment toward the pool. As the blower is pushing air in and water out, then bubbling, then seal with a rubber winter plug. Sometimes I use a skimmer cover to deflect the water away from splashing me in my face when initially putting in a plug.

Hope this helps;

Scott
PoolGuyNJ

They cover needs support from the water, yes, but you should drain to just below the tile line to prevent any damage to the tiles from freezing weather. In most cases that will be less than 12" from the bottom of the cover

Yes. I was thinking, wouldn't it be desirable to drain well below the tile line? When early winter rains add several inches to the pool, the water level rises. If the level starts out just below the tiles, a bit of weather could result in mid-winter freezing at the tiles.

Does this make sense?

An automatic step pump is called for in this case. I like the Little Giant 500APCP part number 519575 for this. I usually put them on the step of the deep end swim out or the 1st step in the shallow end. Run the discharge hose down hill and away from the house. Don't send it down the driveway! It can cause and ice sheet.

Scott
PoolGuyNJ