Need help deciding on dig spec

[chrlynk]

Hey,

Background is we have two kids ages 10 and 6. We're building a 32x16 Lagoon and the standard dig spec is found here which makes it a diving pool:

http://lathampool.ca/literature/specs/steel/LAGOON-16X32.pdf

We have no interest in ever installing a diving board but would like to have the option of adding a jumping rock (feet first) or slide at a later point. We forsee lots of jumping, cannonballs into the deep end as the kids get older so additional depth is desirable. That said, we really want a good sized shallow end and expect to spend the vast majority of our time in the shallow end. The default dig spec only has 7ft 8in length of shallow end and with the design of the pool that would actually be less at the curve. That's unacceptable to us and we're willing to sacrifice depth for more shallow end. We'd like to make it another 1.5 or 2ft longer and feel that would make a big difference in the general feel of the shallow end (keep in mind that according to the dig spec the shallow end would be quite wide at 27ft, just don't want the length to make it feel restricted). I have two options being considered at this point:

Option A:
9ft 3in of shallow end @ 3ft 4in depth
14ft of transition slope at 1:3 (i.e. max recommended slope)
6ft @ 7.5ft depth deep end
4ft transition up wall according to standard dig spec


Option B:
10ft 1in of shallow end @ 3f 4in depth
11ft 8in of transition slope at 1:2.5 (i.e. steeper than max recommended slope)
6ft @ 8ft depth deep end
4ft transition up wall according to standard dig spec

What option would you go with and why? I used some boards to visualize a 1:3 slope and that appears quite steep to the point that I'm not sure a child could recover from stepping out of the shallow end onto it anyway. Would a 1:2.5 slope be that much worse for kids accidentially venturing beyond the shallow area? Which option above is a safer overall? (Note: when I compare both options both of them have a depth of 5ft at the 14ft 3in mark - one gets there from a depth of 8ft with a steeper slope, while the other starts at 7.5ft depth and goes up more gradually to hit the 5 ft depth mark at the same location in the pool).

Thanks,

Chris

 

[gwegan]

SLAM ProcessYou are trying for the best of both worlds. How old are your Kids? Do you want a play pool where you can play in shallow water or a pool where teen boys can screw around? I'm being extreme but it's not that one is better than the other.

I would go with the shallow slope because more folks will be comfortable but that is personal preference.

Few pools built today meet diving standards

 

[pooldv]

We have a play pool that starts at 3-1/2' and it is too shallow. Put a tape measure on everyone to see where the water level will be. None of the kids in our pool, young or old hang out in the shallow area. We have kids 5 to 16 in our pool and all of them are all over the pool. We have three benches around the pool and kids like to hang out on those some, jump off them and throw stuff at each other from them. Small kids won't be small for very long.

 

[Isaac-1]

Keep in mind that I grew up before the age of mandatory car seats for kids, back when kids would ride in the back of pick up trucks, etc. and most of us survived.

So here are my thoughts, 1, both options are too shallow / narrow to be completely safe diving even for feet first or cannonballs. My pool is a traditional 20x40 hopper end with 8.5 ft deep end (water depth) and I feel it is marginal for diving, and the slope comes up too quick for any head first diving. More than one person has kissed the bottom on the slope of my pool so that comes from experience. Having said that kids will do cannonballs so give them as much depth as you can, and hopefully they will never hit bottom too hard.

Second part move the transition shallower and make the shallow end deeper, that shallow end is only 2'10 inch to the waterline, in the long run I think you would be a lot happier with a 3'4" - 3'6"+ to the waterline shallow end. You say your kids are 6 and 10 now, they will grow quickly and with a pool chances are they will swim like fish without months and you will forget about why you worried about having such a big shallow end, and you will wish it was deeper.

A quick google search shows the average 6 year old is 46 inches tall, if your kids are typical height even the younger one could stand up in a 3'4" inch pool with most of their head out of the water now and they will only get bigger. If you feel you must have a shallower part of the pool consider 3 ft to the waterline at the steps gently sloping to about 4 ft at the transition to the main slope, this is a compromise, but all pool design is.

Ike

p.s. before you build a pool with a 2'10" deep shallow end, please go out and buy a $100 Intex 15'x36 inch Easy Set pool (about about 2'8-2'9" to the waterline), and try it out, see if the family is happy in under 3 feet of water, then ask yourself if they will be happy in it next year, and 5 years down the line.

 

[yellow12]

Everyone tells me the 3"4 is too shallow and I just have it at the steps to quickly go down to 4ft and max 6ft. I haven't finished my pool yet, but I did adjust the shallow section to an entry only based on everyone's recommendations. (newbie opinion only). wendy

 

[chrlynk]

We have a play pool that starts at 3-1/2' and it is too shallow.

Thanks for all the input so far. Keep it coming please.

I actually took the kids to a public pool on Monday and the depth in the shallow area was 1 metric (3ft 4in). I'm assuming that is wall height as well and the actually water level was closer to 3ft. That seemed perfect for us and we spent the whole time in that area of the pool since my son cannot swim yet in deeper water. The water came up to his lower neck and I could swim in it without my arms hitting the bottom so I'm happy with that depth for the shallow end. I actually think we'll use the shallow end the most based on what I've observed (i.e. seems most people are chilling in the shallow end of the pool whenever I go to a pool).

My only concern with going with a steeper slope is that people may find it difficult to pull themselves back into the shallow water should they step over into the transition area. Is there really much difference between a 1:3 slope and a 1:2.57 slope in regards to a person being able to walk on the slope? It seems that both are really too steep for someone to walk on comfortably. I'm not interested in making this a diving pool but want it to be as safe as possible for jumping/slide etc. and the ever present possibility that someone doesn't listen to the pool rules and attempts a head first dive. I'm thinking that the deeper pool with steeper slope is actually safer from a jumping/(rule breaker diver) so I'm leaning towards going with option B. That said, concerned that the steeper slope is a mistake and something we are going to regret. Decision, decisions.

 

[chrlynk]

Any comments regarding a steeper slope than 1:3? What about decreasing the length of the deepend from 6' to 5'?

 

[Isaac-1]

The thing you have to worry about with people jumping in doing cannonballs, etc is they tend to get too much of a running start and don't target the deepest point of the pool, with my pool many of the cannonballs are from the side as it is indoors and lacks room to get a running start from the deep end. and even with about a 9x9 hopper in the deep end of a 20 ft wide pool people will tend to overshoot and line up with the slope going up on the far side of the hopper, your hopper is much smaller.

 

[bradj]

since when is 6ft water to shallow for jumping off a rock feet first?? I could jump off my house into 6ft water and be fine.

 

[pooldv]

We do lots and lots of cannonballs in 5' of water.

 

[chrlynk]

Obviously some conflicting opinions. Just so I know where people stand which would you go with Option A or Option B? Should I also consider making the length of the deep end hopper a little shorter (say 5ft to gain a 1ft of shallow area length)?

 

[needsajet]

Option A. That's going to be a great pool either way!

If it were me, I'd solve the challenge by going 4' (1.2 m) in the shallow end, mostly because the 6 yr old is going to be a good swimmer really fast. When I was planning ours, I read that steep slopes bother old people rather than kids who can swim. If the kid can't swim and he's in the pool, there's someone competent watching him anyway. From what I've seen here and in many other pools is that kids get to know the pool very fast (i.e. within minutes) and he'll stay away from the drop off until he's confident around it. Our daughters are very safety-minded, have kids from 2 to 9 yrs old, and they think the shallow end depth at 1.2 is just right (we have a ledge for the littlies). The kids jump in everywhere without any issues, but of course they know not to jump in around the steps. I honestly can't say I have seen the kids chilling. They play hard, and always getting away (tag/tip), getting something (diving for stuff) or underwater races . It's gonna be great fun no matter what!!!

 

[lastdon87]

We do lots and lots of cannonballs in 5' of water.

That makes me feel good, the way some folks talk, u need 8' deep just to do a cannonball... we'll be at 6', and I think that will be more than enough to keep my friends and family safe...

 

[Isaac-1]

I am not saying that you need 8 feet to do a cannonball safely, I am saying you need over 8 ft, for everyone to always do a cannonball safely there is a difference. An adult trying to do a high cannonball to make a big splash can hit bottom even with an 8 ft bottom, perhaps not hard enough to cause serious injury, but certainly hard enough to startle them and make them exhale. It is all a mater or relative risks, face first diving is a lot more dangerous mainly due to the fact you will hit head first. Also remember even feet first diving can be dangerous,years ago a kid broke his arm diving into my pool feet first from the diving board (hit is arm on the board on the way to the water).

 

[chrlynk]

Option A. That's going to be a great pool either way!
!

Thanks. That makes me feel better! Such an agonizing decision since its hard to say how you're going to use a pool until you actually have one. Add to that the factor of kids growing up with changing usage and it's amost impossible to say for sure what is the right decision.

That said, here's what I think we're going with:

10ft 2in of shallow @ 3'4" depth (staying with this depth based on experience swimming this past weekend)
12ft 6in of transition @ 1:3 slope
5ft of deep end @ 7'6" depth (i.e. took 1ft off hopper length)
4ft transition of to wall based on standard dig spec

Essentially we gain 1'6" of length in the shallow end by going with 7'6" depth instead of 8' and another 1' of length in the shallow end by taking a foot away from the deep end hopper. Interested to hear any comments on this plan. I'll post the official dig spec once I get it revised with those parameters.