The original plan was for 7', but when we realized that jumping from the rocks would be inevitable, we went wider and deeper for safety. Still, no diving from up there.
Sports Pools vs Deep/Shallow End Pools
- Thread starter Dirk
- Start date
The original plan was for 7', but when we realized that jumping from the rocks would be inevitable, we went wider and deeper for safety. Still, no diving from up there.
- Jun 12, 2011
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Our vote is Sport/play pool. Ours is 3.5-5-4 foot depth. We have a 18 inch deep sun shelf and bench the length of the pool. We love the sport pool. About the only change we would make (if we had it to do again) would be make it a 4-5-4 depth. The 3.5 foot end seems just a bit too shallow.
I would not even consider a pool without a deep end. The only way I ever enter the pool is diving off the boulder waterfall. Our original design had a 6ft deep end and the salesman said that would be fine for jumping off the rocks and I knew I could safely dive into that (when no one else was around 
). We were always going to (and still do) have a no diving rule. When we got the first plan for review it had the words "Non Diving Pool" printed on it. Knowing that there would most likely be some unmonitored diving going on for simple safety reasons and With this lawsuit happy world we live in, this gave us cause for concern. We had to stretch the pool a few ft but is was wall worth every penny. The final plan in the pic still had the 'Non diving pool' on it but we did have them change that. Not saying that that would really matter in a lawsuit but it made us a bit more comfortable. Now having a 8' deep end I know I would not have been happy with 6'.
I noticed the poor definition in the plan pic you can not see the depths. They are as follows starting at shallow end.
4'-2" -> 4'-6" -> 4'-10" -> 6'-9" -> 8'-8"
). We were always going to (and still do) have a no diving rule. When we got the first plan for review it had the words "Non Diving Pool" printed on it. Knowing that there would most likely be some unmonitored diving going on for simple safety reasons and With this lawsuit happy world we live in, this gave us cause for concern. We had to stretch the pool a few ft but is was wall worth every penny. The final plan in the pic still had the 'Non diving pool' on it but we did have them change that. Not saying that that would really matter in a lawsuit but it made us a bit more comfortable. Now having a 8' deep end I know I would not have been happy with 6'.I noticed the poor definition in the plan pic you can not see the depths. They are as follows starting at shallow end.
4'-2" -> 4'-6" -> 4'-10" -> 6'-9" -> 8'-8"
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My pool is 9' deep and would not change it. Our slide is almost 11' tall and 21' long and is the most used feature of the pool.
- Nov 12, 2017
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- 12300
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- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
santacruzpool
Gold Supporter
We have, and still enjoy our sport pool. Like Chefwej ours is also 3.5-5-4 foot depth. I think the shallow water makes the pool warmer in coastal, sometimes foggy, California - therefore there is no need for a heater for us.
- Nov 12, 2017
- 11,842
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- 12300
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- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Huh, that might explain the mystery. I've been reading your temp posts elsewhere, and couldn't figure out why your pool was so much warmer than mine (I used to live in your neck of the woods, now I'm in Central CA). So maybe that's something about a sports pool I've not considered.
This is kinda like asking who likes pizza, mexican, or burgers/fries. I mean...they are all awesome and how do you pick a winner?
We tend to like having people at our house, and in our experience, people hang out in the shallow end and near the steps. We have a 4'x16' second step (water about 15" deep) that is great for one of those cheapie Adirondack chairs. We have an 11' wide shallow end. So plenty of room to just hang out or lounge. I also put a 20" wide, 16' long bench in the deep end for more lounging.
We are not tall and we like warm water. Water depth in the deep end is 5'2"...plenty for cannonballs, jumping and catching footballs, and I can stand on tip-toe and keep my mouth/nose out of the water.
I love diving, but not that much. We are members of our neighborhood pool that has swim lanes, 10' deep end, 3' diving board, slide, volleyball courts, snack shack, etc. It is a 2 minute drive. When we want to do that stuff, or otherwise hang out with large crowds, we shall head to the pool.
When we want coffee on a Saturday morning after our family jog, Im going to be sitting in my adirondack chair on my ledge with my boys doing cannonballs. We also spend a lot of time on the lake. Pizza, mexican, or burgers...well, Im talking about spending the morning on the lake, afternoon at neighborhood pool, and head home to grill burgers or order pizza and spend the late afternoon and evening in our pool. I mean, there is no such thing as too much water, is there?
We tend to like having people at our house, and in our experience, people hang out in the shallow end and near the steps. We have a 4'x16' second step (water about 15" deep) that is great for one of those cheapie Adirondack chairs. We have an 11' wide shallow end. So plenty of room to just hang out or lounge. I also put a 20" wide, 16' long bench in the deep end for more lounging.
We are not tall and we like warm water. Water depth in the deep end is 5'2"...plenty for cannonballs, jumping and catching footballs, and I can stand on tip-toe and keep my mouth/nose out of the water.
I love diving, but not that much. We are members of our neighborhood pool that has swim lanes, 10' deep end, 3' diving board, slide, volleyball courts, snack shack, etc. It is a 2 minute drive. When we want to do that stuff, or otherwise hang out with large crowds, we shall head to the pool.
When we want coffee on a Saturday morning after our family jog, Im going to be sitting in my adirondack chair on my ledge with my boys doing cannonballs. We also spend a lot of time on the lake. Pizza, mexican, or burgers...well, Im talking about spending the morning on the lake, afternoon at neighborhood pool, and head home to grill burgers or order pizza and spend the late afternoon and evening in our pool. I mean, there is no such thing as too much water, is there?
- Nov 12, 2017
- 11,842
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Great comments, SBall, thank you. I'm going to classify your pool as "Other" as it is not really a classic sports pool. As to how do I pick a winner? Easy!! Pizza, deep end!!
- Sep 6, 2018
- 76
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- 22000
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- Jandy Aquapure 1400
We did agonize over the deep end. We decided on 7.5" safe for jumping. We feel good about this decision. Great topic. Can't wait to see the results.
- Nov 12, 2017
- 11,842
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Only 7 and a half inches? That seems a little shallow for jumping!
Mine is at 7.5', too, and is good for jumping. I dive into it, but at an angle. I wish mine was deeper, like 9 or 10 feet. Not when I have to brush it, though, I have to admit.
I'm tallying the results in real time in the first post (I keep editing it), so you can see the totals anytime...
Mine is at 7.5', too, and is good for jumping. I dive into it, but at an angle. I wish mine was deeper, like 9 or 10 feet. Not when I have to brush it, though, I have to admit.
I'm tallying the results in real time in the first post (I keep editing it), so you can see the totals anytime...
Our pool was in place decades before we bought the house. Approx. 9' deep with a diving board, 3' at the shallow end.
I personally mostly use the pool for swimming laps, so when it came time to re-plaster, I did consider filling in the deep end and losing the diving board. I'm glad I didn't. The huge size of the pool means we can have some epic parties in summer. (Oh, there's an outdoor bar & fridge & BBQ, too.)
What we end up with is the adults at the shallow end with their adult bevs, and the kids taking turns jumping off the board in an apparent attempt to empty the pool of water. This works well for all concerned.
If we want to play a game involving a net, we set up badminton on the lawn, along with cornhole and whatever else is around.
So here's a vote for deep end/shallow end.
I personally mostly use the pool for swimming laps, so when it came time to re-plaster, I did consider filling in the deep end and losing the diving board. I'm glad I didn't. The huge size of the pool means we can have some epic parties in summer. (Oh, there's an outdoor bar & fridge & BBQ, too.)
What we end up with is the adults at the shallow end with their adult bevs, and the kids taking turns jumping off the board in an apparent attempt to empty the pool of water. This works well for all concerned.
If we want to play a game involving a net, we set up badminton on the lawn, along with cornhole and whatever else is around.
So here's a vote for deep end/shallow end.
- Nov 12, 2017
- 11,842
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
My brothers!!
Nets go over the lawn, hoops go over the driveway!
I enjoy all sorts of pools but my challenge was that I didn't really have great choices. My pool is basically 24x14 (water). Hard for me to picture a shallow/deep pool in that confine. Then there is the fact my wife's family tops out at about 5'2"!
To me, the only reason to go deep is to dive and to dive safely, my entire pool would probably have to be deep. I know my family can enjoy a shallow pool -- all the HOA pools are shallow around here and we always have a blast so I'm going with a 4-5-4 configuration and hoping 5' is enough for the young kids to jump (not dive) in with some degree of safety. Not what I "want", but I don't see a way to get what I want in such limited space.
What I really need is one of those retractable floors so that I could dynamically set the depth! Make the pool a good 10-12' deep but with a floor that can raise to arbitrary heights (including all the way up so that it acts as a 'safety cover'. I'm joking of course, although there are a few companies that offer such contraptions if you have an extra $100-200K...
Anyway, it's always fun to hear other people's thinking...thanks everyone for contributing!
To me, the only reason to go deep is to dive and to dive safely, my entire pool would probably have to be deep. I know my family can enjoy a shallow pool -- all the HOA pools are shallow around here and we always have a blast so I'm going with a 4-5-4 configuration and hoping 5' is enough for the young kids to jump (not dive) in with some degree of safety. Not what I "want", but I don't see a way to get what I want in such limited space.
What I really need is one of those retractable floors so that I could dynamically set the depth! Make the pool a good 10-12' deep but with a floor that can raise to arbitrary heights (including all the way up so that it acts as a 'safety cover'. I'm joking of course, although there are a few companies that offer such contraptions if you have an extra $100-200K...
Anyway, it's always fun to hear other people's thinking...thanks everyone for contributing!
Hi Dirk,
For your tally, I guess you can count me in the "sports" column (with some caveats) :razz:.
For me, I think it might depend on one's lifestyle/current situation/stage of life. This is the third pool I have owned through the years. The first two pools I owned were diving pools and those were great while the kids were young (lot's of diving, cannonballs, kids parties, etc, etc).
But now at this stage of my life, (no more kids in the house) all I use my current pool (36'x18') (4'x5'x4') for is daily laps, cooling off in the summer and occasional pool parties with volleyball games. I find this current pool of mine, much easier to keep clean, however like anything there are advantages and disadvantages.
The two disadvantages to a large "play/lap" pool especially in a hot/dry climate are:
1. The larger the surface area, the more evaporation. Here in the desert, I calculated that I am losing approximately 80 gallons per day to evaporation at an average hi/low temps of 100/80 degrees & 20-40% RH.
2. In a hot/dry climate, the water temp in a shallow "play/lap" pool can almost get too warm (above 90 degrees) when OAT reaches 105 degrees and above.
Hope this helps with your info collection and thanks for doing this. Great idea!!
r..
For your tally, I guess you can count me in the "sports" column (with some caveats) :razz:.
For me, I think it might depend on one's lifestyle/current situation/stage of life. This is the third pool I have owned through the years. The first two pools I owned were diving pools and those were great while the kids were young (lot's of diving, cannonballs, kids parties, etc, etc).
But now at this stage of my life, (no more kids in the house) all I use my current pool (36'x18') (4'x5'x4') for is daily laps, cooling off in the summer and occasional pool parties with volleyball games. I find this current pool of mine, much easier to keep clean, however like anything there are advantages and disadvantages.
The two disadvantages to a large "play/lap" pool especially in a hot/dry climate are:
1. The larger the surface area, the more evaporation. Here in the desert, I calculated that I am losing approximately 80 gallons per day to evaporation at an average hi/low temps of 100/80 degrees & 20-40% RH.
2. In a hot/dry climate, the water temp in a shallow "play/lap" pool can almost get too warm (above 90 degrees) when OAT reaches 105 degrees and above.
Hope this helps with your info collection and thanks for doing this. Great idea!!
r..
- Nov 12, 2017
- 11,842
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I enjoy all sorts of pools but my challenge was that I didn't really have great choices. My pool is basically 24x14 (water). Hard for me to picture a shallow/deep pool in that confine. Then there is the fact my wife's family tops out at about 5'2"!
To me, the only reason to go deep is to dive and to dive safely, my entire pool would probably have to be deep. I know my family can enjoy a shallow pool -- all the HOA pools are shallow around here and we always have a blast so I'm going with a 4-5-4 configuration and hoping 5' is enough for the young kids to jump (not dive) in with some degree of safety. Not what I "want", but I don't see a way to get what I want in such limited space.
What I really need is one of those retractable floors so that I could dynamically set the depth! Make the pool a good 10-12' deep but with a floor that can raise to arbitrary heights (including all the way up so that it acts as a 'safety cover'. I'm joking of course, although there are a few companies that offer such contraptions if you have an extra $100-200K...
Anyway, it's always fun to hear other people's thinking...thanks everyone for contributing!
Joe, your contribution raises a dilemma for my poll, and a verdict. The tally is what you'd want, not necessarily what you have. So far everyone's vote matches their current pool. If room wasn't an issue, which type of pool would you want?
I’d definitely want a big pool with a large flat’ish area and another deep area for diving. Why can’t I have both?! Lol.
But if I had to pick, just one, I guess I’d go shallow/deep for myself. I like diving. My 7 year old, wife, and her family would pick sports pool.
But if I had to pick, just one, I guess I’d go shallow/deep for myself. I like diving. My 7 year old, wife, and her family would pick sports pool.
Our pool is 36' x 14' with 4' shallow end and a 6' deep hopper. We like to jump/cannonball in the deep end to enter the pool. Kids play basketball and jump in catching the football in the deep end while adults all hang out in chairs on the tanning ledge or stand in the shallow end with a beer/cocktail. Occasional game of volleyball. Only thing I wish is that our pool was 2' wider, but my yard just wan't big enough....
Shallow/deep end vote here
Shallow/deep end vote here
We just finished summer #4 and still love our sports depth, we have many family and youth gatherings and have not had anyone mention missing diving