New pool

[salina]

Hi, guys, We are just about to get a new vinyl 18 x 36 pool (with Roman bump out steps at one end so it's really 18 x41) installed in our backyard. It's exciting yet sometimes overwhelming with so many decisions we have to make. We have three kids ages 8 to 13. I am looking for advise on a few things:

1) We would like a sports pool while also deep enough in the middle for kids to do jump and do flips etc but not too deep. What depths would be ideal (stairs side has to start at 40 inches) and what kind of sloping?

2) We are thinking of cool crete for the deck around the pool. Is that a good idea? Looks wise as well as maintenance.

3) Should we go with cartridges or sand filter?

4) How do we figure out how much concrete to have around the pool? We have a separate patio for sitting but I am talking about minimum for walking around and getting in and out of the pool.

Thanks! Salina

 

[Texas Splash]

Hello Salina! Congrats on your decision to get a pool. You have a few questions above that may require replies from more than one TFP member, so stay with us and keep checking this thread for advice. TFP'ers should be replying soon. Have a great weekend.

 

[cowboycasey]

3) Should we go with cartridges or sand filter? I will give this one a go

Go big, as big a filter you can afford.. the builder will try to tell you that you don't need something that big, they are not the one that will be cleaning it more often if its small

here are some things to look at
Pool School - Pool Filter Comparison
Pool School - Maintenance and Cleaning of Pool Filters

 

[woodyp]

(1). Do flips off of what? I think you'd be better off with the deep part on one end.

(4). 3 feet I'd think.

Welcome!

 

[BoDarville]

Welcome to TFP!

1) We would like a sports pool while also deep enough in the middle for kids to do jump and do flips etc but not too deep. What depths would be ideal (stairs side has to start at 40 inches) and what kind of sloping?

There's certainly bound to be several opinions on this, but here's mine...Most sports pools (at least one's that I've been in) are the 4-5-4 variety. What concerns me is the jump & flips. If the jumps & flips are going to be a big part of the pool activity, you could increase the deep part to 6'. Any more than that and it no longer is a sports pool, IMO. I would also put strict bounds on the type of jumps that would be allowed (cannonballs and feet-first would be OK). Anything head-first would result in a one-day ban for the first attempt and would increase with subsequent attempts. The thing with kids is that they grow - and they often don't realize it nor do they realize the implications. A flip that may have been safe in 5-6' of water last year could be disastrous this year. If it were me, I would have a family meeting to get a consensus on the pool activities that are most desired. If intricate jumps, flips, dives are at or near the top of the list (and you as a parent are OK with that), I would go with a deep-end pool. Maybe it's me, but I have seen far more injuries from flips and diving (especially in an Olympic year - as though the neighborhood kids are suddenly going to execute complex dives that took Olympians many years to master) than I have from small kids & non-swimmers panicking from getting into deeper water.

 

[pooldv]

We love our 3-1/2x5x4 play pool. Would change it to 4x5x4 because 3-1/2 is too shallow. We don't have any issue with people jumping in and cannonballs. Occasional bottom bumps, but nothing big. We tell people to aim for the bottom drain on the big cannonballs. No diving allowed.

The best and most maintenance free concrete deck is plain concrete. We don't like plain concrete. We have the next best thing rock salt finish with color hardener. It is maintenance free, not slippery and looks better than plain concrete. There are pics of my deck in my build thread in my sig. The last couple of deck pics are 3 years old.

 

[salina]

Thank you for all your tips! My kids like to do summersault-type flips (not dives) that are head first. Would six feet be okay for that? My husband does not want to go deeper than about 5 foot 10.
Also, I've seen some people have different depths at the shallow ends of a sports pool. What is the benefit of that?