Need to decide ASAP...Changing mind from Sport to Deep end... thoughts? 18x36 Rectangle Auto Cover Indiana

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tntwalter

Active member
May 25, 2020
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Indiana
I posted stats in another thread ...
but I'm now starting to rethink
we originally wanted water depth 4 to 5.5 to 4.... so pool would be 4.5 6 4.5 right? i'm only 5'2" would that be comfortable for me for standing?

now I'm thinking maybe do depth 4 feet for 20' or so for 'play area' and then slope to 7 or 8 ? [not sure what would be possible given size of my pool]...
we are semi empty nesters. 1 will be senior HS and 2 in college...so still have lots of their friends around, etc...we also host gatherings with various ages...some young mostly teen and young adult and old folks like us ha ha.
also if we do a deep...thinking doing an 18" 'bench' in deep end ?
I am not going to have a diving board and if sport pool will make sure to tell and post no diving...

thoughts?

Thanks for help. I've been reading through past posts and getting great ideas but overwhelming.
 
Ooooof. Sorry for your last minute butterflies. This is a polarizing topic and it really comes down to how you feel about it. Most people are one way or the other but it’s got to be miserable to be stuck in between.

have some of my thoughts until others chime in as well.

I wanted the deep end and use it most of the time. I will keep doing so long after the kids have moved on. My wife is not a great swimmer and doesn’t particularly care for the deep end, so she grabs a float/tube and is just as happy.

Even though I don’t love the shallow end, it’s a million times better than when I didn’t have a pool. If my choice was no pool or sport pool, there would be no question about installing a sport pool. If I’m on a float the shallow end, ‘touching bottom’ is irrelevant and it’s just as nice as floating in the deep end.

the kids/visitors will adapt to whatever you have and have a blast regardless. We tear it up at the neighbors ABG and you can hear the laughs for miles.

That feeling of jumping into the deep end though.......

Gol Darn it Walter !!! Now you went and got me all confused too. Thanks a lot !!!
 
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Ha. Thanks...sorry for 'dramatic' post...this build has been like this...wait wait wait..research...then have to decide immediately...oy...

I think I'd enjoy the deep end more than hubby or others...but I'm short [5'2"] so I can make most of the pool my deep end ha ha.

Here's my original thread back in May...with stats of what we're planning...

Building Vinyl LIner Pool in July. 18x36 Sport Pool. Indiana.

Here's what we're planning: Anything glaringly bad? Anything else we should consider? We are thinking a 5.5' deep section in the middle, 3.5' on one side, and 4.5' on the other Here's the specs: 18x36 inground kit radius rect. inground pool kit 40" like this liner: Watson | McEwen...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

Trish
 
tntwalter said:
Here's my original thread back in May...with stats of what we're planning
Click to expand...
Sweet. Do you particularly love the border pattern ? We went without it and to us it feels less vinyl pool-y. But if you love it, then by all means.

tntwalter said:
but I'm short [5'2"] so I can make most of the pool my deep end ha ha
Click to expand...
I’m 6 and change so it’s a little tougher. Plus we live on the coast and I grew up jumping into a large body of water off of a boat when it was way deeper than me.
 
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also can folks clarify for me...
when people post their pools are 4 5.5 and 4 or 3 to 8.5 are they referring to water depth or the top of the pool so depth would be 6" less? trying to clarify what I want...
thanks.
 
YippeeSkippy said:
My motto is "Go Deep or Go Without a Pool"!!! People love to dive in!
Click to expand...

Can I go from 3.5 to 8 with a gentle slope to 5' for 18 feet [1st half of pool] and then slope to deep end?
Should I go to a 20x40 if I want a good shallow section?

I wanted an L to get best of both worlds but we are doing an auto cover [no fence] and I don't think we can do that.

Thanks.
 
tntwalter said:
Can I go from 3.5 to 8 with a gentle slope to 5' for 18 feet [1st half of pool] and then slope to deep end?
Should I go to a 20x40 if I want a good shallow section
Click to expand...
The general rule for slopes is no less than 3:1. (3 foot over for every 1 foot down). A 20X40 will allow a bigger shallow end, or in my case where we didn’t extend the shallow end, It’s still pretty big because of the width. It’s about 12 foot on the length of the pool and 20 ft wide.
 
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someone on this board has the set up I'm talking about.

I'll have to find it...bmoreswim has an 18x36 with diving board goes from 3.5 to 8. And it's gradual to 5' for 18 feet.

I don't want a diving board. Want more of a sport pool but they are not popular around here and I'm worried about folks jumping in and getting hurt...

so thinking doing a more traditional pool where one end can be for cannonballs etc. but still shallow enough for throwing ball around maybe bball hoop on side. etc.
 
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A 6' is enough for safe jumping. On 32' you will have 12ft roughly before the slope starts. You need 4ft for hopper floor and 3 to 4ft for slope up so theres 8ft on backside. 6' is my most popular depth w kids using pool. If you want an 8' deep with a big shallow area 36 to 40 is best. Doesnt add much overall cost to go bigger. 16x32 is a nice size pool most popular for me.
 
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thanks.
Here's what I'm now planning 18x36
PB said need 8' at 3.5' from steps so we'll gradually go from 3.5 to 4 to 4.5 to 5 @ the halfway mark 18'
then drop 2' over 6' [1' per 3'] to 7' and stay at 7' for 10' then a 2' return...gets to 36'.

I want to do 4'18" benches with step on each in deep end and then hopefully I wouldn't need ladder as it's 'swim out'.
Then a curved corner bench on other end opposite the corner steps.

Does that sound like it would be good? I am a newbie and don't want to make a big boo boo...
Thanks so much.

we don't have kids but older teens/adults with friends that will goof off and jump and toss each other....do you still think 6' deep enough? or maybe closer to 7?
those that have sport pools tend to like them they just aren't super popular around here ....

I just hope I don't wish I had done the sport pool layout...
that one I would have to do 3.5 on one side [because of step] then 5 middle then 4 or 4.5 other side...
I am still confused as to water line or top of liner with the dimensions.

i almost want to flip a coin. lol
 
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Honestly I don't think you can lose either way-you'll get used to what you have. There are times that I wished I had a deep end, but most of the time we love our sport bottom. Our depth is 4, 6, 4.5 (water depth 3.5, 5.5, 4). With teens, this is what we/they love to do.🏐😀IMG_20200623_193456.jpg
 
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Indiana.
thanks.
Sent my ideas and they are working up drawing...
she said she thinks i still need ladder in deep end even with swim out bench in deep end but would check our county regulations. And they also put the deep end benches in the corners for safety not along side....
fingers crossed...

and I was able to change to no border so thanks for that tip.

Here are other specs...anything glaring I need to change add etc.
switching the white step to a steel liner covered corner step with benches on each side.

pool-specs.JPG
 
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You dont need a 10ft long deep hopper. Waste of space. 6ft is good 8 at the most. I wouldnt do a double angle to the deep end. 7ft is plenty deep. Use 2 to 3ft to come up to deep end walls on 3 sides amd then a 7ft long ny 12ft wide deep hopper. That's 10 total in length. Leaves you 14ft to slope up straight to the 40" shallow area. You want 2 skimmers and I'd install 6 returns. 4 is absolute minimum. Dont do white stairs. Either colored blue/grey or liner over steps.
I'm not a fan of in wall ladders or swimouts. Nowadays all my pools want the look of concrete. All the white fiberglass stuff nobody wants and I'd rather not install it. Even no border liners are the rage now. Getting rid of the white really does make pool look luxurious overall. And make sure you have 3 seperate feeds to the pump, 2 for skimmers one for drains
 
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Our pool is similar. 16 X 36 for the main pool, but 18 across in the deep end with the bench. We went with a 9' depth and even though I'm not a great swimmer I love the deep end. Personal preference wins out at the end of the day, but I feel like a deep end gives you more options. Our shallow end spans 11 or 12 feet before it starts getting deeper and it's worked out great. First 1/3 of the pool is flat shallow end, middle is a slope, last third is a nice deep bucket.

I stood in our dirt pit and had the builder show me where the water would hit to get it right. I'm 5' 7", and wanted to make sure the water was waist high in the shallow end for me. I highly recommend that approach to get it right for you!

I have ambitions of playing pool volleyball, and we figure kids and wimpy swimmers will get the shallow end while stronger, taller, and more skilled swimmers will have to tread water a bit. Or people can always switch. This is in theory, we haven't strung a net up yet.

We have a 10' long bench in our deep end with a step on either side and it's been perfect. Definitely put a bench in the deep end, you will not regret it. I bumped the bench out from the perimeter so it was very obvious there was a bench there, plus it's outlined in tile to further drive the point home. We don't have a ladder, just the bench in the deep end.

We've got one 15 year old, but regularly host friends and families with kids of all ages. If you do go with a deep end, I would make the slope as compact as you can. In our experience people are either in the shallow end or in the deep end. The middle doesn't get much use. I also feel like the middle is the most prone to injury from judging the depth wrong.
 
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I have switched steps to liner.
PB will only do corner benches in deep end [safety] as they can't be recessed for some reason ... bummer.
Code in our county requires 2 entrances she thinks ladder deep end but was going to check.

thanks for great tips.
 

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