I'm a fan of ladders in deep end kids use them constantly when jumping in it's the quickest way out to jump back or down slide etc.
I just looked at your drawing I didnt see you had corner stairs. I cant see the scale but I assume the first corner panel is an 8ft and they are past that a ways so you definitely need 10ft minimum. How much room do you have around the pool area? Are you against outside stairs like either side entry or at the head of shallow end? I ask because in pool stairs take a good chunk of space up, pool feels much bigger when stairs are outside perimeter
i am doing an auto cover so can't have stairs outside of the rectangle [according to pool co]. 10 ft minimum where? i am sorry....thanks so much for your help. i am going to try to draw up what i want so they can reproduce it..i have been emailing back and forth the design since june 24 and trying to call and talk but just get emails [in each email I state I want water depth of 3.5' is this possible...literally each email]; she finally called friday and told me that there walls are only 3'4". that would have saved a lot of time. Ugh
Hubby thinks we should just start a gradual slope as soon as they allow....to 7 feet deep [so 7.5 walls].