New project in Encino CA.

[Bradleyh23]

Hi.


I am starting this build at the beginning of October replacing a kidney shaped pool with this rectangle design. It has steps along one entire length of the pool to the Baja shelf. This pool is for lounging but I also do you like to swim laps.
It will have an automatic safety cover opposite the spa and Baja. Pool is part of an entire backyard redo, basically scraping it and starting over.

I would love to get peoples opinion of the long stairs in particular, and any other notes on the design. The deep end of the pool will be roughly 5 feet and will be at the opposite end from the 8x8 integral spa and 8x8 Baja shelf.
Shallow end will be 3.5’.

Some questions I have are:
- is 31 feet enough to swim laps?
- Will The drop off to the deep end from the steps be too severe?
- would love some opions on baha shelf depth currently planned at 12-15”

The 4 small squares on the house side of the pool are actually pillars that hold up a roof overhang.
And I apologize for the messy design. Apparently my three-year-old has a few notes of his own.

Thanks!

 

[kimkats]

First things first..............LOL on the little adding his own design plans! CUTE!

Next is the sets all the way along the side of the pool by the house=NOPE! A big NOPE! The drop off would be very bad. It would also take up a a LOT of your pool space. Now what I would do is put wall hugging steps from the shelf to the floor of the pool AND put a sitting and standing bench(part of it high enough to sit on the deeper end with space between the steps and bench.

Now if you want to get fancy................Do a "swim out" at the deep end. Hold on a bit while I use my VERY beginner paint skills to work to show you what I mean.

Kim

 

[kimkats]

Here ya go! What do you think about this?? If you don't like it that is okay but I think it will serve several functions....seating, a way out on that end, easy access to the deep end.

Not to scale at all...........just wanted to give you an idea of what I meant.

Kim

 

[tkrotchko]

On the lap thing... do you mean you want to make a lap equivalent to an olympic lap? If so, then you'd have to make it 25M long . Now if you're really concerned about swimming a lap, you could make it 12.5M long and down/back would be a lap.

If you're asking if 31 feet is enough length to swim and make it feel like you're really swimming, then the answer is yes, and if you go back and forth 3 times , you've completed a lap (plus some). My pool is just under 40 feet long, so in my head down and back is a lap. Other people who are much better swimmers may feel differently about it.

As to depth, we made ours 3.5' long in the shallow end because when we first built it 20 years ago, we wanted our kids to be able to enjoy the pool (and as a bonus, they both became very good swimmers). However, it doesn't inhibit swimming at all for me. If I was building it again, I would make the shallow end 4', but 90% of my time in the pool is just chilling out, and then once an hour I'll swim 8 laps to cool off.

I like rectangular pools precisely because they are great for just floating around, and you can use them for exercise as well. Your project looks well thought out, and you'll have a lot of fun when it's done.

 

[Bradleyh23]

Thanks Kim!
That is a very good design and makes a lot of sense because that is the main entry to pool. The only issue with that is I have to have a pool cover (kids are 3 years and 5 months) so pool has to be rectangular.

In my mind, the stairs make for a good pool entry experience. I like to walk on to step 1 or 2 of a pool and then soft dive into water. Then I like to hang on the steps 90% of the time thereafter.

 

[Bradleyh23]

TK, thanks for clarifying the lap swimming. Yes, I just need some exercise and was a little worried gong from my 36’ pool to a 31’ swimming area.
Appreciate you taking a look.

 

[kimkats]

So rectangle it is with LOTS of steps to sit on!! I would make sure to use high contrast step markers so no one will jump off the side and hit them on the way in.

Kim