Shallow End Transition

[Mattlar0806]

Hey guys,

Still trying to figure out how to have a diving board and slide given the two enormous and entirely unnecessary safety envelopes. Pool builder will not install overlapping envelopes.

So here’s the next question -
According to the safety standards are shallow end transitions of 1:7 required? Or can I have my slope entirely at the 1:3 ratio? Logically if 1:3 is allowed closer to a dive entry then allowing it after should work from diving perspective. It would only be if that slope was considering unsafe in the shallow end?

Like many, I want to maximize the entirely flat 3.5ft shallow end while still having an 8ft diving pool. Being able to transition from 8-3.5 over 1:3 ratio would mean only 13.5 feet of sloped pool.

Thanks



Thanks

 

[Newdude]

According to the safety standards are shallow end transitions of 1:7 required?

So. I'm going to preface this by saying my GC told me an 18 wheelers worth of horse manure. Several of them even.

But we got into a battle over my slope and he insisted it needed to be 3:1 when it was a diving pool due to greater risk of spinal injury at other angles. He cited code #s but again, I had lost all faith in him by then. He thought I wanted a long slope and all I wanted was to move the 3:1 slope making more deep end. When he finally grasped what I meant, he happily agreed to shift it and it's all 3:1. At this point I believed his code citing because he did what I asked. If he made it up to get out of more digging, he would have tried to get out of the way I wanted too.

I think people who worry about little kids on the slope are over reacting. I get it. I do. But they don't creep up to it gently. They're flailing around, diving and jumping as much as they can like the little buggers they are. Just a few inches from the transition is too deep no matter what for a little kid. Those first few inches isn't going to save anyone with less slope IMO.

Plus, in no time they are fish anyway and it's a moot point.

 

[Mattlar0806]

Totally agree and thanks for your input.
My pool builder did confirm I can do the 1:3 the whole way to 3.5ft. Now if only I could shorten this dive envelope to like 20ft then we would be in business!!

 

[JJ_Tex]

3.5' is about the bare minimum I would do for a shallow end. Consider starting at closer to 4' to help give you a bit more room to play with.
No diving board for me, but I tried to maximize my 4'-5' space, then quickly transition to the 6' deep end. IMO anything between 5' and 6', or less than 4' is just wasted space.

 

[Mattlar0806]

I can’t wrap my head around why from points DE are even considered necessary in this envelope- once you’ve gotten that far aren’t you just swimming at that point? You remove this 6ft from the requirements and this would be more understandable.

 

[Mattlar0806]

3.5' is about the bare minimum I would do for a shallow end. Consider starting at closer to 4' to help give you a bit more room to play with.
No diving board for me, but I tried to maximize my 4'-5' space, then quickly transition to the 6' deep end. IMO anything between 5' and 6', or less than 4' is just wasted space.

I’ve got young kids - 5 and 3yrs. That extra 6 inches means many years before the shallow end is a useful area for the both of them again.

Why would 3.5 be useless? I’m thinking whether the water is at my belly button or chest doesn’t really matter?

 

[Newdude]

I’ve got young kids - 5 and 3yrs. That extra 6 inches means many years before the shallow end is a useful area for the both of them again.

1) they'll be fish by 6 and 4.
2) don't make a multigenerational decision about a couple of years. It won't be 'many' in the grand scheme of things and it won't matter again until there's grandkids.
3) puddle jumpers are amazing.
4) keep various sized life vests because whether they can touch or not, they'll tire before they're ready to get out. Or for when friends come over that aren't great swimmers because they don't have a pool.

 

[Mattlar0806]

1) they'll be fish by 6 and 4.
2) don't make a multigenerational decision about a couple of years. It won't be 'many' in the grand scheme of things and it won't matter again until there's grandkids.
3) puddle jumpers are amazing.
4) keep various sized life vests because whether they can touch or not, they'll tire before they're ready to get out. Or for when friends come over that aren't great swimmers because they don't have a pool.

Definitely understand to not be short sighted but I don’t grasp why 4 is better than 3.5? To me, it provides the same utility so I don’t see the bad outcome in choosing 3.5, only see the positive of little feet touching bottom sooner.

 

[proavia]

Definitely understand to not be short sighted but I don’t grasp why 4 is better than 3.5? To me, it provides the same utility so I don’t see the bad outcome in choosing 3.5, only see the positive of little feet touching bottom sooner.

I guess it's all according to how long your arms are and your resistance to scraped knuckles/fingers on the pool bottom when swimming in the shallow end.

 

[Mattlar0806]

I guess it's all according to how long your arms are and your resistance to scraped knuckles/fingers on the pool bottom when swimming in the shallow end.

Thanks and good to know as I’m not worried about that for multiple reasons.

 

[Newdude]

I don’t grasp why 4 is better than 3.5?

I'm 6'3 and 3.5 is uncomfortably low. If I kneel it's halfway up my chest. It's too deep to sit and too shallow to bob around. 4 ft water depth wasn't a reasonable option for me but I would have jumped on it.

For traditional swimmers, they hit their knuckles on the floor.

IMO above ground pools got it right with deeper water and there's a reason they're as deep as they are. They feel more swimm-y and not just standing waste deep in water.

I cut my shallow end down to 12 ft long to make as much deep end as possible, which is where the fight came in with the GC when he dug me a 16ft shallow end. I was building a swimming pool, not a lounge pool.

But as such with anything subjective, beauty's in the eye of the beerholder and whatnot.

 

[Mattlar0806]

I'm 6'3 and 3.5 is uncomfortably low. If I kneel it's halfway up my chest. It's too deep to sit and too shallow to bob around. 4 ft water depth wasn't a reasonable option for me but I would have jumped on it.

For traditional swimmers, they hit their knuckles on the floor.

IMO above ground pools got it right with deeper water and there's a reason they're as deep as they are. They feel more swimm-y and not just standing waste deep in water.

I cut my shallow end down to 12 ft long to make as much deep end as possible, which is where the fight came in with the GC when he dug me a 16ft shallow end. I was building a swimming pool, not a lounge pool.

But as such with anything subjective, beauty's in the eye of the beerholder and whatnot.

Very helpful - thank you for explaining!
I guess I do like deeper shallow ends now that you made me think about it more. I’m only 5’8” - so I think 4ft is the max for me.