We decided on the sports pool and trying to decide between 5 OR 5.5 in the middle. We are doing 3.5 on one side and 4 on the other. We'll have a hot tub in the middle that our kids can jump off (feet first, no diving of course). It will be a fairly wide pool but only 26' in length (which needs to be considered when choosing middle depth due to slope). I'd like to hear from those who have 5.5 in the middle....do you like it or wish it was 5? Thanks in advance!
Sports Pool: depth in middle
- Thread starter BeatTheHeat15
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 58,311
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
How tall is everyone? If as teenagers or adults everyone is near 6', then a 5.5' water depth would be good.
Two kids 11 and 8. My husband is about 5’10”. I guess my reasoning for considering 5.5 would be for kids jumping when they become teenagers. But there’s no height in our family, just average height people. Lol
We've had ~5'3" teenagers jump into the 5' depth in the center of our sports pool. They sometimes gently touch the bottom, but have never hit hard. That said, they have to make the effort in jumping mechanics to avoid hitting it hard. So from that point of view, 5'6" is better.
For volleyball playing purposes, our household is not tall and 5' water depth is about the highest I'd go for playing "at the net".
So, it's all in the priorities. If jumping has the edge, I think you can also enjoy volleyball further back from the net, with the occasional reach into the deep for a spike or tip-over.
For volleyball playing purposes, our household is not tall and 5' water depth is about the highest I'd go for playing "at the net".
So, it's all in the priorities. If jumping has the edge, I think you can also enjoy volleyball further back from the net, with the occasional reach into the deep for a spike or tip-over.
Thanks for the detailed info!! Would you do 5 again in the center if you could do it again?
We did not build our pool, so there is no "again" what-if. 
Honestly, if I were building a pool, I wouldn't do a sports pool for kids. Just a personal choice and not meant to discourage anyone from choosing that. While they could have fun jumping into the sports pool depth, they would have preferred jumping into a full deep end. And they always missed a deep end more than they enjoyed the sports-pool features.
Our pool is more for adults, with a swim lane tiled into the floor and touch pads at each end of the lane, plus stools and a bar.
Honestly, if I were building a pool, I wouldn't do a sports pool for kids. Just a personal choice and not meant to discourage anyone from choosing that. While they could have fun jumping into the sports pool depth, they would have preferred jumping into a full deep end. And they always missed a deep end more than they enjoyed the sports-pool features.
Our pool is more for adults, with a swim lane tiled into the floor and touch pads at each end of the lane, plus stools and a bar.
to the original poster: Is your 5' or 5.5' depth at the middle like a V tip, that slopes up on each side, or does that max depth extend for a certain length along the pool bottom?
He said it would be a V but not an exact science and the deep would be for a few feet in the middle.