Hi! I'm tryin to design a tanning ledge for my pool and I have no idea what tanning ledge sizes look like. I don't want it for completely laying down and sun bathing. Ours would be for our little ones to sit on with the bubblers and take a break or for mama to relax sitting up with friends. My husband doesn't want to take away from the square footage of the pool too much so he's okay with a 4 ft semi circle in a groove the builder put in. The builder said he usually does 6 ft but would be ok doing a 5 ft 2 in but wouldn't recommend anything smaller. What are your thoughts? Could you post pics of your tanning ledge with the size of it pls so I can get a visual. Thank you for your help!
tanning ledge sizes
- Thread starter EmCha
- Start date
jark87
Silver Supporter
- Jun 5, 2011
- 1,180
- Pool Size
- 25500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
I consider our ledge to be small at 5 x 12 semi circle. Granted, the steps take up a considerable portion. Ironically, our “tannng” ledge is the only portion of the pool that never sees the sun. 
It’s kind of hard to see in the picture below due to the shade. We don’t really use it much, but we also don’t miss the space. We’re considering lounges for that spot.
It’s kind of hard to see in the picture below due to the shade. We don’t really use it much, but we also don’t miss the space. We’re considering lounges for that spot.
- Nov 12, 2017
- 11,842
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I'm in the wrong camp for this, but that never stopped me before!! I don't get "tanning" ledges. Your definition is the only one that makes sense: a place for the littles or to sit for a bit. So I wouldn't waste too much real estate on them. If I want to lounge, I do it near the pool, not in it. I want my drink and my phone and my book and my pillow and my towel, etc. There's no relaxing on a lounge chair in a pool with kids in it, that's for sure! So I'm with you, smaller is better. Did your PB give you a reason for his minimum size? I certainly wouldn't make one big enough for two chaise lounges, but people do, and love it. Just not for me...
jark87....thank you thats exactly what I needed! So I talked to the builder and we will go with 5x11. He said during the dig I can tell them to make it smaller but I can't go bigger. I'm ok with that.
dirk...my PB said going smaller defeats the purpose of me paying $600 to add one. He said on that case just add a bench for $55. Makes sense however, I'm more of a chill by the pool and in the hot tub kinda gal. My husband is the swimmer. Also my smallest one is tiny for her age so it will take her a few years before she can stand in our shallow 3 1/2 ft. So when her and I are not swimming we will be sitting playing with bubblers watching the boys. lol
Thank you both for responding so promptly!!!
dirk...my PB said going smaller defeats the purpose of me paying $600 to add one. He said on that case just add a bench for $55. Makes sense however, I'm more of a chill by the pool and in the hot tub kinda gal. My husband is the swimmer. Also my smallest one is tiny for her age so it will take her a few years before she can stand in our shallow 3 1/2 ft. So when her and I are not swimming we will be sitting playing with bubblers watching the boys. lol
Thank you both for responding so promptly!!!
- Nov 12, 2017
- 11,842
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
PBs and their price lists... sheesh. I can't imagine why a bench is $55 but a slightly larger bench (just because you call it a ledge) is $600. No matter, seems you came up with what you want. You're doing great, BTW, by coming here first and asking all the questions. Stick with it and you'll get great help all the way though your build and beyond. Welcome to TFP! 
Dirk...Thank you!!!
I still wouldn't mind seeing a ledge thats 6 ft is someone wants to post that. Just to see what the PB was referring too. Thanks!
I still wouldn't mind seeing a ledge thats 6 ft is someone wants to post that. Just to see what the PB was referring too. Thanks!
We have a fiberglass pool with a ledge and we have an almost 5yo granddaughter. I agree with your logic. It’s nice to have a place where she can get in and hang out, but smaller would be better. At her age, she’s already more into jumping in with her swimmies on than hanging out on the ledge.
dolphinfiberglasspools.com
The steps are nice too, but they do take up a lot of room in the pool. In that sense, we don’t care. My wife and I could have been good with a plunge pool so we don’t feel we’ve given up too much space to have the steps coming off the ledge, which do equate to basically a large bench.
Olympia Pool - Blue Dolphin Pools • Toledo, Ohio
Olympia Pool - The Rectangle Olympia Pool is 35' x 16' with a depth of 3' 6" - 6' 6". Every pool comes with our Structural Lifetime Warranty.
dolphinfiberglasspools.com
The steps are nice too, but they do take up a lot of room in the pool. In that sense, we don’t care. My wife and I could have been good with a plunge pool so we don’t feel we’ve given up too much space to have the steps coming off the ledge, which do equate to basically a large bench.
Pb4uswim....thanks for your input! I will see if I'm able to attach my design so you can see what it would look like. I don't love the design but it's what my PB came up with based on some things we mentioned. We are still in discussion about the stairs. I don't want to take up more of the pool so we are still trying to figure those out. Also, we decided to take out a step he put in the so called deep end bc it was 5 ft we had to have it. So now it will be 4 ft 11 in in deep and 3 1/2 ft in shallow.
spd500
Well-known member
Our tanning ledge will be 7ft x 10ft, but we are planning on adding a few loungers on the ledge, as more of a social area by the hot tub for people to sit and hang out. We don't have any kids in the house anymore, so it will be mostly for the grownups.
jark87
Silver Supporter
- Jun 5, 2011
- 1,180
- Pool Size
- 25500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
I’m not sure what the bench you are referencing looks like, but I saw the above pic in another thread and thought it might help.
spd500...thank you for your info. Your pic looks like the first design we were given that we loved but didn't work for us. It's very pretty however the spa, tanning ledge did not give my husband a swim lane that he wanted. So I had to go with this second design. We might be using the same builder.
jark87....thank you for your reference on what a bench would look like. With the help of all the wonderful people on this site my husband has agreed he wants the tanning ledge now. lol
So keep the pics coming.
Once I get the definite specs from the builder do you think I should add onto this or start a new thread for any suggestions because I'm definitely new to all of this!?!
jark87....thank you for your reference on what a bench would look like. With the help of all the wonderful people on this site my husband has agreed he wants the tanning ledge now. lol
So keep the pics coming.
Once I get the definite specs from the builder do you think I should add onto this or start a new thread for any suggestions because I'm definitely new to all of this!?!
spd500
Well-known member
EmCha, what area are you in, and who is your builder? I like the design that you posted above, but my wife wants the tanning ledge to be closer to the spa as a socializing area. I did look into the swim jets to be able to get more exercise type swimming, but they are really expensive for something I am not sure how much I would use them.
spd500...im in Katy! Her reasoning makes sense. We have a slope in the backyard so I have to have a wall to prevent things rolling into our pool. So originally our builder Bolin Pools recommended your design bc the raised spa along with the wall was what we needed and is beautiful. However, my husband wants a place for a slide in the future maybe or just jumping in not diving and that design did not allow for this. Due to the deep end being taken up by the tanning ledge and spa. Also his swim lane lol so we ultimately went with the second design they provided. I don't love it as much but it has everything we need (tanning ledge for sitting, swim lane, spa, wall...so its a good compromise.
spd500
Well-known member
My tanning ledge and spa are in the shallow end of our pool, and we are adding the raised wall along the back like your drawing has but it is not in the pics on here. One of the reasons that I wanted to have the raised spa was so I would still have somewhat of a swim lane between the spa and the deep end of the pool, but it isn't a very long distance. Because of the deep end being reversed we added the bench to the deep end and one step on the bench to make it easier for the puppies to get out of the pool on that end if need be.
spd500
Well-known member
spd500...i love that design!!! You are making me rethink a 5ft ledge for a 6ft. You are also making me rethink the bench in my so called deep end. Except I don't have a full open deep end our deep end is smaller and our shallow end is bigger. We were scared if people jump in they would hurt themselves on the small bench which is why we went with 4ft 11 in deep end no bench.
Except I don't have a full open deep end our deep end is smaller and our shallow end is bigger. We were scared if people jump in they would hurt themselves on the small bench which is why we went with 4ft 11 in deep end no bench.
spd500
Well-known member
We are going with 6ft in the deep end. I wouldn't think 4'11" would be deep enough to add a slide. We have no plans for one, but you mentioned that you may want one eventually.
spd500...I was wondering that! Thank you that helps! We can't do 6ft in the deep end bc I'm 4'11'' and my husband is 5'5'' so 6ft just didn't make sense for us but the builder did offer it.
spd500
Well-known member
You will be just as far under the water in 4'11" of water as you would be in 6' of water. For that to make any difference you would have a 4' deep end.