Thoughts on these depths and questions

[mia092]

Looking at a 14x32 pool questions:
-looking at a shallow end 44-54” gradual
-is 44” weird should we se 42”
-deep end of 6.5’
-can go bigger to 14x34 do 2 feet make a difference should we make it a big bigger?
We have four boys, currently 1.5, 7,9 and 11
We are told we should go with 8ft deep end as boys will be boys and want to dive and be dumb , is this correct? I have read a deep end eats up a lot of pool with slope and better to not for a deep end and that it’s safer. Should we opt for deeper or shallower, maybe 5.5 or 6?
-this is our forever home, expect boys to grow to teens and then men. What is our best option for depth considering we have kids 1-11 ?
-thinking of doing a waterfall feature, is it worth it, what’s the most cost effective feature to get?
-swim out ledge great or a waste for kids?

 

[Oly]

I grew up with two brothers and an inground pool. Expect your boys to dive in often. When our parents were away we were climbing onto the roof of the house to jump in and diving in from the top of the slide. Crazy kids doing crazy things, so many memories.
My opinion, if you have the room add the 2' in length and keep the deep end.

 

[kimkats]

The boys AND their friends WILL dive so it is best to have a safe depth for diving which is 8'. I had to stop my husband and his brother from jumping from the top of the pool house (2 story) in to our above ground pool (52" deep) so....................boys/men are BAD and will do things so it is up to us make it as safe as we can LOL

Is there any chance you can do a L shaped pool? That is the best of both worlds. Foot for 4' deep walking and hangin with the the leg for 8' for diving and such.

Kim;kim:

 

[mia092]

Never thought of an L before

 

[Dirk]

I really enjoy my deep end and like to dive in and swoop down through it. So I'd want one just for me. But the kids (5-11) also love it a lot, as do their friends. Mine is 7.5' deep, I wish it was 8' or deeper. The slope does come into play, I can only dive in "with" the slope, not in the other direction, or I'll run into it. So the bigger and deeper the deep end, the better.

Plus, and this is just my own thoughts on this, I think a deeper deep end challenges children, but ultimately makes them more confident swimmers. If they're in a 4' or 5' pool and always have the bottom right there to be able to push off of, or they're able to bounce across the pool on tip toes, they don't really develop the same self-assurance that swimming in "bottomless" water does. And that could come in handy when swimming in a lake or after falling off a boat in the ocean.

You're not really a good swimmer until you've overcome a fear of the water. I'm not sure how much better 8' is than 6' is for that, but I think some.

To be fair, the other side of the coin: deeper means more water, more heating cost, more chemical cost, etc. And it's much easier to brush a 6' pool than an 8' pool. Trade offs...

 

[jimmythegreek]

6' pools are 75% of what I build now, very popular. If you have the room for 34' you can do smaller stairs or center entry and keep the shallow area smaller to keep the slope more gradual. You can also do a 2ft hopper and gain that way. I will tell you a 14' pool is narrow feeling. Width plays a bigger part of a pool feeling large more than length. 16x32 is the first size in large pools and 12x24 is the first size in medium pools.

 

[mia092]

6' pools are 75% of what I build now, very popular. If you have the room for 34' you can do smaller stairs or center entry and keep the shallow area smaller to keep the slope more gradual. You can also do a 2ft hopper and gain that way. I will tell you a 14' pool is narrow feeling. Width plays a bigger part of a pool feeling large more than length. 16x32 is the first size in large pools and 12x24 is the first size in medium pools.

i do not know what a hopper is or center entry?
I thought length was better but will see if we can add width instead

 

[mia092]

I do not know what a hopper is or a center entry but can certainly look at adding width and do 16x32 instead

 

[Dirk]

I believe the hopper is the deepest space in the pool. Adjusting the size of the hopper affects the size and angle of the slope. Big hopper means a smaller, steeper slope. A smaller hopper (or no hopper) makes more room for a longer more gradual slope.

How'd I do @jimmythegreek?

I got that from here:

Designing Your Pool Bottom: Shapes and Terms

Considering a swimming pool this year but aren’t sure what the different pool bottom descriptions mean? There are a few standard bottoms to choose from, here is a list of those common pool bottoms: Standard, Wedge, Sports, Play, Flat Bottom, and Coved Flat Bottom.

blog.royalswimmingpools.com

 

[JC707]

Is 7' still ok to dive off the side coping or an 18" raised wall? Or minimum 8'? Thanks all!

 

[Dirk]

If I jump off my coping and do a cannon ball, I'll usually bump the bottom or have to fend it off. Not major, but it's right there. I'm at 7.5' deep, and I'm a big-ish guy. Kids probably wouldn't hit bottom, and mine don't from my jumping rock (about 3' above the water and 10.5' above the bottom). But I don't let them dive off the rock. I can't dive into the deep end from anywhere, except a long shallow dive along the slope to the deep end. 7.5' is not deep enough for diving straight in (for big adults). If that helps...

If they're diving head/hands first off an 18" platform, I'd say 8' is the bare minimum (there might even be code to that effect).