14x32 Rectangular Inground pool - Need depth suggestions

[Fogette]

We are building a 14x32 rectangular inground pool and need to decide the depth ASAP. We are doing full length steps with the second step extended 4' for a sun ledge/kids play area. Currently we are thinking of going 2' off the bottom step and then starting a decline to the deep end of 7'. What do you guys think of that kind of slope? Will it be usable? Like will I just be able to stand on it and not slide down.

We're just trying to make the most of our limited space. We have 2 young kids (3 years and 10 months), but want them to be able use the pool when they are older. When older, we want them to be able to jump in, dive for things on the bottom (but not dive in), and just play around. We mainly just want to be able to float on noodles and rafts, and swim around. I like to tread water which is why I wanted some depth. But we are also hoping with the gradual incline that we can stand for a good amount of the pool. Is that a gradual incline, or is it too steep?

I've included a side profile that I did. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks.

 

[linen]

It looks steep to me. I would want a larger shallow end (one depth) and then a steeper drop off to the deep end.

 

[rmelo99]

We had a 14x28 put in last year. The shallow end is about 40% of the length and we have a 7ft deep end for the rest.

Why such a small shallow end?

 

[Fogette]

We also considered going 8' off the bottom step as all shallow and then dropping off for the deep end. So 14' shallow and 18' deep. We just weren't sure the shallow end would be used. And then there would be a big drop off to the deep end.

How do you guys use your pool? Are you happy with your depth choice?

The wedge shape was recommended to us to give us more usable space all over. But we are open to any thoughts. And would love to hear about how people use the different depths in their pool.

 

[sd_dave]

We just finished our dig today and after walking around I'm glad we laid it out with as large a shallow area as possible (very gentle 3.5-4.5') with a steep drop off to the 7.5' deep end. We will have lots of kids over and most of them will want to hang out in the 3.5-4' depth so their feet can touch the floor.

I'd say stick with a much flatter shallow area and then a steep drop off with a smaller deep end. The deep end is there for jumping in but everyone can swim to shallow for talking and relaxing.

 

[Fogette]

sd_dave - I like the idea of gradual 3.5 - 4.5 in the shallow area. What's the length of your shallow area or when does it start to go deep?

 

[harleysilo]

Is this going to be a plaster pool? Liner?

 

[Fogette]

It's a vinyl liner

 

[harleysilo]

We play volleyball in ours and I discovered that on a small slope the liner is very traction-less. If I said slippery one might think I had a small coat of algae, which I don't, and slippery is too harsh of a description. Alas is is hard to keep feet from sliding out when we are aggressively playing, jumping twisting etc.

 

[sd_dave]

sd_dave - I like the idea of gradual 3.5 - 4.5 in the shallow area. What's the length of your shallow area or when does it start to go deep?

I just measured and I think after gunite we will be at around 10' from the 3.5-4.5 depth before it begins the drop off to the deep end. We will have about 15-16' of width along that depth. We have a 6' beach entry which reduces the overall "play" area.

 

[rmelo99]

We're very happy with our setup. If you are in the deep end I don't think how quickly or how steep the slope really matters is. You are swimming at that point and not touching the floor. If you are in the shallow side then you can swim or walk around with a flat bottom. A slope does not afford you the same luxury.

 

[Ocean Railroader]

There is a 1960's built indoor in ground cement swimming pool that is at the Lancaster Host in Lancaster Pennsylvania that I remember going to that sounds like it was the same size as this pool. How the pool was laid out was it had a 2 to three foot shallow end on a steady slope that started out at 2 1/2 feet in the shallow end that was about eight feet long. Then in the middle of it went to four to five feet deep in the middle section which was about six feet long. In the deep end it went off into a of a abyss. The abyss was a drop off around the diving well where the pool would slid from six feet to seven feet and drop off to a maximum depth of nine feet. The 1960's pool holds at least 30,000 gallons of water and it's has held up in fairly good shape and it and it's out door 100,000 gallon counterpart could be one of the oldest pools in Lancaster County PA.

To me it was a good pool layout but I would make some changes to it if I built my own pool based off it. The thing I would do differently would be to have a 20 foot long shallow end for walking and standing in the pool or working with model boats and other water going models where it would be three to four feet deep. Then I would have a mid section that would be ten feet long where the depth would go to 5 to six 6 to give a warning to anyone who can't swim. Then I would have the abyss drop off where the pool would go to seven feet before dropping off in the diving well at 12 feet deep.





Here is a link to some photos of it. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review ... vania.html

 

[Readyforapool]

We are having ours built now - spent a lot of time in a friends pool that was predominantly 6 ft to 8 ft deep with no benches near the deep end. After a short time everyone migrated to the small shallow end of the pool - too tired to stay swimming or floating at the deep end. The kids got tired of diving and were also wanting to play, splash and horse around where the adults were in the shallow end. With that in mind, we decided on a 3.6 to 4.6 to 6.6 size with a tanning ledge and steps at the shallow end and two benches, one in the middle section and one in the deep end. I guess we are trying to accommodate everyone's taste in swimming (minus the diving!)

 

[MiaOKC]

We have a T shaped pool with a large shallow leg (so we have the best of both worlds, I guess), but our deep end sounds a lot like what you are describing for your pool. Our deep side is 16x22, and slopes from about 3.5/4 ft to something like 7.5/8 bowl over a 22 ft long run. I'll attach a picture from when they were draining the pool last week to begin our renovation so you can see the slope. Not sure how it works with a vinyl pool or in a new construction, but our deep end is not quite as deep along the edges and drops in the middle. That may have been designed as the diving well for this pool and not a consideration for you.

As far as the slope, it is quite steep. No one can really stand on the sloping part comfortably. I am 5'4", so in about two steps off the top of the cliff and I am treading water and it doesn't matter if the deep end is 6 feet or 60 (consider that if you want to keep your head above water, the distance up from your shoulders up is something like a foot, so for me, after 4'4" depth I start getting to where I begin to tread water). My husband is 6' so he can go a little further before he is treading water. When we have parties, the adults tend to cling to the sides in the slope area with one hand on the coping, and one on their frosty beverage. The kids (5-10 yrs old) and the big kids (some of the 40 year old Peter Pans I work with, ha!) spend all their time cannonballing off the diving board (which is now gone, so that's over) and when they wear themselves out with that, they go to the shallow end which is between 3/3.5 feet deep. Or they try to use a lounger as a pirate ship and spend all their time trying to throw each other off of the raft.

For how you are describing using your pool, I'd recommend a bigger shallow end with a steeper drop off into the deeper end. Standing on the slope will be challenging, and when the pool is a rockin' with kids jumping around and stuff, it's difficult to stand still (and not spill your drink!) when you are buffeted by the waves without grabbing onto the coping. Since there is only so much space along the slope to stand and grab the wall, your friends are probably gonna want a little bit of personal space and not be crammed right up against you, so someone will have to be a foot or two further along up or down hill.

We are mostly float around people, too, and in a lounger it doesn't matter how deep it is, but on a noodle you do need some depth to float with. When I swim around (for simple exercise, but not with fancy underwater roll lap turns), I have no problem swimming in the 3.5 depth areas of the pool. My arms and legs don't hit the floor or anything. My wingspan is probably similar to my height, so I'd guess my arms are about 2.5 feet?

One thing I thought looking at your design was you might think about having the play ledge be the top step of the pool rather than the second. That's what we wanted to do to redo our steps but the budget ended up axing the idea entirely. A 6-8 inch deep play area seems perfect for your kids until they are out of toddlerhood and want to get into the open water to swim. It would be shallow enough to play toys on, sit and splash, etc, and will be really warm water because it's so shallow. On the 2nd step, if it is another 6-8" deep, think about how tall your kids are or how tall their torsos are, and if you think the play is more likely to be seated or standing for the majority of the time. We have a small swimout in our deep end that was about 8" deep and I love sitting there in the warmest water and thought it would be perfect for kids (if only it were bigger!)

 

[YippeeSkippy]

My pool is the same size as the one the OP is building. It goes from 3.5 to 6.0.... I really, really miss being able to dive. The kids use the deep end to float in just as much as the more shallow end. I wish we'd done something deeper so that it was safe to dive into from the side of the pool.
I'd figure out how far a deep end needs to go for safe diving, then do just that and the rest more shallow. Any chance of making it a wider pool so that you have more shallow surface width wise, if not length wise?