Structures to create shallow platform?

[ryankenn]

Our pool is FINALLY open and working, so we finally had our daughter in it today. She was plenty happy splashing and swimming around, but what she did miss was somewhere she could stand in the pool with us. Our local pool has a ledge that is about 2' by 6' that kids can stand on ( maybe 12" deep ) and sit down and be in the water with us and in control of how wet they get.

I'm sure something exists out there but I have no idea what to even search for. Is it a "water feature" or a ladder? I'm sure a molded plastic something is available to make a shallow end in our 4' pool. Any ideas or thoughts, I'm sure I can be the first.

My wife suggested a huge tupperware but there must be something more official.

Thanks,
Ryan

[AnnaK]

I'll tell you about a platform I made for a young dog who was afraid of swimming and needed the security of solid ground under his feet.

Sam's Club sells folding tables which are adjustable in height. The table surface is plastic, the legs and hinges are metal. I selected the height setting I needed for this dog, then cut some large diametr PVC pipe to that length. I capped the pipe at one end and inserted the table legs in the other. This protected the bottom of my vinyl AGP. The table could be situated in such a way that the dog could step on it from the edge of the pool and was then submerged up to his belly. At the end of a swim/reaching session we just lifted the table out of the water.

This was for a dog, mind you, not a child.

[Pete Hughes]

I documented my "Shallow End" project in this thread:

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?12626-Shallow-End-for-above-ground-pool&highlight=shallow+end

It is the ONE thing that I have found which makes a 4 foot deep pool enjoyable for kids who like to do more than just float.
I now have this in a 15' x 30' x 54" AGP

Please ask away if you have any questions (but my access here is limited, so I may not be able to reply too quickly)

[ryankenn]

Thanks! Already plotting a shallow end for ours now. I just re-did the plumbing in PVC so this should be a cinch.

[aylad]

Please please please please keep a close eye on your daughter while she's in the pool--the shelves make the kids comfortable, and they often forget that there's a big drop when they step off the ledge, and it only takes a few seconds for a tragedy to happen!!

Janet