Pool shape for families

[thewriter]

Hello!

I'm new here. :) My husband and I are putting in a pool this summer. I'm researching shapes right now, and wondering what shape you would all recommend for a young family. My kids are preschool aged, and I've heard that an L shape can be a good one because it essentially has two pools--a small one for the kids, and a larger one for laps. Is this true, or does it not matter besides depth (we're looking at a deep end of about 5 feet)? My husband and I would like to use the pool for laps, but we're definitely not swim pros or anything of that sort. The pool we're thinking of putting in is concrete.

Thank you! :)

[aylad]

Hi, and welcome to the forum!!

I'm sure you'll get lots of opinions around here, but basically different things work best for different people--and you get equally as wet in all shapes :) One thing you might want to consider is whether or not you plan to use a cover, or a solar blanket for the pool. They're going to be much easier to get and much less expensive in a standard shape pool than in a custom shape.

Our pool is a simple rectangle, hopper-shaped pool that goes from 3 1/2 ft to 8 1/2 ft. We put it in when our kids were 2 and 4. If I had to do it over again, I would build the exact same thing.

[Pigseye]

I agree with aylad 100%. I have the same pool he has and assuming you will solar cover it you will thank your stars for a rectangle. Save yourself a LOT of money and plan for a saltwater pool. I use the Pentair IntelliChlor chlorine generating system. Their ad states "Turns Ordinary Salt into Chlorine Right in your Pool"
You must be here because you have heard about pool stores selling you things that you don't need. It is true. I started with a chlorine pool for 8 years and switched to softswim for 5 years and averaged $3000+ per year to operate the pool. I switched to the Pentair system 2 years ago and I am spending $500.00 per year. Also take into account your pump. It is one of the higher costs to operate. I am using an old style single speed high cost pump and am about to spring for a multispeed low cost Eco type pump. I have another post here looking for more input before I take the plunge. I wish you well on your new adventure and the key here is pool stores are for parts.

[PoolDoc]

My boys grew up in commercial pools, and didn't realize pools had bottoms, till they were 9 or 10. ;)

They are both competitive (now, Masters) swimmers.

One of the last years we were able to get a park cabin at our preferred (and remote) Florida State park, we took a floating island, and anchored it about 150 yards off shore for several days. It was our 'base', in 20' of water. My boys were 9 and 17 that year.

[thewriter]

Thank you so much, everyone! :) It's been informative to lurk around here!

[famousdavis]

We put our inground pool in the backyard last year -- I wish we had done it years earlier, but we couldn't for various reasons (lack of $$ was among them). Our kids now range between 9 - 16. Our pool is deep in the middle: 3.5' - 5.5' - 4'. We all *love* it that way. We have so many competitive games now, and having a deep middle makes it great especially for volleyball. If I had a bigger backyard, I would have had a deeper middle, but that 5.5' depth was about as deep as we could make it and abide by local codes for the slope of the pool bottom. We put the steps off to one side, so there is a natural swim lane (albeit with rounded rather than a flat edge at each end) that isn't obstructed by steps. If I had to do it over, I might go with 4' x 6' x 4.5', but I'm not at all displeased with what we've got.

[TomC]

I think an L shape gives you the best of both worlds , a shallow pool for kids and volleyball and basketball, and a deeper end for diving, sliding and doing laps. We love our pool and would build it the same way today. The only real downside we have experienced is that if you wanted an automatic cover, the L shape makes it much more expensive to do.

Tom

[famousdavis]

Well, yah, sure, if you have a ***41,000*** gallon pool, an "L" shape is great to have! ;-)