pool ladder floating

18'x36'x4' above ground with Jucuzzi L190 sand filter.

With the help of PoolForum, I got the pool up and going. This pool came with the house and is the first pool I've owned.

The ladder was removed for the winter and I have not figured out how to keep it from floating. It has screws that fasten to the wood deck but the ladder wants to float. It is plastic and the plastic arms that screw to the deck bend if there is no weight on the ladder.

There is a shelf behind the second step and I was thinking of adding some type of weight to hold it down. Is that what the shelf is for?

Most ladders are held down by some kind of weight. Some you fill with water, others you add bags of pebbles. Otherwise they will float.

Edit: Here is another thread you might like to read.

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?11495-steps