Tom, the tight weave mesh is what I would get and will recommend to you.

One thing I want to mention is that by using the 'lawn stakes' to secure the cover, it will no longer be a true 'safety cover'. As a practical matter, it still is but the manufacturer won't consider it a safety cover if > 5% of the anchors are lawn stakes.

You'll love the cover, the dogs can walk on it, you can use a leaf blower to get the leaves off of it, water/ melted snow passes into the pool - you'll have a bit of silt on the floor when you open and may have a little algae on the top step when you open, but you won't open to the 'swamp' many regular mesh cover owners do.

Also, as opposed to a solid cover, the mesh will dry in the bag so you don't have to wreck a section of your yard waiting for the cover to dry.

One quick tip, hang the bag off a rafter so that mice and carpenter ants don't get in and wreck it with their nests


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