joel,

How close to the pool do you need these lights? I found some specs that required low voltage lighting to be 10' from the water. I used that as a rule of thumb (I cheated a bit in a couple of areas, but I know there's no way someone can reach the lights from the pool). The lighting should also be powerd by a GFI receptacle or breaker.

I used solar lights in certain areas as a supplement to the low voltage lights. They're nice because there are at least some lights on every night but they hardly provide any light. They are more of an accent.