How Deep Should My Swimming Pool Be?

When you’re planning a new swimming pool for your backyard, there’s quite a lot to think about. At the front of your mind are likely to be things like the design, shape, and style of the pool and its surroundings, and what water features and other extras you might want to include to make the experience even more special.

But one of the most important decisions you’ll have to make is what depth you’re going to make your pool. Before making your mind up, however, there’s quite a lot to think about, such as who’s going to be using it, what they’re going to be using it for, and how you can best keep them safe.

How deep should my swimming pool be?

When you go to public swimming pools that cater to swimmers of all ages and abilities, you tend to find that most have graduated depths to ensure that everyone can enjoy themselves, do what they want to, and be safe. These are usually as follows:

• The shallow end – for children, non-swimmers, and general relaxation. This should have a maximum depth of about three or four feet.
• The middle section – for general swimming and play. This should have a minimum depth of about five feet.
• The deep end – for diving. A minimum diving depth of nine feet is recommended by the American Red Cross for head first dives.

Pool depth safety considerations

Your prime consideration when deciding your preferred swimming pool depth has to be the safety of those using it. That means that if you’re going to have young children who can’t swim or who are learning to swim, you should have at least part of the pool shallow enough for them to feel confident in the water.

It’s also advisable that the shallow end has a flat bottom and that if it does start to get deeper at any point, it does so gradually and that the point at which this happens is clearly marked.

On the other hand, if anyone is going to be wanting to jump or dive in, there has to be enough depth for them to do so safely – diving or jumping into water that is too shallow can lead to very serious injury to the head and/or spine. As stated earlier, this means that the depth should be at least nine feet, especially if you’ll be installing a diving board.

Functional considerations for pools

Along with your pool safety considerations, you also want to ensure that the water is the right depth for any intended activities to be enjoyed comfortably. For example, even if regular users are all confident in the water, if it’s mainly going to be used for games, lounging about, and other leisure activities, then a depth that allows users to stand comfortably on the bottom is a good idea.

Many people, meanwhile, have a pool installed as a means of keeping fit, so if your prime activity is going to be doing endless laps and lengths, then you can pretty much pick the depth that is most comfortable for you.

Don’t forget that the deeper your pool, the more it will cost you to build, heat, and maintain it. So if you’re not going to be diving in, there’s little point in going too deep with your pool construction. 

In the end, your pool design – in terms of depth and shape – needs to be dictated by what you’ll be using it for, whether that will be as a children’s pool, for lap swimming, or just for general relaxation. 

Whatever you want to use your swimming pool for, you’ll get a better pool when you talk to the experts at Burleson Pool Company.

We’ve been designing and building stunning pools for customers across Huntsville, AL, and Chattanooga, TN, for over 50 years. And as members of the prestigious Master Pools Guild, you can be sure that you’ll get only the highest standards in all respects – we’ll even take the time to talk about your hopes and dreams for your pool and then advise as to the most suitable depth for your needs.

Call our friendly team now to discover more about swimming pools from Burleson Pool Company or to ask for a home visit and detailed quotation.