For families who are able to design the layout of their pool or choose a design, this can be a great chance to incorporate features to keep everyone safe at the pool.
Shallow Areas
If your pool will be used by younger children who are not yet swimming or who are still learning to swim, you will want to provide ample space for them in your pool. A shallow area with water that children can easily stand in as they learn to swim is a great solution and a good place for adults to teach children swimming skills. This area can be at the steps of your pool and roped off to provide a children’s area for supervised games and swimming practice. Be sure that the pool depth does not drop off suddenly where it could be a hazard to swimmers who don’t know the lay of the land.
Diving Areas
If swimmers at your pool intend to do diving, you will want to be certain that there is enough depth for this to be safe. Most above ground pools and some in ground pools are too shallow for safe diving. It has been shown that close to 60% of all diving accidents occur in water that is less than four feet deep. If diving is important to you, plan for added depth, preferably greater than eight feet, in a certain area of your pool to ensure divers’ safety.
Slipping Solutions
Many pool supply stores offer paints and finishes for the bottom pools that provides a rough textured surface. This can be a great option for pool steps or in some cases for the entire bottom of your pool. Textured surfaces may be more difficult to clean, but the right one will provide added traction that is especially important to children in the pool. Anyone can slip on a slick pool surface, but there are many solutions to help prevent these types of accidents.
