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Above Ground Pool Deep Ends

How To Do Deep Ends Right

Digging a deep end for your above ground pool is an excellent way to get more water depth in certain areas of the pool.  Above ground pool deep ends can be dug so that one half the pool is shallow and the other half deep.  They can also be dug so the center is the deepest area.

Doughboy pool with deep end
Deep ends in above ground pools are not nearly as popular now as they once were, but it is still an option that gets used a lot.  For the longest time sidewalls were only 48" tall, leaving about 42" of water in a normal above ground pool.  The popularity of 52" and 54" sidewalls has decreased the need for deep ends but they are still wanted by many above ground pool owners.

There is no set depth for above ground pool deep ends so if you are just looking for an extra few inches across the entire area of your pool this is a possibility.  There are a couple of rules that apply to digging a deep end of any size and shape.  At least a 1' 6" ledge should be left around the outer edge of the pool for the pool frame to sit on.  This ledge is used to hold the pool cove and support the bottom rails and footplates, it is very important and should not be compromised.   The other important consideration is the slope going into the deep area.  This slope should, at all times, be gradual enough that sand can be packed onto it.  Making the slopes too steep increases the difficulty of keeping sand in place to smooth and surface the area before installing the liner.

A 52" sidewall will normally give you about 46 - 48 inches of water.  Actual water depth is determined by subtracting three inches for the top of the pool.  The pool cannot be filled all the way to the top of the sidewall, water would splash out over the top and the skimmer would not work.  The water needs to be in the proper area of the skimmer for it to work effectively, meaning the water will be at least 3" from the top of the pool wall.  You then need to subtract for the pool base.  A sand base will use up 2-3 inches, Styrofoam will use 1-2 inches.  Whatever pool base you are using, the thickness needs to be subtracted from your wall size.

If you have a 52" sidewall, and a tall family, you may get more enjoyment out of a pool with 52" of actual water depth.  Digging a deep end is the way to accomplish this.  You would need to allow a foot and a half of ledge around the outer edge and then apply a gradual slope to an area 6" deeper than ground level.  Doing this would allow most of your swimming area to be in a full 52" of water.

oval pool with deep end
That is just one example of how digging an above ground pool deep end can make your pool more enjoyable.  Digging a deep end on an oval pool is another way to customize a pool to fit your needs.  Oval pools have pressure plates that lay over the buttresses on both sides of the pool.  This entire assembly needs to be left on level ground with at least another 6" of ledge before a deep end can be started.  That usually means that on an oval pool you will need at least 3' of ledge on each side.  The slope going into the deep area will be fairly steep, but not too steep, it still needs to hold the wet sand.  The deepest part of the pool may wind up being just a small area, but very useful just the same.

Below are a few photos of pools with deep ends to give you some idea of what can be done and how to do it. All the photos can be clicked for a larger view.


 

Installing Oval Pool Deep End Liner
This is 16' x 32' Doughboy pool installed in Queen Creek Arizona. The deep area has been dug out to a full 2' 6" depth. The pool is partially in ground and the decking ready to be completed after pool is installed.


 

Installing Round Pool Deep End Liner
Here we are installing a round Doughboy pool with a 2' deep center. Round pools can have the deep area to one side of the pool leaving a nice shallow area or the deep area can be in the center with just a ledge around the outside.


 

Oval Pool Deep End
This is a 16' x 32' Doughboy in Buckeye Arizona. The pool sits about 3' in the ground. This one is also 2' 6" deep at one end. We bailed the customer out of a tight spot on this job. His installers had been on the job for a week when the customer saw some things that did not look right. I came out and took a look, what a mess, they would never have been able to finish the way they had the side braces set, everything was wrong. Our first day was spend removing everything they had done and making the hole big enough to work in. The second day we set the pool up correctly and it turned out great.


 

Hole Dug for Oval Pool
Somewhere near Florence Arizona my wife and I built this 16' x 24' pool with a 2' deep end. It was just the two us and cone in one day.


 

Deep End Ready for Liner
This is the same pool ready for the liner to be installed. Mid afternoon on a hot Arizona summer day is the perfect time to install an expandable liner. Another perfect job and happy customer.


 

 

The links below are to other pages on my site about deep end pools and general pool installation.

 

top of Above Ground Pool Deep Ends

 

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