Pool Floats for Everyone

Okay, you’ve got your pool and you’re really excited to use it. So now it’s time to think about your swimming pool accessories, specifically pool floats. What are they, who can use them, and why would you want one?

Pool floats are quite simply anything that floats in your pool and supports you or a member of your swimming party at the surface of the pool. And they come in all shapes, sizes and special uses. There are your basic floats such as a donut shaped float, and loungers. And there are your specialty floats such as loungers, floating four person bars and toddler and infant floats. (Please drink responsibly when swimming!)

Surprisingly, there are even accessories for your pool floats to keep in mind. You might want to have on hand a good air pump for those floats that are inflatable, and perhaps a patch kit if they spring a leak. And if you like to stay organized, you might want to get set some place to keep all those swimming pool accessories such as a pool organizer or cabinet.

And there is a wide range of uses for pool floats besides just aquatic antics! There are tons of floats for toddlers and infants that come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. You might find some zoo animal or bull dozer shaped floats for kids to play with. You can also find arm floats and life preservers for the little guys to keep them safe during their pool time.

For adults who are looking to exercise, there are pool floats that can help you do just that. There are arm and leg weights for pool walking or jogging. And for those lucky enough to have a lap pool, look for hip and ankle fins that helps in resistance training.

The main reason why someone would want to use a pool float is to enhance the swimming pool experience, whether you have an above-ground swimming pool or an inground swimming pool. And one of the best parts of having your floats is that they are mostly fairly portable, so you can take them with you on vacation when you know you’re going to have the opportunity to go for a swim.

So for safety, skill-building, exercise and relaxation, there’s likely a float to fit your needs.

photo credit: mia3mom

The Different Types of Above Ground Swimming Pools

As I was thinking about what kind of an above-ground swimming pool I might want to get, I realized that it might be a good idea to look into the different types of pools that are available on the market currently. And I realized that this might be something that would be interesting to many people. So what kinds of materials are being used? What sizes do they come in? And what price ranges are typical for all of these different types?

One of the first basic differences is the difference between a hard and soft walled pool. Traditionally, above ground pools were made of metal, typically steel. They then have a vinyl pool liner attached to the edge of the walls to retain the water of the pool. These pools are typically cheaper than more recent designs of pool types, such as the soft walled pool. They also usually come in the round or oval shape.

Soft walled pools are pretty interesting. The material used to make them has to be really strong, since the pool liner is also the outer wall. Typically the material used is the same as that found in bullet proof vests. While being more expensive, it definitely makes it a more durable choice over the hard shell pools.

The amount of room you have for a pool will certainly determine what size of pool you purchase. The area where the pool is to be installed needs to be leveled in preparation for placement of the pool. The typical size of pool starts at 12’ round. This is a great size if you have a small level lot. If you have more room, you can start to look at rectangular pools that can go up in size as large as 32 to 40 feet in length.

There is a huge range of price difference for above ground swimming pools. If you look for cheap above ground pools online, you’ll be able to find tons of places with sale prices as low as $800-1200. If you’re looking for something that you could use as a lap pool, you could easily spend up to $8000, including all the swimming pool accessories you might need such as swimming pool chemicals, pool ladders, pool filters and pumps.

The bottom line is to balance the size you want with the space you have and still leave room in your budget for the gear you need to make your above ground swimming pool the private oasis you’re dreaming of.