The submerged shallow area: depths, slopes and safety
A shallow area that is too deep loses its comfort, while a badly set slope can become slippery. On this part of the pool, everything is decided at the earthworks stage, not afterwards.
What it is, and what it is not
A submerged shallow area is a zone of low depth with an even slope, allowing you to walk into the water gradually, as on a beach — a true beach entry. It is neither a staircase — there are no steps — nor simply a widened coping. It is part of the pool, with its own waterproofing and covering.
The depths
The start of the shallow area follows a simple principle: little enough water to sit in, but not so little that the water heats too fast and the floor visibly gets dirty. Too deep, and you lose the “sitting in the water” use that is the whole point of it.
The main pool, for its part, is set by real use: deep enough to swim comfortably, without excavating — and therefore paying — for a depth nobody uses.
The slope: gradual and even
This is the parameter that decides everything. The slope must give a gradual, safe descent, suited to the length available and to the intended uses.
Steeper, and the shallow area becomes slippery, especially wet and with a smooth covering: that is the leading cause of falls on this kind of layout. Gentler, and it eats up a great deal of surface to gain little depth, at the expense of the swimming area.
What share of the surface?
On a lagoon pool, the shallow area can take up a large share of the surface. Its proportion depends on the use sought: a lounging space, play for children, or priority given to swimming. Too small, and it becomes a mere threshold; too large, and it limits the swimming area and complicates temperature management.
The covering: the safety point
A submerged shallow area is walked on barefoot and wet. The covering must be non-slip under water, which many attractive finishes are not. It is a trade-off to make consciously: a textured mineral finish is less spectacular than a polished render, but it prevents falls. See also how to make a pool with a submerged shallow area safe.
Another practical point: a light-coloured shallow area shows every leaf and every grain of sand. A slightly sandy or greyish tone forgives a great deal and gives, as a bonus, that natural-bottom effect sought on a lagoon pool.
What to think about at the design stage
- Orientation. An area facing due south all day becomes too hot in summer. Providing shade, from a tree, a sail or a pergola, changes its use completely.
- Plumbing. A shallow, poorly stirred area goes stagnant. It needs a return inlet feeding it, otherwise that is where the algae appear first.
- Child safety. A shallow area makes getting into the water easier — for everyone, including a child who is not being watched. A fence, an alarm or a safety cover remains essential, and shallow water is no substitute for it.
- Cleaning. Many robots are designed for even floors and will not climb a gentle slope. To be checked before buying, not after — like what the shallow area represents in the budget.
The uses you discover afterwards
It is almost always the busiest part of the pool: people sit in it, put sun loungers there with their feet in the water, children play standing up, older people get in without apprehension. One point to anticipate: for a lounger to stay stable, the water really has to be shallow.
It is also the part that gives the lagoon pool its look — the point where the pool stops being a hole full of water and becomes a landscape.
The shallow area is what people look at least on a drawing and use most once there is water in it. On our lagoon pool sites in Marrakech, it is set out on the ground, with a tape and pegs, before the digger arrives.