Not Sure How this will Go......<Pool or boat?>

[Scuba_ref]

For you anti-chemical guys or for anyone with sensitivity to chlorine or bromine check out the enzyme product from

Natural Pool & Spa Water Treatment | Waters Choice Water Enzymes

Waters Choice provides natural pool & spa water treatment enzymes to provide a clean, clear & safe water for your pool, spa & swim spa. You will never see water as clean at the natural water treatment enzymes from Waters Choice. Contact us about how to naturally clean the water your pool & spa.

www.waterschoice.com

Used that in my spa and pool on the mainland and I found it to be fantastic - especially in the hot tub.

 

[mike220022]

Pools dont require as much work as they used to. My pool is chlorine and requires chemicals 1 day a week which takes all of 5 mins to do. Install a Nature2 pool purifier by the filter and it cuts down tremendously on required chlorine & I only have to run my pump 1/3 of the day. I put 3 lbs of chemicals once a week, sometimes twice if it rains alot or its heavily used that week and Im done. I get my chemicals from Amazon for $70 for 24 1 pound bags. Never had a problem with PH levels, alkalinity, or any of that stuff.

As far as value, I guess that depends on where you live...IDK. I do know that Ive spent about $64K in my back yard and had my house re-appraised to refinance and the value went up $68K from when I bought it 2 years ago. We go to the lake some weekends and hang out but theres nothing like grabbing a towel and a cold drink and walking outside to the pool without having to pack stuff up to go.

 

[bigwaves]

Finally finished all remodeling on home, appraisal came in very, very strong. Refinancing Home and consolidating. Anyhow now.....

The Admiral is now envisioning this in the spring.

View attachment 142434

I am seeing this

View attachment 142435

May need to put an add out for a new Admiral?

Life is short. Get the pool and the boat. You’ll figure out the finances. Make the pool a little larger with some kind of slide and water feature.

 

[tdonoughue]

This is so informative.

I know this is probably a dumb question because there are so many variables, but I'll ask anyway: regarding automatic/robotic pool cleaners, would you have a favorite brand?

looking at Shark/Hayward, Dolphin/Maytronics, Polaris - are they mostly all the same? I find myself so completely out of my element trying to decide what to get... my head just spins.
I would prefer to pay more up front if one of those brands uses better components, but I can't tell what is what and what really matters. Help!

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I think I am on my 3rd robot. I had an Aquabot, a Polaris robot and now have a Maytronics. All work well, when they work. My biggest complaint is that for the money they really don't last very long. Other than the Maytronics (which is still operational), they only lasted about 5 years. Then there would be a water infiltration issue or a motor would die or something else similarly fatal and so expensive to fix that I wound up getting a new one.

The Aquabot was pretty basic. The Polaris had a wonderfully huge bin (which would break and was expensive to replace, as it was made out of the filter mesh). The Maytronics has a smaller bin (like the Aquabot), but seems to be running longer than the other two (knock on wood).

But they really do work well... And I like a lot not having to scrub the pool as often or as completely.

 

[swatski]

For you anti-chemical guys or for anyone with sensitivity to chlorine or bromine check out the enzyme product from

Natural Pool & Spa Water Treatment | Waters Choice Water Enzymes

Waters Choice provides natural pool & spa water treatment enzymes to provide a clean, clear & safe water for your pool, spa & swim spa. You will never see water as clean at the natural water treatment enzymes from Waters Choice. Contact us about how to naturally clean the water your pool & spa.

www.waterschoice.com

Used that in my spa and pool on the mainland and I found it to be fantastic - especially in the hot tub.

Can you use it in addition to bromide/chlorine, like FROG system? - which is what we currently use (in the hot tub).
Sorry for many questions, and thank you for your very informative posts!

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[Scuba_ref]

My hot tub had both Ozone and UV in addition to the enzyme. They do suggest you keep a low level of chlorine or bromine in addition to the enzyme. A regular level for a spa might be 5 ppm but you only need 1 ppm when using the enzyme. I didn't use any additional chlorine in my tub. I did shock it with an O2 shock after the teenagers were in it for long periods of time.

My tub water was clear and fresh for months. I think I only changed the water out once a year - they recommend every 3 or 4 months depending on usage. Commercial spas are regularly changed out every week (at least they should be).

I also use their pool version of the enzyme and am able to keep my chlorine level really low.

 

[the MfM]

Huh, the more I see in this thread, the more I really don't want a pool.......

Clearly the only answer here is a lake front house.

The kids can go swimming whenever they want. And you probably won’t feel like you need a bigger boat when you don’t need to pack for a full day on the water...just swing by the dock when you are ready for lunch or to grab the towable toys etc.

Plus no pool to clean.

 

[HangOutdoors]

@the MfM I like where you are going with it, like it a lot. Unfortunately, around here, with kid in college and two more going soon no way I could swing that. They are ridiculous around here in S.E. lower Michigan. At least for me.

But I like it, Someday maybe.

 

[Wayloncle]

But..... If we did decide to perhaps do just an medium size above ground pool, how hard are they for me to setup and install??? Have never done one. I would consider getting a middle of the road one, oval probably 24-26' or so.

As another option. Also has anyone had any experience with these? Something I could just throw up and take down every year without putting a lot of dough into it, so the the kids have something to do during the weekdays around the house. I see them around the area, actually quite few. For a few grand, plus a few things and some ground prep, it doesn't look to bad. Kids are 14 and 16 so it would only be for a few year or so. I dunno, looking for some middle ground so everyone is happy.

Intex Ultra XTR Frame Above Ground Pools (intexcorp.com)

we had the 24’x12’ version of this pool while we were in Italy. I prepped and set it up all by myself. It’s easier with another person or two, but it probably took me 3 hours from opening the box to having it together. If I were to do it over I would have prepped the ground better, the ground was really rocky, I leveled it with a string and shovel, had to dig out about 3” at one end. Once it filled it packed the dirt down and I had some fairly big rocks under the liner, 2 rocks that had to dig out luckily they were close to the edge, but they had a sharp edge that I was afraid would eventually come through the liner. I found some 15” square interlocking plastic pavers that I built a patio out of. I wish I had covered the ground under the pool with those, or took the time to level, compact and put a few inches of sand down, and I would have used 2 or 3 tarps under it instead of the cheap one it came with.

Overall we were completely happy with it, if I could have one at this house I’d have another one, and build a decent deck on it.

 

[mike220022]

Life is short. Get the pool and the boat. You’ll figure out the finances. Make the pool a little larger with some kind of slide and water feature.

100% agree with this. The cost to build the bigger pool is very minimal. We went 18x36 and added a 4x8 tanning ledge on the side of the deep end and 2 deck jets that spray water from the concrete into the pool, looks real good when theyre turned on. Main thing to remember, there is no such as thing as too much concrete around the pool, youll need the room for tables, chairs, kids running around, etc. We increased ours a lot from what was listed as standard when we had ours built.

 

[HangOutdoors]

Huh, I keep looking around my office chair on the floor to see if money is falling out of my ass j/k

I think what the plan will be is I am probably going to pick up one of these or the rectangle one for this year and see how much it gets used, if it doesn't then I can sell it and get something back. If it is used a lot we can decide to upgrade to something more permanent, in ground or above ground. Still need to deal with getting Trees in the fence line removed and a 420' privacy fence, which I am going to end up having to figure out and do myself since the prices I got are absurd. I have a double lot in a city where there aren't many of them.

Thanks for all the feedback and ideas.

Ultra XTR® Frame Above Ground Pool w/ Sand Filter Pump - 24' x 52"

A leading brand in Above Ground Swimming Pools, Air Mattresses and PVC inflatable products. With over 50-year of history, we work hard to maintain the highest standards for safety, quality and value.

intexcorp.com

 

[Yambers]

@HangOutdoors We had an 18' version of this. I had the same thought process. It was a little older, but we used it for 2 years before we upgraded to a" permanent" above ground pool. Only issue I had was the small filter. I had trouble keeping it clean, but I bought a bigger sand filter for it and the problem went away. I could probably part with the filter since I still have it, if it works for you of course. It cost about $400 to fill it each year with water from a tanker, but I don't know if you would need that either. You might have better connections than I have, and not be on a well..

 

[Sbrown]

We have had a very large above ground pool for almost 20 yrs now. Pools can be very efficient and inexpensive to run, or they can be complete money pits, it really all depends on you and your family's commitment to it. There are a lot of little tips and tricks to getting the most out of a pool with a minimum of time and financial input. I wouldn't be afraid of a pool. You just need to be realistic about expected usage and get a pool that actually fits that need, otherwise you'll probably not be happy with it once the newness wears off.

 

[scokill]

We had younger children when we bought the boat and now they are grown. A lot of great memories with the boat for sure, but if you asked my kids they would probably go with a pool. Also for me it would be more of an outdoor oasis to hang out, party, entertain whether we actually swim or not. It's just a hole in the ground and not finished out then count me out. Also in Texas where you could actually be outdoors 8 months out of the year or so. My brother in law has had a fairly large pool for almost 20 years and not much maintenance at all. We actually have the best of both worlds though, he lives a street over and they put a gate in the back yard and our neighbors let us cut through their back yard, so we really have access to a pool too.

 

[mike220022]

We had younger children when we bought the boat and now they are grown. A lot of great memories with the boat for sure, but if you asked my kids they would probably go with a pool. Also for me it would be more of an outdoor oasis to hang out, party, entertain whether we actually swim or not. It's just a hole in the ground and not finished out then count me out. Also in Texas where you could actually be outdoors 8 months out of the year or so. My brother in law has had a fairly large pool for almost 20 years and not much maintenance at all. We actually have the best of both worlds though, he lives a street over and they put a gate in the back yard and our neighbors let us cut through their back yard, so we really have access to a pool too.

Absolutely, most of my time at our pool is by the pool and not in it. Thats another reason to do extra concrete or pavers or whatever you choose....room to entertain and hang out.

 

[swatski]

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.



So, when I look back at it, I don't know, I think I may actually like that pool a lot more than I was willing to admit, lol, and we are getting a really good use of it.









I think the big question for me is - if I can do my own maintenance, without screwing it up or hating it. Having a full service is convenient but pricey.

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[brokitansky]

I can say that from my experience, the pool is a lot more expensive than I thought it would be! We decided to move not too long ago. Had lake front house with dock, but no yard with kids - decided to trade that for a house with a pool, a yard, and keep my boat at a slip close by. The costs added up quickly. The pool ended up needing a complete remodel - it had a leak, needed a replaster, the decking was cracked and crumbling and needed to be redone along with the coping, lighting, new pool heater, etc etc. Then add in the maintenance costs for a pool service since I knew nothing about pools (roughly 400/month on average). On top of that, I had to buy a boat slip and new lift since I no longer had a dock. Probably close to $100k all in. Still finishing up some of those projects that started in fall last year. I’ll try to post some pics after all done.

Do I regret moving and dealing with all this? No. My kids love it, wife is happy, and therefore I am happy. We were especially glad to have the use of all these things at home during COVID when we couldn’t travel.

Hammering this home, I will also share something that really made me think about this. Just a couple days ago, a colleague of mine passed away unexpectedly. He was a few years from retirement and there were no signs this was coming. Great guy, friend and neighbor. There are no guarantees for life, and you only live once. Just do what makes you and your family happy. The details will work themselves out if those boxes are checked.

 

[the MfM]

You pool guys are making boats sound cheap.

 

[swatski]

You pool guys are making boats sound cheap.

I think this thread neatly separates member "pool" of current and prospective pool-owners into two categories: 1. smart; 2. not-so-smart.
It is based on the ability to perform their own pool service.

I didn't make the cut for #1

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[octavio3311]

I had this same dilemma years ago. $65k+ for new boat vs $65for inground pool. It went to a family vote. My wife was pushing for the pool - I was pushing for a boat. My kids went for the boat. 3 to 1 in favor of the boat.
The lake is literally an 1/8th of a mile down the street, so distance to lake was never a factor. But I will say this - there have been plenty of times where I wish we got the pool. Plenty of times when I just wanted to hang in the pool, never leaving the house. Plenty of times when I wanted to host a “banger”. Plenty of times, while at a friends pool when I wish we had 1.

ALSO - plenty of precious memories on the boat. Moments with family and friends. Memories that will last a lifetime. Memories that my kids keep forever.

I guess it would be nice if we had both.