selenafp

I have been wanting an inground pool for several years and now that my husband and I have made the decision to take the plunge, I am so confused. The more research I do, the more confused I get. What I really want is for someone to give me advice on their experiences...I have a small budget and a lot of wants. I have to sacrifice some things for others and I am scared that I will regret the sacrifices that I make. 1). First let me say that I live in South GA with temps that normally stay in the 90's during the summer sometimes rising to 100 and rarely falling below 80 degrees during the day...from May to August. Yes it is humid too. I live on a small lake that has algae problems that I worry may affect my pool. I have always planned on having a guinite pool because I always believed it to be the best (not really true after my research). This is my list of expectations of my pool in order of the most important to the least important: water volleyball (minimum 20X30), a gathering place with friends and family (lots of decking needed), visual appeal for my yard even when the pool is not being used (lighting, landscaping, etc) can't afford rock waterfalls and such. Any recommended lighting with a dramatic effect but not breaking the bank. Please share with me what you regret doing or not doing when making your decision about pool features and designs. 2) More struggles--->to cut cost we have decided to eliminate a deep diving area and only go 6 to 6.5 feet with the deep end. Has anyone regretted this decision? My kids aren't happy about it but other pool owners have told me that they spend very little time in the deep end. Is this true for others? I can increase the size of my pool or add to the lighting and visual appeal by cutting out some of the depth. I have more questions but will save them for later. I already have 2 quotes but neither seem to be offering me any ideas on "bang for the buck" ideas. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Also...thanks for the great info here. It has been a valuable resource for making my decision on filtration. I was about to spend 1000's extra on a system....but now I am adding it back to my pool budget.