Swimming pools have undergone a considerable evolution over the last two decades. In years past almost all new pools were rectilinear and tried to accommodate all users in the same water space. Commonly this resulted in a body of water that wasn't perfect for any group. Over the last twenty or so years there has been a movement within the industry to design separate bodies of water specific to each user group and individual programmatic function.

Recreational water space has perhaps undergone the greatest change over this time period. Historically these pools featured a rectilinear shape with a small area for shallow water and maybe a diving board or slide at the deeper end. Today many of these pools resemble mini water parks with a free flowing design featuring any numbers of elements including zero-depth or beach entries, river currents, climbing walls, climb on structures, interactive water play features, a series of water slides, and in-pool lounge areas to name but a few.

This move has been made not only as the needs and expectations of recreational swimmers and patrons change, but also in an effort for municipalities to recoup their operating costs and turn their local pool into a potential source of revenue generation.

Specific Types of Recreational Pools Include:

• Multi-Purpose - Including areas for all users including some lap lanes for recreational swimming, a large shallow water area for small children, an area with more exciting features for older children, teenagers, and adults, and an area to relax for those looking to just cool off.

• Children's Play Pool - Including either zero-depth or very shallow water to around 18 inches of water. These pools will typically have interactive wet play elements such as water buckets, cannons, and sprays and climb-on structures featuring slides and other interactive water play elements.

• Splash Pads / Spray Grounds - Areas with no standing water but plenty of elements for children to play in. These areas are perhaps the single fastest growing segment of in the aquatics industry today.

• Action-Themed - Another growing area in the aquatics world is that of higher thrill attractions. These range from high and themed water slides, waves that users can boogie board or surf on, climbing walls (both for children and adults), wave pools, and white water areas where users can kayak or navigate using the same equipment they would in rivers across the world.

View Our Recreation Portfolio Here.