Water features are an aesthetic accessory—whether you just add a stand-alone water feature or a full suite of water features and matching accessories—the sights and sounds of cascading water will improve your landscape.

We interviewed four pool “renovators” who actively use accessories to update and add functionality to their pool designs.  Dan Lenz at All Seasons Pools in Orland Park, IL, Martin Rowland at Bama Pools in Florence, AL, Clark Pulliam at Pulliam Pools in Houston, TX and Glen Bullard at Fort Worth Custom Pools in Fort Worth, TX.  Here is what they are finding popular and easy for pool owners who want to update their backyard landscape.

Custom Pools, Fort Worth, TX:  Water bowls and fire / water bowls are not hard to add and give a quick facelift to the pool.

Bama Pools, Florence, AL:  Most of my customers have seen HGTV with the pools that have the big beautiful, custom water feature on the pool that go for $10-20K.  So my customers are pleasantly surprised when I introduce them to the WOK water feature by Inter-Fab.  It isn’t a scary price, especially in the scope of the $20-$30K pool project.  I have had great success with the double-wok. The WOK is great because it’s easy to maintain, no plantings required, people like the shape, especially the double WOK that stair steps one into the other. They are easy to put on AND easy to take off in the winter when you want to close and cover the pool with a safety cover.  It takes less than an hour to install.  I also install a lot of artificial rock waterfalls, especially for empty-nesters looking to enhance their backyard relaxation.  In less than 2 hours I can install one of these products and the pool ‘look’ really changes.  These water features are an easy accessory to update any pool.

When you think pool safety – think a diving board.

If you are about to install a pool, you’ve undoubtedly thought about pool safety and enjoyment.  Your pool professional can advise you on how to build safety into your new pool with the right fencing, walking surfaces, rails and ladders.  And you might want to consider another important safety feature: a diving board.

It’s true.  A diving board is one of the most basic safety features your pool can have.  Why?  Because it immediately indicates to pool users where it’s safe to dive, and discourages the dangerous – and common – practice of diving into the shallow end.  A properly installed diving board on a pool built to industry standards can make your pool safer for your family and friends.

When it comes to bodies of water, people have a natural tendency to want to dive in.  Without knowing the proper water depth, this can be risky.  Nearly every pool owner has encountered the diving instinct, but when diving into shallow water, there is no margin for error.  You can keep everyone safe by letting them know that shallow-end diving is not allowed – and by directing them to the diving board.  They’ll prefer it anyway!

Create a "diving zone."

With a diving board installed, you create a “diving zone”, which will attract children to the safe-end… allowing them to play safely from morning til’ night! 

Even the safest equipment must be used properly.  Inter-Fab promotes safe diving by offering these tips on the proper use of your diving board: always dive into water that meets depth requirements, with arms extended; be aware of the bottom and the walls of the pool; avoid collisions with pool toys and floats; and instruct your pool users to always “steer up” – once the water is entered, divers should immediately “steer” towards the surface.

If you’re considering a shallow pool – consider this.

Shallow “play pools” are sometimes recommended as a way to avoid the diving issue altogether.  This is faulty logic.  While they may be less expensive to install, play pools do not accommodate the “diving instinct”.  Just as people dive into other bodies of water, they will dive into “play pools”.  The safe diving area that a board locates can help eliminate this potentially dangerous practice.  Our safety record proves it.

Along with adding safety, Inter-Fab’s boards and bases are available in an array of colors and styles that add beauty to your pool as well.

Besides, it’s a “blast”!!!

A diving board is one safety feature that people want to use – especially kids.  No other pool feature can match the hour after hour entertainment provided by a diving board.  So be sure to have your builder install a diving board that complies with industry standards.  And relax!

Last year alone there were an estimated 1,000,000,000 (one billion) dives from diving boards in the United States.  None resulted in serious accident or injury.  In fact, pools built to our industry standards exceed ten years of safe diving board usage.  Many families have been deprived of pool related fun due to misguided reasoning.  What’s worse, many more have fallen prey to a false sense of security by having a pool built with no safe diving area.  Don’t be shallow when it comes to diving pools.  A properly designed diving pool provides a time tested, safe diving environment.  And, a diving board clearly locates the safe diving area of the pool.

Without a board, pool safety takes a dive.™

Target: Safety.  Include safety in your swimming pool… include a diving board.