Build Your Own Backyard Swimming Hole

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Beach size depends on your ambitions and budget, but it shouldn't take much more than a 20 by 20 foot spread of sand to keep a family happy. In estimating the size of your beach, remember that the submerged area you cover with sand will discourage aquatic weeds and algae. much like mulch squelches weeds in a garden. In some algae-plagued ponds, the leach may be the lest place for swimming.

When it comes to buying sand. there's little advantage in cutting corners on quality Riverbank sand is cheap, but it may turn your pond into a turbid mess. Unless you're planning to cover a large area, washed masonry sand is best. Check with your local concrete supplier, where sand is usually available. To estimate your sand costs, multiply the dimensions of your beach in feet (length by width by depth) and divide by 27 to get cubic yards Sand is usually sold by the ton, and it taken roughly I 1/3 tons to fill a cubic yard. Fabric will sin $I00 or so for a 20 by 20 foot beach.

Whatever you do, don t try making a midnight run on the village sand pit. Road sand is often mixed with salt. It's great for melting highway ice and rusting out cars but no good for fish.

If you're adding a beach to an existing pond. it's easy to dump a load of sand on shore and spread it out, but you'll see it wash into the pond sooner than a well-made beach. To build a durable beach, lower the water level so you can work in the dry and follow the procedure for a new pond.

In addition to a beach, ponds often benefit from floating rafts and piers Rafts offer many of the advantages of an island, with the option of being removable to make way for skating. Unlike piers, they're off limits to kids you don't want tumbling accidentally into deep water. Piers offer an area to mount a diving board, tie tip a canoe, install a fish culture cage, or just go for a stroll.

One of my favorite pond accessories is the old fashioned rope swing. I have vivid memories of swinging off a steep bank on a thick manila rope tied to a tall tree, and sailing out over the water until I let go and plummeted into the water like a teenage Tarzan. Nowadays I don't see many ponds with the right combination of steep hill, tree, and deep water, but it is possible to hang a rope swing from a tree trunk leaning over an end-of-the-pier lumber frame. Outer swimming pond improvements include camp sites, gazebos, sauna baths, and outdoor hot tubs.

Safety

I know parents who delayed building pond until their children were old enough to swim. They didn't want to add to an already long list of child-care anxieties. On the other hand, plenty of kids grow up around water and survive it. If you re going to build a swimming hole here are a few suggestions to help drown-proof it. An adult should always accompany any children who don't know- how to swim. Only after demonstrating adequate swimming skills should children be allowed to swim or go boating without wearing a life vest. Kids who do know how to swim should not go in the water alone.

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