What You Need to Know About Baja Shelves in Pools

A swimming pool isn’t always just a swimming pool—slides, jets, fountains and other add-ons make each pool unique. One of the more popular add-ons these days is Baja shelves. A Baja shelf in Los Angeles, CA is basically a long and wide step that leads into your pool, and it’s typically submerged between eight to 16 inches. Baja shelves originated in huge resort pools, but have become increasingly popular in residential pools over the past few decades—continue reading to find out why!

What are the benefits of a Baja shelf?

People across the country wouldn’t install Baja shelves if they didn’t have their advantages. Here are a couple of reasons why our customers consistently opt to put a Baja shelf in their pool:

  • Good for the family: Chances are, your pool isn’t only used by the able-bodied adults in your family. Young children and elderly grandparents also want to enjoy the refreshing water on a hot day. That can be difficult in a standard pool, though, since ladders can be tricky to navigate up and down. That’s where a Baja shelf comes into play. The young and old alike can cool off without worrying about getting in and out of the water via a ladder.
  • Catch a tan and stay cool: Baja shelves are also sometimes called “sun shelves,” and for good reason—a Baja shelf makes it easy to lay partially submerged in the water and catch a tan without feeling the intense heat of the sun. Just remember to wear sunscreen while you’re soaking up the rays!
  • Create a hangout spot: Your pool deck is a focal point for entertainment, but where is everyone supposed to hang out once they get in the water? A Baja shelf makes it easy for everyone to gather around, share some laughs and sip on some margaritas. Just remember to make your Baja shelf big enough to accommodate your crowd!

Things to consider

There are some things you need to think about before you go ahead and add a Baja shelf to your pool. These are a few things you must consider prior to installation:

  • Budget: Installing a pool isn’t cheap, and adding a Baja shelf just makes your installation cost about $2,500 more expensive. If you don’t have that money in your pool budget now, that’s okay! Our professionals can install a Baja shelf down the road once you’ve saved up for one.
  • Width: How wide is your Baja shelf going to be? The wider it is, the more people can hang out on it. However, that also means less room for you to swim around in your pool. Consider how many people you think will be on your Baja shelf at once before you install it.
  • Depth: As mentioned above, Baja shelves are usually eight to 16 inches below the water. The depth you choose basically depends on how you plan on using it. If you think you’re just going to sit in a lounge chair and catch a tan, a shallow shelf is probably right for you.

Don’t call just anyone to install your Baja shelf in Los Angeles, CA—hire the pros from Avanti Pools, Inc. You can trust that your Baja shelf will be installed in a timely manner, and more importantly, installed correctly. Give us a call today to get an estimate, or to learn more about all of our pool services.