Sure, you can find the typical inflatable pool for a cheap price from large retailers like Kmart or Target, but is that really what you're looking for ?
Well firstly, you've got to make sure you think about this very early in the summer season - before it gets really HOT, because if you don't plan ahead, you will be searching online everywhere hoping to see the words 'in stock' appearing under ANY retailer in Perth.
... and for a quick fix (providing you can get one) , then - an inflatable might be the way to go for you.
.. But it wasn't great for us - and we tried several styles and sizes;
First, it was the the kids paddle pool inflatable: this is fine for toddlers or small kids to have a little splash.. or dogs .. but we had to try and sit in it, and splash the water up onto our shoulders because it was far too shallow for any real cooling effect.
Next , we tried the larger adult style inflatable + portable pool - which, might I add, only comes in VERY inconvenient sizing if you have a small backyard ! Anyway - this was alright for a short time, if someone lent on the sides however- water would spill over. It also kept getting bugs and debris fall into it, and the water was always either really really cold or - uncomfortably warm if it had been in the sun during the day.. and on day 3 - it was droopy and horrible. End of story on that one.
Then came along the portable pool with those rigid side walls and the exterior framing/vinyl inside, and a cartridge pool pump. We went for a larger one this time - but again they always seem to come in strange or impractical sizes - ( I remember seeing a friends pool one year that dominated her courtyard so much that you couldnt even walk around it!)
Anyway, I wasn't a fan ... it felt cheap, and kept leaking via the hoses - not to mention took a huge amount of water to fill and kept evaporating! It was big enough to fit several people at once, but wow was it a mission to set up and dismantle. That alone was enough to strike that one off the list.
So.. where do we go from this point we were wondering... I'll admit, we did all of our due diligence and researched into pretty much everything else.. plunge pools - concrete & fiberglass, container pools, swim spas and even priced up the cost of an in-ground traditional pool ( A small one ofcourse! ) , but nothing was what we were after. Not to mention most of those options were either a 6-8 month 'excavation adventure' you could say... and / or had a starting price of around 30-40K depending on materials.
That just really wasn't something we were able to buy, plus the maintenance of an inground option would have been super annoying - and likely would have ended up handballed onto my list of 'household chores' - (I would not have been amused)
Ultimately - we had hit a wall. At this point, our choices were so limited, and we were feeling rather dismal.
BUT THEN... drumroll please! TA-DAH! ...
I found something called a 'Stock Tank Pool' online, and the more I looked into it, the more images I found of people lounging around in these metal portable pools, that were small enough to be easy to transport , required minimal maintenance , could fit a few friends, or just me and my husband, or just me (*Smiles*).
.. I knew that this was the exact thing that fit our needs. It was perfect. Shallow enough to be able to sit and soak - no awkward sitting on the pool steps or clinging to the side because your tired and don't really want to do laps just to stay cool (which takes away the 'relaxing swim' vibe if you ask me...)
YES ! ....A stock tank pool would be the perfect size for the backyard. I was then imagining myself having a cool soak on those hot days, sitting with a drink in hand (likely a cocktail) with a friend or two. I imagined the kids splashing around having water fights, and having a twilight dip under the stars (without it being super deep, super cold, or just creepy).. and I was excited about not having to dismantle a monster of a portable pool at the end of summer too- just quietly.
Then I realised something... I could NOT FIND ANYONE to sell me one.
NOT A SINGLE RETAILER IN AUSTRALIA!
Not even something close in style or purpose... eastern states had something similar , and larger, with a starting price over 15K without any of the necessary extras.. and even if I wanted to go with one of those.. they wouldn't freight to WA.... I was amazed that no matter how hard I tried , I could not get one of these 'stock tank pools'!
So i'm sure you can guess my disappointment there. (Wahh! *cries*)
But.... I was not going to give up that easily....
....TO BE CONTINUED.
NEXT BLOG COMING SOON
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