A plunge pool is a small, typically deep, pool designed for the purposes of wading or lounging. They are great for people who enjoy sitting on the steps of a pool and drinking a glass of tea in the summer, or for people who live in very hot climates and use their pools mostly to cool down. Because of their size, you cannot swim in a plunge pool, but you may be able to do other types of exercises, such as water aerobics.
Plunge pools are popular in Europe and Australia, but they are just becoming established in the U.S. They tend to be most attractive to people who are interested in the aesthetic value of the pool and the lower cost to own and maintain one. Unlike a full-size pool, a plunge pool can be installed in a small yard and maintained on a smaller budget. Unlike an above-ground pool, a plunge pool can fit perfectly into a gorgeous landscaping and design background.
The size of plunge pools can vary quite a bit. However, a typical size is around 8×8 feet to 8×16 feet. Because they come in all kinds of shapes, the absolute volume can vary quite a bit, from round pools that are 10 feet in diameter to half-circle pools with an 8-foot radius or square pools with 8-foot sides.
There is no rule stating how deep a plunge pool has to be in order to earn the name, but most are around 4-8 feet deep. People who want to exercise in it may want their pool to be a bit deeper, and people who want to sit on a shelf inside the pool may want it to be a bit more shallow..