Can an at-home swimming pool be used as a business?

[eblanch]

Can I use my personal pool, located at my residence to conduct scuba training for paying customers? Further, can I operate other businesses using the pool, such as paddle board yoga, swim lessons, aqua aerobics etc?
ALSO, what is the best size of swimming pool for scuba and the above mentioned activities? Length, width, depth?

I live in Salt Lake City, UT. Thanks for any guidance.

 

[Stoo]

I think you're asking the wrong people. You need to speak with your insurance carrier, both for the agency you plan on teaching with, as well as your home insurer.

I know of one person here in Canada that does this and has done for years. You just want to make sure that both you and your students are protected in case of an accident. Once a "home" pool becomes a "work" pool, everything changes in terms of liability.

And before you dismiss the risk, I certified about 2500 students while I was teaching. The one accident and fatality that occurred, was in a swimming pool (heart attack) It can and does happen...

In terms of what the "best" pool would be, I guess I would only say "big and deep" would be preferred. Assuming you don't have a yard big enough to build an Olympic-sized pool that's 18' deep, the other alternative would be to limit class size. I think you need 8' of depth though... folks need to learn how to clear their ears!

 

[sassyalice]

Our LDS does that out of the owners personal residence. He leases the pool to the business.
The is canada though.

 

[Stoo]

So that makes two in Canada... assuming you're talking about someone on the Wet Coast...

 

[RJP]

The answer to your first question is a firm "it depends."

It depends on who you ask:

• Scuba agencies don't have a problem with the idea. At least none that I know of.
• Is your home in a community that falls under a Homeowner's Association jurisdiction? They often have rules regulating/precluding home based-businesses.
• What does your municipal zoning board have to say? What's the zoning for your property?
• What does your homeowner's insurance company think about the idea?
• What does your professional liability insurance provider think?

As to pool size... there's no doubt that "bigger is better" when it comes to pool size for scuba classes. Here's a link to a study I did recently about student's perception of the pool portion of their OW course.

Getting New Divers Off On The Right Foot

"Pool too small" was a common complaint among divers in the study, and was highly correlated with low satisfaction among students.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Start with researching your city's zoning and business license ordinances. Also consult your insurance agent--you'll probably need more liability coverage than ordinary homeowner's insurance.

Edit: Others posted while I was thinking about what I was going to write. Looks like they already covered what occurred to me.

 

[John A Lewis]

Since you posted this in Basic Scuba Discussions, my first question would be which agency are you certified as an instructor with?

The second question would be: what do they say when you asked them this question?

 

[CuzzA]

If nothing else and you're in the market for a pool for yourself to dive in, do it right.

This incredible $2 million pool in Utah is better than a water park

 

[DogDiver]

Our LDS does that out of the owners personal residence. He leases the pool to the business.
The is canada though.

In Canada nobody is at fault.

 

[RJP]

In Canada nobody is at fault.

In the US, it's Bush's fault. Or Obama's. Depends on who you're talking to.