# Are "Infinity" Swimming Pools Illegal In The USA? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 10, 2012, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357 "2012-10-10T21:09:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357/1 "2012-10-10T21:09:00Z")
I love the look of “Infinity” swimming pools-the illusion of no edge looks neat. All Ive seen have been in the Caribbean, and S. America-not in the USA. Are they illegal here? Maybe OSHA feels they are dangerous? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357/2 "2012-10-10T21:12:08Z")
What makes you think they are illegal? Rarity? ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357/3 "2012-10-10T21:12:39Z")
We had one when we lived in Florida two years ago, and my sister still has one (she’s in Florida as well). ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357/4 "2012-10-10T21:19:31Z")
I’ve seen them in FL as well. They’re expensive to make/maintain, and the effect is lost indoors, which limits their use to expensive resorts where its warm enough to make use of an outdoor pool most of the year. In the States, that’s pretty much FL and Hawaii. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357/5 "2012-10-10T21:25:00Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > I’ve seen them in FL as well. > > They’re expensive to make/maintain, and the effect is lost indoors, which limits their use to expensive resorts where its warm enough to make use of an outdoor pool most of the year. In the States, that’s pretty much FL and Hawaii. They’re everywhere in LA - don’t you watch the “Home Porn” channel? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357/6 "2012-10-10T21:25:38Z")
[Here are some from all over the world including USA](http://www.lovethesepics.com/2012/07/69-exquisite-infinity-pools-that-will-blow-your-mind/). Some awesome views. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357/7 "2012-10-10T21:33:22Z")
I’m pretty sure that OSHA would, at any rate, only be able to keep them out of the workplace. It stands of _Occupational_ Safety and Health Administration. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357/8 "2012-10-10T21:37:41Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > They’re everywhere in LA - don’t you watch the “Home Porn” channel? Yeah, my daughter had some ritzy kids at her preschool and my wife and I once went to a birthday party in Bel Air at a house with an infinity pool. It was the first time we’d ever seen one. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357/9 "2012-10-10T21:38:53Z")
Only in warm climates? They seem to be the “in” thing for rooftop condo amenities here in Toronto. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357/10 "2012-10-10T21:47:03Z")
And here’s an aerial view of the house we were at: [Google Maps](https://maps.google.com/maps?q=bel+air&hl=en&ll=34.076612,-118.456917&spn=0.000746,0.001032&safe=off&hnear=Bel+Air,+Los+Angeles,+California&t=h&z=21) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357/11 "2012-10-10T21:55:24Z")
[Naturally occuring infinity pool](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tourists_swimming_at_Victoria_Falls.jpg) (NSF the squeamish). ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357/12 "2012-10-10T21:59:42Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > And here’s an aerial view of the house we were at: > > [Google Maps](https://maps.google.com/maps?q=bel+air&hl=en&ll=34.076612,-118.456917&spn=0.000746,0.001032&safe=off&hnear=Bel+Air,+Los+Angeles,+California&t=h&z=21) What were you doing hanging out in that slum? ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357/13 "2012-10-10T22:44:44Z")
If you notice, a lot of the featured infinity pools are in emerging economies. Infinity pools are a relatively new trend, and so you’ll find them more often in places that have lots of new luxury swimming pools. In the US, however, a larger percentage of the luxury hotels and the like are older. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357/14 "2012-10-10T23:10:19Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > [Naturally occuring infinity pool](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tourists_swimming_at_Victoria_Falls.jpg) (NSF the squeamish). it says it’s safe - anyone know how? interesting pic ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357/15 "2012-10-10T23:19:13Z")
> [@JackieLikesVariety](#): > > it says it’s safe - anyone know how? interesting pic There is a hole almost at the edge of the cliff where the water flows. This video shows people standing on the cliff side wall of the pool. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/FVFsiJBSQps/maxresdefault.jpg "Girls unbelievable experience at Victoria Falls! Devil's Pool, Livingstone Island, Zambia") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVFsiJBSQps) ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357/16 "2012-10-10T23:56:01Z")
So … what makes infinity pools look the way they do? Looking at the edges of them kind of freaks me out. Incidentally, I had no idea the Maldives were so beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357/17 "2012-10-11T00:03:36Z")
> [@JackieLikesVariety](#): > > it says it’s safe - anyone know how? interesting pic Apparently, people only die there occasionally, so I guess it’s safe. > **[Victoria Falls | Tourism in recent years](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Falls#Tourism_in_recent_years)** > > By the end of the 1990s, almost 400,000 people were visiting the falls annually, and this was expected to rise to over a million in the next decade. Unlike the game parks, Victoria Falls has more Zimbabwean and Zambian visitors than international tourists; the attraction is accessible by bus and train, and is therefore comparatively inexpensive to reach. > The numbers of visitors to the Zimbabwean side of the falls has historically been much higher than the number visiting the Zambian side, due to... ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357/18 "2012-10-11T00:15:44Z")
> [@PandaBear77](#): > > So … what makes infinity pools look the way they do? Looking at the edges of them kind of freaks me out. > > Incidentally, I had no idea the Maldives were so beautiful. Basically, it’s a double edge. A traditional pool has an edge higher than the water to keep the water in. An infinity pool has the water going right up to/over one edge, then there’s a second edge below and just outside to catch the water and recirculate it into the pool. So it’s a little like a man-made waterfall where water is continually caught and pumped back around. The picture here (from a previous poster) shows that second edge clearly visible on the left side of the picture: [http://www.lovethesepics.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Outdoor-living-incredible-infinity-pool.jpg](http://www.lovethesepics.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Outdoor-living-incredible-infinity-pool.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357/19 "2012-10-11T00:30:18Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Apparently, people only die there occasionally, so I guess it’s safe. > [Victoria Falls - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Falls#Tourism_in_recent_years) “mostly” safe, I guess:( I wouldn’t swim there! ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357/20 "2012-10-11T02:10:08Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > [Naturally occuring infinity pool](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tourists_swimming_at_Victoria_Falls.jpg) (NSF the squeamish). Holy shitballs. Not safe!! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-infinity-swimming-pools-illegal-in-the-usa/637357.md?page=2)