The bay is glassy, the water is warm, and then someone on the swim deck points: jellyfish, drifting past the stern. The kids look at the water, then at you. A sea pool is the answer to that moment. It’s an inflatable frame that floats beside the boat or dock with a deep net hanging underneath, so you get a calm, enclosed patch of open water to swim and float in, with a barrier between you and whatever drifts by. This page explains what a sea pool is, how big the net is, who it suits, and how to set one up.
In short: an inflatable pool for a boat is a floating ring or deck with a mesh net enclosure underneath. Consumer sea pools sold online run about 10 x 12 ft to 13 x 10 ft with nets about 4.9 to 7.2 ft deep; superyacht sea pools are typically 5 x 5 m with nets about 2 m deep. The net keeps a swimming area separate from the open water, but it doesn’t replace life jackets or someone watching.
What a sea pool protects you from
Makers sell sea pools as a way to swim in open water with a barrier around you. FunAir, which builds them for superyachts, says its netting is designed to keep out jellyfish, sea lice and other critters, and offers a finer “Aussie Edition” weave for waters with very small stingers. Consumer listings make similar claims. In practice, the net does three useful things:
- It marks out a swimming area. Kids know exactly where they can swim, and nobody drifts off behind the boat.
- It keeps out drifting things: jellyfish, seaweed and floating debris, depending on how fine the mesh is.
- It gives tired swimmers something to hold. The inflatable rim works as a handrail all the way round, and many models have grab handles on the inside and outside.
What it doesn’t do: stop a current, make deep water shallow, or keep anyone from going under. Treat a sea pool as a calmer place to swim, not a safe one by itself.
How a sea pool is built
Every sea pool has the same three parts: a floating frame, a net, and something to hold the net down.
- The frame. Either inflatable tubes, like a big square ring, or a drop-stitch deck with a hole in the middle, which gives you a firm walkway and somewhere to sit with your legs in the pool. FunAir builds in drop-stitch or 1000-denier PVC with 316 stainless steel hardware and hot-air welded seams. One consumer model we looked at uses 8 in drop-stitch with a non-slip foam top; another uses thick PVC tubes. Our explainer what is drop stitch shows why the deck kind feels so firm.
- The net. A mesh box that hangs below the frame. Depth and weave are what you compare: FunAir’s premium jellyfish netting has a 1 cm weave, and its Aussie Edition is tighter still. On FunAir’s pools the net zips on and off with a marine-grade zipper, so the crew can remove it for cleaning or when guests want open water.
- The weights. Without weight, a net floats up and folds. Consumer pools come with weight bags; FunAir’s nets have tethered weight-bag pockets that you fill with soft dive weights (not included), and you can pull them up without getting in the water.
Sea pool sizes: pool, swimmers and net depth
Three numbers matter: the size of the frame, how many people the maker says it suits, and how deep the net hangs. A deeper net lets adults float upright without touching it; a finer mesh keeps out smaller creatures.
| Size class | Frame size | Swimmers, as makers state | Net depth | Set-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compact consumer pool | About 10 x 12 ft | Usually not stated | About 4.9 ft | Inflate, weight the net, tie off; pump not always included |
| Larger consumer pool with deck | About 13 x 10 ft | “8+ people” on one listing | About 7.2 ft | Electric pump included on some models |
| Superyacht sea pool | Typically 5 x 5 m (about 16 x 16 ft); custom sizes to fit the swim platform | Designed around the yacht’s guests; ask the maker | 2.0 m (about 6.6 ft) | FunAir quotes about 15 to 30 minutes, depending on configuration |
| Compact yacht pool (Lagoon type) | Smaller, for yachts with little storage | Ask the maker | 2.25 m (about 7.4 ft), 1 cm weave | Made for yachts with less storage space |
As always, the people figure is the maker’s. Don’t work out your own number from the size, and remember the pool area is for swimming, so fewer people in the water is calmer for everyone. The water under the pool also has to be deeper than the net, so the mesh hangs freely instead of dragging on the bottom.
Setting up a sea pool beside a boat or dock
- Pick calm, sheltered water. Sea pools are for a quiet anchorage or a dock in a protected bay, not open swell or current.
- Inflate on deck or the dock to the maker’s pressure, then lower it into the water.
- Weight the net so the mesh hangs straight down. FunAir says to adjust the weight to the day’s activities and the swell.
- Tie off at the D-rings to the boat’s stern cleats or the dock, with two lines so it can’t swing.
- Engines and generator off. The U.S. Coast Guard says never to hang on the back deck or swim platform while engines run, to keep everyone away from engine and generator exhaust outlets, and warns that carbon monoxide can linger around a boat even after the engine stops. A pool tied at the stern puts swimmers right there. The CDC adds that people should swim and play away from exhaust vents.
- Pack it away after use: rinse with fresh water, dry and roll it.
Attaching it: boat, dock, buoy or anchor
Most families tie a sea pool to the stern of an anchored boat, because that’s where the swim deck and ladder are. It can also go alongside a private dock or a mooring buoy; one consumer listing names docks, boats and buoys, and lakes as well as the sea. Wherever you tie it, use the maker’s D-rings, keep the lines short enough that the pool can’t drift under the swim deck, and check them as the boat swings on its anchor. If you’d rather keep swimmers further from the boat, anchor the pool on its own; our guide on how to anchor an inflatable platform explains anchors, rope and scope.
Kids in a sea pool
Families love sea pools because the edge is always close and the area is clearly marked; FunAir pitches them for less confident swimmers and younger guests for that reason. But a 5 to 7 ft net means the water is deeper than most kids can stand in. The U.S. Coast Guard notes that adult life jackets may not work for children, that child-size life jackets are available, and that rules for kids vary by state. Put young children and weak swimmers in a fitted, Coast Guard approved life jacket, and keep an adult on the deck watching whenever anyone is in the water. Our safety checklist has the full list.
Care, storage and lifespan
Salt, sun and heat are what wear a sea pool out. Rinse the frame and the net with fresh water, let both dry fully before rolling, and store them somewhere cool and out of direct sun. One consumer listing warns that heat and direct sun can make the air inside expand and burst the tubes, so don’t leave an inflated pool baking on deck. Take the weights out before packing, and check the net for snags each time, since a small tear is where creatures and debris get in. Warranties tell you how long a maker expects its pool to last; on the consumer models we checked they ran from 30 days to six months, so read the terms before you compare prices. Yacht suppliers set their own terms, so ask for them in writing.
What a sea pool costs
Consumer sea pools sold online were listed from about $470 to about $900 in October 2026, depending on size, net depth and whether a pump is included. Superyacht sea pools are custom or semi-custom and priced by quote; FunAir doesn’t publish prices. Remember to budget for a pump if one isn’t included, weights for the net, and good lines to tie it off.
Who a sea pool suits, and what to compare it with
A sea pool suits families and yacht guests who anchor in warm, calm water where jellyfish or drifting weed put people off swimming. It suits less well if you anchor in current or swell, or if your crowd mostly wants to jump and run. In that case a boat swim platform gives you an open deck to swim from, a foam floating mat gives the kids something to run on, and floating lounges are for sitting back with a drink. For a dock that stays out at a lake house, see inflatable docks. Charter companies and beach clubs that would use a pool every day should read commercial recreation platforms and resorts and hospitality, because daily guest use is a different job.
Sea pool questions
What is a sea pool on a yacht?
It’s an inflatable frame with a mesh net hanging below it, floated next to the yacht’s swim platform. Guests swim inside the net in open water, with a barrier between them and jellyfish or debris.
How deep is the net on a sea pool?
It varies by model. Consumer pools sold online have nets of about 4.9 to 7.2 ft. FunAir’s standard nets are 2.0 m, about 6.6 ft, and its Lagoon net is 2.25 m, about 7.4 ft.
Does a sea pool really keep jellyfish out?
Makers design the net as a barrier, and a finer weave keeps out smaller creatures; FunAir offers a tighter-weave net for that reason. A torn net, a gap at the frame or very small stingers can still get through, so check the water and the net before swimming.
Can I use an inflatable pool for a boat at a dock or on a lake?
Yes. At least one consumer listing mentions tying it to docks, boats or buoys and using it on lakes. Make sure the water is deeper than the net so the mesh hangs freely off the bottom.
Do sea pools come with a pump?
Some do and some don’t, so check the box contents. If yours doesn’t, get a pump that fits its valve before your first trip.
How many people can swim in a sea pool?
Use the maker’s figure where there is one; many consumer listings don’t give one. Without a figure, keep it to a few swimmers at a time so everyone can reach the edge easily, and never treat the frame as a deck rated for a crowd.
How long does a sea pool take to set up?
FunAir quotes about 15 to 30 minutes for its yacht sea pools, depending on the configuration. Allow longer for a consumer pool the first time, mostly for pumping and weighting the net.
How much does a sea pool cost?
Consumer models were listed from about $470 to about $900 in October 2026. Superyacht sea pools are priced by quote.
Keep exploring: go back to all floating platform types, plan a day at anchor with boating and yachts or a family outing with family lake days, compare sizes in our guide to choosing an inflatable platform, browse swim and boat platforms, or if you’re new, start here.