I suspect we have a miscommunication here. All negative edges have a catch basin of some sort. Catch basins may take on different forms and or be called something else, but they still perform the same function for the edge.

Some edges may have a pitch along the inner edge, some on the outside edge. Some may have a wall pitched in towards the base and some are pitched away.

The use and number of pumps used is up to the builder. Some situations can be made to work with fewer pumps but these will usually have less functionality. For example, a pool with a spa and water features may wind up that you can't use all the features at the same time with fewer pumps. If deck jets, laminars, or a pool sweep turn on and only run on the main pump and the spa is turned on, the spa may drain and leave you with no water in it.

Searching on the term vanishing edge may help us all in understanding exactly what you want.

Scott

Here is a link that might be useful: PDF of some different edges, materials, issues and practices.

Do you mean a faux negative edge? Where you have the appearance of a negative edge but the water does not actually overflow? If so I've build a few of those.

Yes, I think faux negative Che may be abetter term to describe what I'm looking at. Appreciate any insights.

Like you said, it eliminates the trough and at least a pump from the circ system, depending on design. You do get much more water loss from a faux edge pool, since any splashed water is lost, and there's more splash.

Here's a couple of pics of one we did last year, the landscaping wasn't done yet.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f224/cookie1965/secheltpool025.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f224/cookie1965/secheltpool019.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f224/cookie1965/secheltpool006.jpg

Interesting design. I assume an auto fill is strongly urged since any splash has to be made up for to maintain the effect.

Scott

Yes, we put auto fills in all our pools anyways but these definitely need them. Not my favourite design personally, but if the client chooses to go that way once educated I'm OK with them. Appearance wise they're pretty cool. In that one you can be swimming looking over the edge wall at Gray whales sounding 100 feet away.
Hard to tell from the picture but that pool has an auto cover too. Pretty well hidden

What kind of skimming action do you get? I can't tell how high the water level is in relation to the skimmer. Is that a raised spa in the background?

Rob

It skims like any other pool, the water level is about the same as in any other pool relative to the skimmer. Yes, that is a raised spa in the background.

I guess I don't get it.... those clients have that lot on that lake with that view and had to stop 95% of the way for a true negative edge?

Where I build, I can't imagine that this route saves much more than 2-4k on a pool that size.

p.s.- love that interior finish!

I don't disagree. This was designed by a landscape architect who loved the idea and we did 2 or 3 like this for him at the same time. Part of the reason I liked the idea on this job was because the project was located in an area remote from the city where there was little or no local support for the owner for maintenance or repairs. In fact the owners have been doing everything themselves and I find that true negative edge pools require more hands on maintenance work. I think this was a good compromise in the situation. It's probably saved me more than a few ferry rides LOL.
I agree on the finish, that's about my favourite plaster colour. We still do white in 90% of our pools but we did that colour 3 or 4 times last year and it's beautiful.

One other detail on that pool that's kinda cool is how we did the coping with the pool cover. (I didn't do the decks, just the inside forms BTW)

Obviously the cover hadn't been installed yet in that pic but it comes from under the coping with no brackets holding stones.

Thank you! This is what I was looking for. While it's interesting,, I think I'm going to pass. I have young kids and lots of splashing.

Hello I know this in an old post but do you know how the pool cover was done?