Kids love it, and use it. Adults alittle less.
As for comfort, it just depends if you like to lounge in a floating lounge, or on a stable chair on the baja shelf.
As far as resale, it isnt going to affect any number one way or the other. Not a passing fad, anyone with kids loves it.

Thank you - this is helpful! I just saw your other thread - your work is beautiful, wish you were in Florida! Or maybe, rather, we wish we lived in Scottsdale. :-)

We love baja shelf, we were going to put in the sun side of the pool. We change out minds, it is much nicer to read of just lay there in shade when it really hot.

We had one on a previous pool - never got used - although with toddlers I could see how it would be a great play area.
Not having one installed on current pool being built, but we are having an 18" wide, 8' long bench along one part of the shallow end (sort of an extension of the 2nd step). We're also installing a patio umbrella sleeve in the decking next to the bench.

Thank you very much to all! All of this feedback is very helpful.

We really like and use ours for all kinds of purposes, and definitely relaxing. It's essentially part of the 2nd step, so it's around 15" - 18" deep. Great for sitting in an adirondack style chair partially submerged in the water to cool off. It's large enough to accomodate one of those chairs with an umbrella in the sleeve, with extra room for others to sit directly on it.

We are about to remodel our pool and have these "wedding cake" type steps that I want to replace with a larger "Carribean shelf/Baja shelf" as well. The sleeve for an umbrella seems like a must. With regard to kids using it, my two are now teenagers and they don't seem to like anything we, as their parents, decide to do.....so I'm making my decision independent of their likes or dislikes. However, one big reason I would like to have this in the pool is for our labrador retrievers. If you let dogs use your pool, it's a bonus for them.

"If you let dogs use your pool, it's a bonus for them."

I'll second that! Both of my dogs hop in there regularly (at least once a day). One of my typically-non-swimming breeds LOVES to hop in and lay right down on the shelf, carefully keeping his tail just above the water!

OK the dogs sold me on it. :-) We have an 11 lb Havanese and aren't sure if she'll be a swimmer or not. Thank you everyone for posting your thoughts - I really appreciate it!

On hot days, I have a cat that stands on the top step if no one is around. My lab and shepherd hop in all the time.

Scott

I'm loving reading the posts about the animals :) We have had a tanning ledge on our old pool and our new pool as well. The water is so cold and we haven't got to swim yet but our kiddo and her friends have already been playing on the shelf. Our three dogs love it (two labs and a Lhaso).

Hmm, a wet Lhaso. Thats a sight.

Scott

We are in process, and I was struggling on interior pebble colors, so went to visit several pools and turned out they had baja shelves.... With umbrellas. Very upscale multiple-mil. $ homes in Atlanta. They looked great, so we are adding one and doing the pool in tropical breeze and shelf in a sand color pebbletec. It's extra cost b/c we've already shot the pool. But it will be worth it, it's a nice touch.... And.....we have 7 dogs.... Lab down to a pug.... They r excited!

Scott, how did you train your cat to go in the pool???? I am having a hard time trying to get our cat in it. She refuses even though she will stretch out on the warm pavers looking like she is dying and talk to me when I am in the pool.