The St. John by Sun Pools is a medium fiberglass pool that opens with a question from Sun Pools: “Love our top selling Tropic but need something a little smaller? Sun Pools designed the St. John just for you!” Sun Pools says it includes all the features you love about the Tropic in a 14′ x 30′ footprint, and it names them: a tanning ledge, deep-end seating, safety ledges on both sides, and large shallow end steps. The depth runs 3′ to 5’9″. Of the three Sun Pools models that carry that feature set, the St. John is the shortest, and that is the whole point. It is for the Northeast Ohio homeowner who has measured the yard, penciled in the patio, and decided the pool should not take everything.
St. John Sun Pool
The Tropic's Features, Sized for the Yard You Have
What Is the St. John Pool?
The St. John is a fiberglass pool offered in one size: 14′ x 30′ with a depth of 3′ to 5’9″. Sun Pools gives these as approximate maximum available dimensions and places the St. John in its Medium Pools line.
Four features define it, all carried over from the Tropic according to Sun Pools. Large shallow end steps are the way in. A tanning ledge gives sun lovers a spot to lounge without swimming. Deep-end seating gives the far end a place to rest, and safety ledges run along both sides. What changes from the Tropic is the size. The St. John is 12 feet shorter and 2 feet narrower than the Tropic’s 16′ x 42′, and its listed maximum depth is 5’9″ rather than 6′. Those trims are what let the same feature list fit into far more backyards.
What the St. John Pool Is Not
The St. John is not the pick for a family that wants every foot of water it can get. If the yard has the room, the Tahiti carries the same Tropic features in 14′ x 35′ with a 3′ to 6′ depth, and the Tropic itself runs 16′ x 42′ at 3′ to 6′. Sun Pools calls the Tropic “our top selling large pool.”
It is also not the model to choose if an automatic cover is the deciding factor. Sun Pools lists the Tahiti as designed for an easily installed auto cover but does not list that for the St. John, and Ohio Paradise Pools confirms cover options during design. If a cover ranks high on your list, raise it at the first meeting so it can shape the choice between the two.
Why Sun Pools?
Sun Pools has been building pools since 1995, when it began hand crafting them from American made composite materials. Production happens in Albany, Kentucky, at an EPA approved Title V facility, and the company lists Ohio among the states it serves. Its catalog includes over 30 pool and spa designs in 4 color finishes.
Three construction points are worth knowing on a St. John:
- Hand cut sheet fabric, laid side to side: Sun Pools’ critical point lamination cuts fabric for each pool model and places it across the shell from side to side, the method used on a high end yacht, instead of bulk glass run end to end or sprayed chop glass.
- A reinforced top edge: A modified epoxy skin-coat resin finishes the shell, supported by structural ribs and a reinforced coping.
- Marine color without a clear coat: Sun Pools uses 4 solid, high grade marine finishes rather than a clear coat, which it says can yellow or fog over time, and builds with high grade marine FRP resin and no resin fillers.
Sun Pools puts a non-skid textured bottom on the floor and steps of its pools, which matters most on a set of large shallow end steps that everyone in the family climbs every day.
Why Fiberglass, and Why the St. John?
Think about year ten, not just year one. A vinyl liner pool eventually needs a new liner, and a concrete pool eventually needs acid washing or re-coating. Sun Pools says its fiberglass surface needs neither. The shell is built in the factory and arrives finished, which Sun Pools says saves weeks of construction time, and the smooth interior won’t snag swimsuits or skin while requiring minimum chemical treatment.
The St. John’s own argument is about what you get to keep. Picture a yard that could technically hold a Tropic. Putting the full 16′ x 42′ shell in the ground often means giving up the patio, the lawn, or the garden. The St. John trims 12 feet of length and 2 feet of width and still keeps the four features Sun Pools lists: the tanning ledge, the deep-end seating, the safety ledges on both sides, and the large shallow end steps. Next to the Tahiti, it is 5 feet shorter at the same 14′ width. That space goes back to decking, a fire pit, a play area, or plain grass, and in a short Ohio summer the space around the pool gets used just as hard as the water.
Ready to Fit the Tropic's Features Into Your Yard?
Getting a St. John right starts with the yard, and that is where Ohio Paradise Pools starts too. We are family-owned and full-service, and for over 32 years we have taken Northeast Ohio pool projects from the first sketch through excavation, shell placement, plumbing, electrical, and decking. You get FaceTime check-ins during the build, so you can see progress even when work keeps you away from home.
Then comes pool school: two hands-on visits after installation that cover your filtration system, water chemistry, and what to do each season, so you start your first summer knowing your pool.
Call us today at (440) 610-5484 or schedule a free consultation to start planning your St. John pool installation in Edison Park and the surrounding Ohio communities.
Available Sizes
Size: 14′ x 30′ | Depth: 3′ to 5’9″
Sun Pools lists these as approximate maximum available dimensions.
St. John Pool FAQs
Why choose the St. John over the Tahiti?
Choose it when yard space decides. Sun Pools gives both models the tanning ledge, deep-end seating, safety ledges on both sides, and large shallow end steps it borrows from the Tropic. The St. John is 14′ x 30′ with a depth of 3′ to 5’9″. The Tahiti is 14′ x 35′ with a depth of 3′ to 6′. So the St. John gives up 5 feet of length and 3 inches of maximum depth, and hands that length back to your patio and lawn. If your lot can take the longer shell comfortably, it is worth comparing both on paper with us.
What does a 3' to 5'9″ depth mean for my family?
It means the pool has two personalities. Sun Pools puts the large steps at the shallow end, where the listed depth starts at 3′, and the seating at the deep end, where it reaches 5’9″. The shallow end is the easier place to get in and play, and the deep end gives swimmers a seat to rest on. Where the slope begins is shown on Sun Pools’ drawings, which we walk through with you at your consultation. As with any pool, adult supervision is the rule whenever children are in the water.
Which Tropic features does the St. John keep, and which stay with the Tropic?
The St. John keeps the four Sun Pools names on its model page: a tanning ledge, deep-end seating, safety ledges on both sides, and large shallow end steps. The Tropic’s own page goes further, listing a 5′ x 12′ tanning island with three built in water bubblers, a wrap-around deep-end seat, bench seating, and a walk-around safety ledge. Those extras are listed for the Tropic, not the St. John. If the tanning island is what you love, the Tropic is the model to price out.
How does the tanning ledge fit into a 14' x 30' pool?
Sun Pools lists a tanning ledge among the St. John’s features, which gives even this shorter shell a lounging spot apart from the swimming water. The ledge’s size and water depth are confirmed from Sun Pools’ drawings during your consultation. From there, we plan the deck around it, including where loungers, an umbrella, or a shade sail will go, so the ledge gets afternoon sun where you want it.
Is an automatic cover an option on the St. John?
Sun Pools does not list automatic cover compatibility on the St. John model page. Ohio Paradise Pools confirms cover options for your pool during design, before you commit to anything. Ohio pools sit closed from fall until mid-May, so a cover conversation belongs early in the planning, not after the deck is poured.
How long does it take to install a St. John pool?
Plan on approximately 2 to 3 weeks for most installations, counting from excavation through shell placement, plumbing, electrical, and initial finishing. That speed comes from the one-piece shell, which leaves the Sun Pools factory already finished. Permitting, site access, weather, and the size of your decking job can stretch or shorten the schedule. Ohio Paradise Pools manages every stage, keeps you posted with regular updates and FaceTime walk-throughs, and wraps up with two pool school visits.
What warranty does the St. John pool carry?
Sun Pools covers the St. John shell with its Lifetime Structural Pool Shell Warranty and the interior surface with a 3 year warranty. If you sell the home within the first 36 months, the warranty can transfer to the new owner. The Sun Pools Inc. Shell Warranty Certificate that ships with each pool sets the exact terms, and coverage requires registration with the Sun Pools corporate office. On the local side, you are working with a company that has more than 32 years in business, holds a BBB A+ rating, and was named Cleveland’s swimming pool contractor of the year in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
What does day-to-day maintenance look like for a St. John pool?
Sun Pools says its smooth interior requires minimum chemical treatment, and you skip the big-ticket chores that come with liners and concrete. Day to day, you test and balance the water, let the filtration system run, and skim or vacuum as leaves come in. If you want to dress the pool up, Sun Pools offers brand-wide options such as inlaid mosaic tile designs, waterline tile trim, and color underwater lighting, and we confirm which of them suit your St. John during design. Pool school covers the rest.
Call Ohio Paradise Pools at (440) 610-5484 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation. Serving Edison Park and communities throughout Northeast Ohio.