Do I really need a pool winter cover??
I never have any luck with these things. The bubble always pops and it is a major pain to constantly pump the water off the top. When it snows, I am always worried that the pool will colapse because of the extreme weight on top of the cover. I was thinking, if I just take the cover and push it to the bottom of the pool (so the leaves don’t eat away at the pool liner bottom,) and next season drain out the old water. So therefore I don’t have to get winterizing chemicals and everything else needed to purchase to close my pool.
I would worry about kids deciding ice skate on the ice that forms. Why not just drain the pool. The covers are made tough to carry the kind of weight you are talking about.
If you don*t winterize with chemicals your pool could freeze and crack.
Winterizing PART 1 – How to close my swimming pool for the winter.