Ball Python soaking ?

a few weeks ago I was at my local pet store, and I noticed they had a sub adult ball python that was in its water dish. Sometimes I wonder if this could be for the lack of hides and it feels secure in the tight space of the water dish or is it soaking for shed (the ball was in shed and quickly sold after shed).

I have yet to see any of mine soak in there water dish, and the only one I have ever seen touch there water dish was Abbus when she goes for a drink of water.

I hear people say they soak there balls, I used to do this during shed phase but I have found it not being necessary to help with shed. The only time Candy has a had a bad she was before I move her into a sterilite tub and I for got to put the humidity box/hide in her glass cage. Gracin I had soaked for about 15 minutes after I brought him home because he seemed dehydrated. But all my snakes have perfect sheds.

From time to time I will give a bath after I seen that they have pooped and are laying in or looked like they have been running through it and its smeared. I just don't see a need for them to soak.

Soaking is actually detrimental to pre-shed BP's. It strips away oils in their skin they need in order to properly shed.

Soaking, even at proper temperature is also stressful for BP's. I avoid it unless it's absolutely necessary, which is very rare (pretty much only if I find a BP with a repeat bad shed, which is rare). If I think a BP is dehydrated I just make sure the humidity is good and they have fresh water in their bowl, they know what to do from there
And if I find a BP that has crawled through it's waste I just give them a quick wipe down with a wet paper towel.

Now for the BP in the water bowl. On rare occasions some BP's randomly like to soak in their bowl, if they just do it once and not again it's fine, but if it's a everyday thing then there is a underlying problem. Like you said it could be just a lack of secure feeling spaces, or more likely it's mites. Their natural instinct with mites is to try to drown them. Either way I would definitely avoid buying any BP from that store.

I do know that at times when temps become too hot ball pythons will get in there water to cool off.

My Jackson soaked in his water dish non-stop when he had mites, and thats the only time I've seen him do it. He's gotten into his water dish, but he gets right back out after a quick dunk. He def doesnt soak in shed.