I am reluctant to re-wire one of my outdoor DBs with pool pump and well point pump amongst other things, yet need the other CBs on essential load.  I can disable the pumps via home automation so as not to use these during LS, but was wondering about the inductive loads on the essential output of the inverter.  Is there any risk in switching these on the essential side?

What size inverter do you have? I run pool pump (800w) on a 5kw inverter with no issues on startup on my essentials. And yes you CAN control them with CBI / other smart devices based on whether you have LS or not

I have the 5KW.  The pool pump and well point are similar, 750W each.  Pool pump will just switch on once and then off during the day, but the well point has a pressure switch so multiple short on-off cycles throughout the day depending on users.

Do you have a view as to your normal baseload during the times these 2 will run? I think you will be fine though - there WILL be some days where you will need to actively manage them, e.g. cloudy days, not enough PV and low batteries. 

Would it be an option to put those pumps on the AUX output? You may still have to jump in with some active management during loadshedding, but at least you could set it so you never accidentally drain your batteries through the pool pump. Might not work for you, and not the question you asked, just a side-thought.