A Question of Leadership
As the pool and spa industry continues to surge into a seemingly bright future, veteran designer Kevin Woodhurst asks big questions about where our industry will find the leaders of tomorrow. The answers, he believes, come from within those who have witnessed the industry’s dynamic evolution. ...
Indoor Water & Air Quality (part II)
Air quality in natatoriums, and ultimately the comfort and health of people using and working at those facilities, relies on a careful balance between operating parameters and system design. As Eric Knight explains here, achieving outstanding indoor air requires understanding the interrelated nature of these spaces and the systems designed to maintain optimum conditions.   ...
Feeding Lake Mead
Managing water levels and flow through rivers systems and reservoirs might rightly be considered watershaping on the grandest possible scale. That unique skillset has come into play in a big way recently as refreshened water resources are distributed through drought-worn Colorado River system. ...
Barrier Busting
Access to swimming pools is an essential factor in learning to swim. As obvious as that may seem, social and economic barriers have for decades prevented many underprivileged groups from sharing in the benefits of aquatic sports. Swim instructor, Robert Trotman, spent more than a half century working to change that. ...
Viva Versace!
The fabled Versace Mansion in Miami Beach is a place rich with history, luxury, style and even infamy. Now a boutique hotel, JC Escudero recently visited and photographed the historic property, taking a deep dive into the Versace legend, eclectic design tradition, and a rich taste of the good life. ...
Chance Inventions
Toys that feature getting wet have a history of becoming iconic to the point it’s hard to imagine summer without squirt guns, water balloons or flotation devices. It may come as a surprise that some of the most popular water toys were not planned by their inventors, but instead were inspired by random observations. ...
In the Company of Jellyfish
Jellyfish are among the oldest and most diverse creatures on earth, and among the most mysterious, occupying a unique niche in the animal kingdom since the dawn of life. Both beautiful and potentially dangerous, science continues to learn evermore fascinating aspects of these translucent denizens of the water. ...
Beholding a Concrete Stream
Appreciating water doesn’t always require sweeping ocean vistas or cascading streams, explains writer and naturalist, Jamie Nestor. As he points out in this personal essay, the beauty and fascination of aquatic environments sometimes exist in surprising places, but can be no less inspiring. ...
Water’s Complex Human Narrative
The story of water and the need to control is very much the story of human existence. According to author Giulio Boccaletti, efforts to transport and store water for agriculture and human consumption was, and remains, the primary organizing force in human society, a phenomenon that lives on to this day. ...
The Vermiculite Touch
In the world of concrete, vermiculite is in some ways an unusual material – a lightweight aggregate that creates a durable and ultra-smooth substrate for vinyl liner pool. (It’s also widely used as a soil amendment in agriculture.) Phoenix B. Owens has been using it in his pools for decades, and believe with the right touch, vermiculite is a perfect choice. ...