Commentaries, Interviews & Profiles

Building the Atlantic City Show
George Kazdin has worked in the pool and spa industry for more than 50 years, and is one of the industry’s most experienced business leaders. A New York City native and founder of Kazdin Pool & Spa on Long Island, Kazdin has marched from the trenches to the boardroom. He was also instrumental in founding The Pool & Spa Show in Atlantic City. ...
Short-Term Rental Questions: Long-Term Answers?
Should pools at short-term rental properties be subject to commercial pool standards and codes? It’s a question that begs serious consideration, says Scott Cohen, given the nature of pools that are residential in scope and scale; but, in some respects, more like commercial watershapes in the way they are used. ...
Voices of Vision
It’s hard to say goodbye. That’s been especially true this past year as the watershaping world bid final farewells to a remarkable group of industry leaders whose influence will no doubt live on. Their WaterShapes contributions featured here, we honor their lives and contributions with our hearts and sights set on tomorrow.    ...
Swimming in Gravy
Kevin Cobabe knows how to enjoy the good life. Among his favorite indulgences, gravy stands alone. A self-described gravy connoisseur, as well as an accomplished pool designer/builder, he sees a parallel between his favorite culinary pursuits and his work creating places devoted to liquid luxury. ...
Limestone Solutions
With the intensification of global climate change, reducing atmospheric and oceanic carbon dioxide levels has become a unifying pursuit that has given rise to innovative approaches. Including one based entirely on dissolved limestone to combat acidification. ...
Mystic Muralism on the Shores of Lake Chapala  
Mexican art is often defined by the use of vivid colors and bold mythical figures representing both pagan and Christian themes. Muralist painter, Jesus Lopez Vega, captures those contradictions in his bold works that among other things, pay homage to the natural waters of Mexico’s Lake Chapala, the largest in Mexico, an object of both concern and admiration. ...
Unpacking Non-Disclosure Agreements
There’s nothing secret about the increasing prevalence of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) on many, if not most, of today’s most elaborate watershaping projects. More and more, designers and builders are being asked, if not forced, to sign these documents that in many cases prohibit sharing any type of information about the project. ...
Remembering a Leader: Vance Gillette
As the pool industry mourns the passing of renown leader and advocate, Vance Gillette, WaterShapes editor and long-time friend, Eric Herman, offers a reflection on the career and influence of one of the industry’s most charismatic and outspoken proponents. ...
For the Love of Sea Turtles
Are sea turtles medicine? To survive, sea turtles need our help and are the perfect group of animals for Wildlife Conservation Therapy, which helps us in return, explained the late Wallace J. Nichols in this widely read essay on the importance of sea turtles. ...
I Wish You Water: Celebrating the Legacy of Wallace J. Nichols
World Blue Mind Day is observed on July 23rd each year to recognize the emotional benefits of spending time near, in, on, or under healthy bodies of water. When the concept’s founder, Wallace J. Nichols passed away this past June, he left behind profound contributions to our understanding of the human connection to water. Blue Mind is his lasting legacy. ...