To a Healthier World
Through the years, one of my favorite advocacies at WaterShapes has had to do with building awareness among watershapers about the health benefits that result from what you all do for a living. We've worked with the National Swimming Pool Foundation on many occasions, for example, lining up articles that have either reported on research related to the specific benefits of swimming and/or water exercise, or told personal stories of what
To a Healthier World
Through the years, one of my favorite advocacies at WaterShapes has had to do with building awareness among watershapers about the health benefits that result from what you all do for a living. We've worked with the National Swimming Pool Foundation on many occasions, for example, lining up articles that have either reported on research related to the specific benefits of swimming and/or water exercise, or told personal stories of what
Facing Our Aqautic Future
I don’t want to come across like a grumpy old man, but I don’t think kids today are experiencing anything like the aquatic childhood I did. I grew up swimming and bathing and playing in commercial and private swimming pools; wooden, plastic and concrete hot tubs; streams, lakes, rivers, oceans, seas, bays, sounds and gulfs.  I still swim and know I always will. I grew up taking
Ripples #76
Compiled and written by Lenny Giteck   North Korean Dictator Kim Jung Un Visits Waterpark Construction Site 
Test Your Knowledge #65
Has USA Swimming Banned Anti-LGBT Discrimination?
Wondrous Trouble
I’ve been a student of California history for many years – and particularly of its water history. I was hooked as far back as the sixth grade, when I wrote a big report on the California Water Project and how we were, in the 1960s, just beginning to move water from the Feather River in northern California and feed it by circuitous means to
Choosing a ‘Look’
As I suggest at the start of the video linked below, one of the most important decisions made by a soon-to-be poolowner has to do with the tile and coping:  Among all project components, these are generally the ones that stand out most in visual and aesthetic terms, so we do all we can to persuade our clients to choose wisely among all available possibilities. While we do tend to set them a little loose with this part of the process, we’re also
Digging In
All too often, do-it-yourself pond installers will jump the gun, apparently unable to resist the urge to start digging right away.  My guess is that they want to get the intense labor involved in excavation out of the way, not to mention all of the grunting that comes with using a plate compactor. As the pair of videos linked below indicate, there comes a time when there’s no avoiding shovel and spadework – but it shouldn’t happen first.  Instead, the installation process should begin with the
Avoiding ‘Dead Spots’
Just the term “dead spot” sounds bad on its own – and that’s probably a good thing, because it’s definitely something every watershaper should try to avoid. That can be tough these days, given the complex shapes of modern swimming pools and their multiple curves, inlets, grottos, vanishing edges, beach entries, tanning shelves and various other features that complicate the interior contours of the shell. To get the job done, you need to
Ripples #75
Compiled and written by Lenny Giteck   Diana Nyad Finally Achieves Her Dream to Swim from Cuba to Florida