Riding a River

Lazy Rivers are among the most complex systems found in residential settings. In this installment of Direct Connections, builder Scott Payne details a recent backyard river project that pushed him and his company beyond their comfort zone, but one that yielded a treasure trove of knowledge and a river that takes the clients for a joy ride.

Over the past year, Watershape University’s Wolfpack Webinar Wednesdays has covered a spectrum of relevant watershaping topics from many qualified instructors. Among the more compelling presentations have been those from builders profiling their finest works.

On April 7, designer/builder Scott Payne, owner of Scott Payne Custom Pools in Montgomeryville, Penn., pulled back the curtain on his company’s first-ever lazy river project. The free session is part of the WU’s IACET-accredited continuing education curriculum titled Construction 2971: Project Profiles from Design to Construction – Lazy River.

As he explained during the hour-long presentation, he was at first reluctant to take on the project for fear of not performing up to his own high standards. “But when you know people you can turn to for the technical support and expertise you need, it gives you the confidence to take on something you haven’t done before.”

Payne’s presentation looks at the project from the initial design stages, through engineering the hydraulics and complex pool structure, and through the complex installation process, which was significantly delayed by the COVID19 pandemic.

Throughout the discussion, Payne gave high praise to those who offered their technical support:  Watershape University co-founder, Dave Peterson; the staff at Current Systems, which manufactured the river-flow pump system; and Hayward Industries, which provided most of pool equipment. Payne also generously credited the industry education he’s received throughout his career claiming “he stands on the shoulders of giants.”

In the end, Payne says, the river works perfectly. “You sit in an innertube, never touch the sides, and ride around and around as long as you like,” he explains. “The clients love it.”

Watch it here.