I must admit that for a long time I’ve had my doubts about the pool and spa industry. I thought to myself, “these folks just don’t get it. They are stuck in the 20th century and I don’t see them getting out any time soon.” I am referring to the severe lack of creativity in our industry. This week, however, a glimmer of hope was brought to my attention. Two major companies in the pool…
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Do you have a problems with your belongings blowing away on a windy day at the beach? I’ve chased my fair share of items down the beach in Wildwood, NJ, and if you’ve ever been there, then you know it’s not a short beach. Well, Marty Hellkamp has just the solution. He and his wife were sitting on the beach, one windy day in the Caymen Islands (almost identical to Wildwood, NJ), and he had…
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Everyone makes mistakes, but you can learn from those mistakes. Instead of making them yourself, I decided to put a list together of common mistakes pool owners make when it comes to taking care of their swimming pool. That way, you don’t have to mess up to learn what NOT to do. 1. Shocking Your Swimming Pool During The Day You should shock your pool every week. That’s 1 pound of shock per 10,000 gallons…
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In case you didn’t know, today (May 15th 2012) is International Water Safety Day. The goal is for people, like us, in the swimming pool industry to raise awareness of water safety. Not only pools, but all bodies of water. InternationalWaterSafetyDay.org has put together 10 Water Safety Rules that you should always put into practice. Buddy Up – make sure you never swim alone Know your limits – do not try to swim further than…
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It’s no fun cleaning your swimming pool. Hooking up your manual vacuum cleaner, slowly moving it around the pool in the hot, hot sun…and all you want to do is go swimming. Cleaning your pool doesn’t have to be a chore, it can be FUN! It can be a blast (pun intended). If you don’t have an automatic pool cleaner yet, then you should invest in one. Either way, check out this video game developed…
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This week, I spoke to Terry Arko of SeaKlear Pool Products. Terry is an industry professional and has been for the last 35 years. SeaKlear started out as an all-natural, non-synthetic, swimming pool clarifier made from reclaimed crustacean shells (yup, crabs). It has now evolved into a brand focusing its efforts on providing eco-friendly pool care products. About SeaKlear SeaKlear® HaloSource brand, offers a wide range of pool and spa products guaranteed to keep pools,…
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Did you know it’s National Pet Week? Thanks to Twitter, now I do. And I decided to write this… Everyone loves their pets, me included. I only have one, but he’s my best friend. He never leaves my side, he gets excited when I come home from work, and he even gets excited when I come back from the mailbox! His name is Reggie and he’s my Jack Russell Terrier. You may begin awwww-ing… Reggie,…
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This year, Polaris® introduced two new robotic pool cleaner models to their existing line of legendary cleaners. After reading the press release and learning a bit more about them via PolarisPool.com, I can safely say that I am highly impressed. I’ve been selling Polaris® pressure-side pool cleaners for years and haven’t really paid attention to their robotic models – until now. They have introduce some cutting-edge technology into their new line of robotic pool  cleaners….
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If your pool or spa business is not on Twitter, do me a favor. After you get done reading this entire article, sign up for a Twitter account and use the 10 tips to kick start your online presence. There is no reason you should not be on Twitter, or any social network for that matter! It’s where you’re customer are. Go to them, share with them your expertise, and tell them about your latest…
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Last week I got the chance to interview LeeAnn Donaton-Pesta, CEO of the safety cover company, Loop-Loc. We talked about how she got started in the industry, the history of Loop-Loc, and the lovable Bubbles the elephant campaign. How long have you been in the pool industry and what’s your background before becoming CEO of Loop-Loc? Before coming to Loop-Loc I had my dream job working in the New York fashion industry as a bridal…
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