August 12, 2026: Are you confusing dependence with development?
Greetings,
I want to share a recent experience regarding dependence vs development because I woke up one day last week and realized: why don't we use a thermal printer for shipping labels?!
For background: we've been shipping textbooks around the world for virtual Certified Pool Operator (CPO) classes since April 2020. We're doing 200-300 shipments per year, on top of 500+ shipments total when I was an eBay reseller. Suffice it to say, I know how to pack and ship all manner of items via different carriers to different regions and countries.
At some point, there was a real software reason that precluded us from using a thermal printer to make sticky shipping labels for CPO textbook shipments. And unwittingly, that vestigial practice remained long after the need to not use a thermal printer ended with some sort of software update. Hence, as I said, I woke up one day last week and realized, "Why are we still doing this?" Within hours, I picked up a printer & labels from Facebook Marketplace, and packages with thermal labels will be coming to a mailbox near you very soon!
The tie-in to aquatics is that we often become so focused on building reliable, replicable systems to keep our aquatic facilities running safely that we also create dependence that inhibits development of even the most basic changes (like a printer) when we encounter friction that should signal a problem.
This comes into play a lot with programs & services. I saw this Instagram Reel last week. Initially, I thought it clearly illustrated how little customers & rate payers (residents) understand about nuanced facility operations. Kudos to the lifeguard who jumped into the comments to try and explain what the poster is missing:
"Lifeguard here! Pool hours are typically based on two things, Safety and Attendance. While it would be convenient to a family with a stay at home parent for the pool to be open from 9am-9pm, things such as the UV index, weather, and lifeguard exhaustion can make it unsafe for the pool to be open that long continuously. Secondly, most pools are actually open during those times just not for open swim. You have to take into account how much time lap swim, swim lessons, and any other programs that also use the pool take up of the day. Hours are also based on maximizing the usage per hours by patrons too. A lot more goes into it than just letting kids swim."
However, as the week has progressed, my thinking has shifted because - simplifying for all the resource issues mentioned above and presented in articles below - why haven't pool hours changed in my lifetime? As a municipal pool manager, I know that anytime I fielded requests for different times, I defaulted to the current position without actually stopping to ask 'WHY' we still maintain the current position.
Maybe you have recently done a community needs assessment, or your annual staff budget allocation only allows for certain programs at certain times or limited daily facility operations, but I'm guessing that - if you're at all like me - we use the comfort of our knowledge & expertise as dependence to avoid development that would ultimately benefit the person and facility.
A big thank you to everyone who's been following along this week as I've been pushing the final few hours towards YouTube monetization.
I've been posting on YouTube since 2019, starting with Ruth Lee lifeguard manikin demos and then going viral with the 2020 POOLaide Webinars. I've continued posting content ranging from the 2021 POOLaide Webinars, my National Lifeguard (NL) series, weekly live chats about the aquatic industry, cruise vlogs & more.
A lot of people (friends & colleagues) have asked: what's the deal with YouTube? Why are you spending so much time pursuing this? I genuinely believe that YouTube is the way of the future: a significant democratization of access to equitable learning for everyone (anyone) everywhere. The algorithm isn't as curated yet, and success can still be found with quality knowledge > aesthetics. We have some genuinely ugly content visuals, but people listen and receive value.
More scientifically, from a business perspective, YouTube blows traditional/ legacy media out of the water and even surpasses behemoths like Netflix. People are watching YouTube at home on a TV while doing chores, listening on phones while walking the dog, syncing it to the car on a daily commute, or even connecting to the pool sound system during 5am setup... to say nothing of classrooms & professional development settings.
The main reason I love YouTube: there is NO gatekeeping. I can share resources, opinions, industry trends, facility access, cinematography, etc. and no one else can get in the way. You like it and watch, or you don't, and we all move on with the day.
What I wanted to say in the context of the newsletter is that I do actively limit myself to showcasing a max of two videos in the newsletter each week, but some weeks I'm posting up to 4 longform videos and another 3-4 shorts/reels.
So my only request today is that even if you don't think of yourself as a "YouTube person," if you listen to radio or podcasts, you can listen to YouTube. Take a peek at our YouTube channel because I'm sure you'll find something interesting for you. That annoying refrain you hear everyone (please like & subscribe, share, comment, etc.) is so true because it's the only way to train the algorithm to show you more content from us that's relevant to you.
Here's everything else happening in the aquatics industry this week.
When Disaster Strikes: A State Playbook for Outdoor Recreation Resilience
Child Whose Family Sued to Stop Brain Death Test After Drowning Has Died
Dallas recreation centers to temporarily close Friday due to city budget shortfall
This is awful & makes me really angry.
Billings moves forward with plans for a new South Park Pool after decades of aging infrastructure
Royal Caribbean gave a behind-the-scenes look at how its AquaTheater really works
I share this because it's a pool on a cruise ship with a moveable floor.
Dreamland Pool and Park closed after sudden increase in geese
Is this the first year they've ever encountered geese? A plastic owl goes a long way.
City says pool closure date picked due to late summer attendance, staffing challenges
Roosevelt Park Pool in Minot to close earlier due to staffing shortage, prioritizing safety
Miami municipal pool closes early due to lifeguard shortage
Paused Rocky View recreation projects estimated at $111M had no final construction approval
I'm so perplexed how this happened?
Southern Utah luxury resort accused of water treatment violations
"A Moab-area resort that charges more than $1,000 per night told staff to "wash dishes with swimming pool water" while pumping unregulated water into guest rooms, according to a state notice."
Florida health department closes pools in Hialeah; they were operating without permit
Proof that even municipalities are not always up-to-date on regulatory requirements.
Restaurants, pubs and theatres ban Meta’s ‘spy glasses’ over privacy fears
A $2 sticker let me bypass the Meta Glasses' anti-creep feature
Influencers are excited about Meta’s glasses. The rest of the world? Not so much
Why Americans Ripped Their Diving Boards Out
This is a great listen about NSPI, S.R. Smith, the origins of Duraflex diving boards, pool insurance & more.
Four-year-old drowns at Paros beach bar pool
"The business owner, who is also registered as the pool’s lifeguard." 🤯
Norwegian Cruise Line Details First Look at New Great Tides Waterpark
Camp Mystic sues to protect Eastland family members in bankruptcy court
Click here to read without a paywall. I'm astounded that a camp (business) serving nearly 1,000 children per summer had only $6m in liability insurance, but I guess based on what we saw in the final report regarding last year's deaths I shouldn't be surprised at anything anymore.
"He's a fighter": Calgary boy remains in medically induced coma after near-drowning in B.C. river
Former NYPD chief drowns in Long Island backyard pool
Proof that absolutely anyone can drown.
The Cyclospora Mystery: How Human Poop Got on So Much Lettuce
I found this podcast from The Daily (New York Times) so helpful to understand.
Thanks for reading & being here with me today! I want to close with a quote I really enjoyed from a recent newsletter:
"Being trusted is good, but being irreplaceable can get expensive. If the organization can't picture the current role without you, part of your job is to help it picture exactly that. You don't owe anyone a perfect handover before you're allowed to grow. Still, making the path practical removes the easiest excuse for keeping you where you sit." - Steven Claes
Katie Crysdale
Lakeview Aquatic Consultants Ltd.
No AI tools were used to research, consolidate, format or write any portion of this newsletter.