November 12, 2025: a mentality of mediocrity

Greetings,

Have you ever had a regular customer complain that you're ignoring them in favour of seeking out new customers? I used to hear this all the time when I was a municipal pool manager. The aquafitters (i.e. seniors at the pool 5x per week) would complain that I was bumping their existing programs in favour new programs for children & families. I found the argument unfair - I was simply trying to rebalance the business model, providing aquatic facility access to more people (not 'just' people who statistically have time to show up the most often) - but I heard the complaint a lot, and I'm sure you have too.

Twice a year, my boutique fitness studio does a 30-day challenge. The idea is that if you come 30x in 30 days you are eligible to be entered in a draw to win substantial prizes. The idea with doing it in November is that you start a fitness habit before the Christmas cookie craze and set yourself up for New Year's resolutions. Plus, hopefully you're incentivized to spend big during the annual studio's Black Friday sales.

I was in a yoga class recently and overheard regular customers talking about how much they hate the 30-day challenge because it becomes hard to book their favourite classes with all the new/irregular customers. And they're not wrong: the competitive nature of a challenge means that people are overcommitting to the number of classes they can reasonably attend, including double & triple booking classes on the same day, hogging spaces only to cancel right before the deadline when a late cancel fee applies.

Are the regulars complaining about availability wrong? No. Is it the wrong business model to prioritize seeking out new customers? I don't know.

One of the business aphorisms I consistently see in entrepreneur/hustle culture is to double down on the customers you already do have (your perfect customer) and not worry about finding new customers (not your perfect customer). I truly believe this from a business perspective, but I've never thought to apply back to aquatics and recreation when regular customers complain that we're not meeting their needs....

I don't have the answer as to which is the right position to take, but I guess what I'm encouraging you to do is at least commit to one course of action: commit to double down on your regulars, or commit to double down on newcomers, but don't find yourself in this mentality of mediocrity where you're doing neither thing well by not staking a position.

A quick reminder that our last two Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) Certified Pool Operator (CPO) classes on Zoom are coming up shortly. We don't have any CPO classes December 12, 2025 - January 25, 2026.

November 24 - 25 CPO Class
Registration closes this Monday, November 17.

December 8 - 11 CPO Class
Registration closes Monday, December

Thereafter, our next class is January 26 - 29, 2026 and registration tends to be brisk that first Monday back to work (new budgets!!) in the new year. If you need creative invoicing in advance, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Here's everything notable that crossed my eyes & desk this week in the aquatics industry:

North Dakota hotel worker caught soaking stained bed sheets in hot tub in front of guests: ‘Disgusting’
Please don't do this!

North Vancouver teams up with Weston family to open Burrard Inlet urban pool
Click here if it appears paywalled. TL;DR the Westons of Loblaws/Superstore are funding the majority of this project. They need some good PR after the recent Bread Price-fixing Scandal. BTW, claims are open until December 12, 2025.

Eleven-year-old boy drowns during KL swim class for special needs students

Illinois bill to regulate ice baths at gyms, pool facilities
This is much needed, and I hope more jurisdictions follow suit!

Therme Group Selected by Singapore Government to Build Asia's First State-of-the-Art Wellbeing Destination
When all of your project bids are accepted at once....

Vancouver Aquatic Centre closed after piece of concrete falls from roof into pool
This is the second time since February 2024 that concrete pieces have have randomly fallen into the swimming pool while it's actively in use.

Temps may be cooler, but Stadium Swim keeps the pool action going all year long in Las Vegas
I find it so bizarre that so few facilities stay open in the fall/winter in places where arguably it doesn't get that cold? I think this facility will be very financially successful because of it.

Outlook park to turn former swimming pool location into community hub

Correspondence regarding swimming pool closures: FOI release
This is great timing, as it relates back to a recent video about how aquatic professionals need to be aware that they are often subject to detailed freedom-of-information requests.

Yeongdo’s Seaside Water Park Project Abandoned Over Cost and Water Quality Issues
This is one of many reasons why it's not 'easy' or 'safe' to take open water and run it through a 'pool' systems

I’ve studied over 200 kids—these 7 ‘magic phrases’ can calm any tantrum instantly
This would have been so helpful when I taught preschool swim lessons!

Here’s where the economy is starting to show ‘K-shaped’ bifurcation
Are you noticing a drop in admissions or program revenue at your aquatic facility? In this current economic climate, wealthy consumers spend freely while lower- and middle-income people struggle and scrimp to save money for essentials.

Joshua Alert bill could bring immediate notifications for missing autistic children in Ohio
Important especially because autistic children are very drawn to bodies of water.

Is Medellin Becoming A Swimming City?

Swimming instructor in Noord-Brabant town arrested for sex crime
No confirmation as of yet where the crime occurred, i.e. it may not have been at the pool where he worked. This is a good reminder to think about your criminal record check procedures, both intake and ongoing. I understand this is very controversial in the USA, but definitely an industry minimum standard of care for aquatic staff in Canada at regular intervals.

Good Samaritan Commended for Saving Teenager’s Life Using NSRI Pink Rescue Buoy at Stilbaai

Munich’s famous river wave has vanished after a cleanup. Surfers hope it will return soon

A two-decade analysis of trends in drowning-related deaths among the U.S. geriatric population: 1999–2020
It's believed that senior/geriatric drowning incidents and fatalities are going to grow as populations age.

Accrington trampoline park 'smashed up' as parents fight and staff assaulted
Yes, this is not aquatics, but it does connect back to what I said in last week's newsletter: customer violence is growing, rapidly, in public facilities.

All-Access Pass
When clients ask me why they should 'bother' to make their facility accessible? 'More than one in four adults in the U.S. reported having a disability in 2022. And that number grows with age, with 43.9% of those 65 years of age and older reporting having a disability.'

Pasco installs inflatable dome to keep Memorial Aquatic Park open year-round
Yet another facility in the march of those looking to stay open year round, possibly because they can't afford the cost for an entire new indoor aquatic facility.

A massive indoor water park near Montreal is set to start construction — Here's what we know
I honestly didn't think this project was actually happening, but I met a supplier at the WWA show who has physically shipped their product to Quebec for install, so stay tuned!

Some still hoping the town's recreation masterplan will reconsider an indoor pool

Naming Rights Agreement for Barr Homes Aquatic Centre Announced

Thanks so much for being here! Fingers crossed I catch up with you same time next week from the IAAPA Expo in Orlando (flights TBC!)

Katie Crysdale
Lakeview Aquatic Consultants Ltd.

The recording for the October 29 newsletter is here.
The recording for November 5 newsletter (last week) is here.