November 26, 2025: You operate a business, not (just) a pool
Happy Wednesday & Happy Thanksgiving to our US subscribers.
A few weeks ago, a journalist from PoolPro contacted me about an article she was writing: what do pool professionals do to fill their time during the off-season? After redirecting her to someone in a Southern US state where outdoor pools do actually close for eight months of the year, I tried explaining to her we never have an "off season" here in Canada.
Still, it's kept me thinking about this misconception that operating an aquatic facility - indoors or outdoors - is not a year-round preoccupation. We had our first dump of snow in Calgary this week, so you could be forgiven for thinking there's nothing for "pool people" to do when it's cold out, but I can tell you my phone hasn't stopped ringing; there was one day last week where I walked to the printer to collect a document, and came back to three (!) new emails in my inbox... several times over.
Respectfully, I would argue that if you're trying to do all your aquatic facility management in just a few months of the year (e.g. pre-season & post-season), you're doing it wrong. I met several seasonal (outdoor) water park directors at IAAPA Expo who all said they're just as busy in November as May. The only difference? "No lifeguard/staff drama." 😂
I guess where I wanted to go with this week's op ed is that we have four work weeks left in 2025 (less if you're taking vacation), and then all of the hullabaloo of goal setting & New Year's resolutions, so now is a great time to map out your operations for 2026 and make sure it's not all happening during peak times!
Case in point: I don't take meetings or set deadlines during weeks when I teach Certified Pool Operator (CPO) classes. 20 hours ~ of my week is eaten up by teaching the class (which I love, BTW), and I also want to be available for 1:1 tutoring and student questions. I was consistently late when I had deliverables during CPO weeks, or I was not my best self on video meetings, so I've stopped accepting deliverables during CPO weeks. Yes, sometimes it's unavoidable, but largely my frustration has decreased and the quality of my output increased by setting this basic boundary.
Now let's revert back to pool operations: you're saying you can do your best quality & most strategic work when the facility is jammed with (e.g.) summer start up or fall shutdown? That just doesn't make sense. Try proposing a 5-year budget and or quoting lengthy capital project requests when you're busy with swim lessons and public swim 16+ hours per day? It's not going to happen. Or, rather, it may happen, but the work will be terrible and won't get approved.
The larger problem is still, in my opinion, that no one outside of aquatics treats aquatics like a real job. "Oh, you manage a swimming pool? That's neat." How about you manage a business with an annual operating budget of over $1m and 30+ employees, serving tends of thousands of customers every year? We shouldn't have to cut the 'pool' part out, but sometimes we need to in order not to miss the point: you operate a business, not (just) a swimming pool.
All of this to say...
Determine when, historically, are your slowest usage months of the calendar year? Now, move some big internal projects (including admin work, like health & safety documentation) there for 2026. Give yourself the gift of time.
It's just been a normal seven days since our last newsletter, but there have been A TON of aquatic industry updates.
Mattel Announces Plans for 5 Indoor Waterparks
I cannot underscore what a big announcement this is!
BPRD updates rules: No more dropping kids off, leaving them unsupervised at facilities
Vancouver Aquatic Centre to reopen following repairs
The solution was a net?!
Wilderness at the Smokies changes wave pool into an Ice rink
I have so many unanswered questions about how they achieve this.
Yakima’s $9M budget hole could upend youth swimming programs across the region
"The proposal cuts funding for the Yakima Police Department by $3 million, the Yakima Fire Department by $1.75 million, and Parks and Recreation by $1.4 million."
The real Slim Shady? Eminem sues Australian company Swim Shady for trademark infringement
I've got to say, this is extremely memorable branding. I hope the swim suit company wins their case.
Navigator of the Seas Waterslides Closed Amid Fleet-Wide Safety Fix
I wonder if this means we're going to see most of the clear portions of suspended water slides (as opposed to the toilet bowls) replaced on Royal Caribbean cruise ships, due to the Icon of the Seas incident earlier this year. A video is linked in this newsletter.
City prepares for major outdoor pool upgrade
The pool was built in 1979.
Waterloo mayor bringing motion to build large swimming facility
During my last chat with swim coach Dave Ling, he highlighted that a new 50m pool has not been built in the Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area (GTHA) since at least 2016 for the Pan Am Games. The region definitely needs it!
Swimming instructor still going strong after 30 years in the slow lane
A Dip in BASIN Glacial Waters
I had the opportunity to visit in October, but $800+ for hotel accommodation plus a $300 admission fee (without any treatments, food or beverage) was outside even my budget.
Drowning victims’ families: South Haven lifeguard plan a ‘long time coming’
Fire union seeks firing of Riviera Beach assistant chief after failed canal rescue
I'm not suggesting anyone should be fired, but consistently we have seen that firefighters in North America are expected to be masters of all types of environments, and water simply requires very different rescue skills.
Central Pa. woman charged in drowning death of toddler she was babysitting: police
Maui leads state in ocean drownings, still no lifeguards at busy tourist beaches
Man swept off California beach week after father, daughter drown in same area
This is roughly the same spot where a man from Calgary died recently after trying to save his daughter who was swept into the sea.
Virginia’s second-largest city is finally building a pool; it shouldn’t have taken so long
The city has a population of 253,000 people and only one pool.
Wave Pool Powerhouse Partners With Formula 1 Track Designer
I will be interested to see where this goes.
Windsor unveils Canada’s first COMPASS Station for drowning prevention and crisis support
19-Year-Old UC Berkeley Student Dies After Frat Party Drowning Incident
70-year-old man to spend time in prison after inappropriately touching woman, girls at public pool
The world’s tallest hotel has just opened in Dubai at 377 metres tall with 82 floors
Including the highest swimming pool in the world, on the 76th floor.
Registration for our last CPO class of 2025 is closing on Monday, December 1! Thereafter we have no CPO classes until January 26, 2026.
Katie Crysdale
Lakeview Aquatic Consultants Ltd.
PS. The audio of the November 19th newsletter can be heard here!
An oldie, but a goodie!