Parks & Recreation 2015 Aquatics Guide

Whitewater Parks | Increasing Pool Safety

| Tips for Painting Pools A Q UAT I C S G U I D E 2 0 1 5 W W W. N R PA . O R G

2015 Aquatics Guide

• Lifeguarding • Shallow Water Lifeguarding • Aquatic Attraction Lifeguarding • Junior Lifeguarding • Add-ons including: Lifeguard Management, Aquatic Examiner Service and Optional skills modules

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Train With the Industry Leader

W

ouldn’t you want to train with the organization that certifies 90 percent of the lifeguards in the United States?

Since 1914, the American Red Cross has been the gold standard in lifesaving, water safety and swimming instruction, certifying more than 300,000 lifeguards each year and providing Learn-to-Swim lessons to more than 3 million people annually through its network of authorized providers.

Lifeguarding Courses Covering All Water Depths Three Red Cross Lifeguarding courses train guards to act with speed and confidence in emergency situations both in and out of the water: + Core Lifeguarding for entry-level participants at all facility types; + Shallow-Water Lifeguarding for those guarding in water that is 5 feet deep or less; and + The new Aquatic Attraction Lifeguarding course, designed specifically for those guarding attractions in extreme shallow water, defined as 3 feet deep or less.

While program content focuses on water-rescue skills (including what to do when things don’t go as practiced), there is an equal amount of attention placed on team response for breathing and cardiac emergencies (including professional-level CPR and AED training) and intensified training on surveillance and recognition of emergencies.

All courses emphasize physical competency requirements, including swim and skill prerequisites and a timed exit-skills scenario that must be successfully completed for certification.

Successful course completion means two years’ certification along with free digital refreshers.

Optional add-on modules allow flexibility for training and certification including Waterfront Skills, Waterpark Skills, Administering Emergency Oxygen and Bloodborne Pathogens Training, and Anaphylaxis and Epinephrine Auto-Injectors Training. These modules can be bundled together and completed along with the core Lifeguarding course or taken later.

Improving Accountability and Attention to Safety Among Employees Do you know if your guards and facility are ready to handle an emergency?

Through its Aquatic Examiner Service (AES), the Red Cross assists aquatics facilities in ensuring that they meet or exceed Red Cross lifeguarding standards and that the facility is prepared for emergencies.

AES helps organizations ensure that their aquatics practices are stable and consistent and that they are exercising due diligence in the operation of their facility. The program includes an onsite lifeguarding operations assessment, ongoing lifeguarding observations and evaluations, aquatic emergency action plan drills, and in-service training.

As part of the AES program, the Red Cross offers a one-time Explorer package that allows aquatics facilities to test the AES program with an abbreviated, one-time operational assessment.

This assessment includes observation of staff performance while they conduct surveillance, as well as team skills scenarios. At the end of the in-person visit, the examiner provides an immediate assessment that includes recommendations and goals for improvement.

Let a dedicated Red Cross aquatics representative get you started. Find your representative at www.redcross.org/aquaticsrepresentatives.

W W W. N R PA . O R G | 2 0 1 5 A Q UAT I C S G U I D E |

Parks & Recreation

1

features 4 Whitewater Adventure Whitewater parks are proving a great way to increase park usage and help mitigate environmental concerns Kevan Williams, MLA

Cover concept by Matt Brubaker

1 American Red Cross 8 Aquatic Recreation Company

12 Dangerous Behaviors and Layers of Protection Aquatic facility managers can reduce the potential for injury or worse at their pools by understanding the different types of high-risk situations and implementing consistent preventive measures Paul McMinn

9 Lincoln Aquatics 10 RenoSys Corp.

11 Vortex Aquatic Structures Intl. Inc. C3 RAMUC Pool Paint

16 Maintain and Beautify Your Pool with Fresh Paint

C3 S.R.Smith

Resurfacing your pools can add new life to your facility and encourage increased visitation

C3 Aquatic Access

Courtesy of RAMUC Pool Paint

The Architect’s Choice!

The Market Leader in Aquatic Climbing Walls

AquaClimb is the Only Company to Offer: Contour Panels

Flippable Panels

3D Design

Panels shipped in pre-assembled, full height units

AquaClimb 3D Contour Panels offer a Real World Climbing Experience that is Fun and Challenging!

www.aquaclimb.com • 800-956-6692 2

company profiles

Parks & Recreation

| 2 0 1 5 A Q UAT I C S G U I D E | W W W. N R PA . O R G

But Wait, There’s More!

Parks & Recreation magazine’s 2015 Aquatics Guide is a resource we look forward to bringing to you again and again in the coming years.

Aquatic facilities are some of the biggest draws for many park and recreation agencies, and we aim to equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to operate them efficiently and profitably. Read Parks & Recreation throughout the year for other articles related to aquatic facility management, and consider getting your certification as an Aquatic Facility Operator (AFO). For more information on this program, visit www.nrpa.org/AFO.

COMMERCIAL AQUATICS

ENERGY EFFICIENCY...

INNOVATIVE THINKING

Improve your bottom line, offer a healthier environment for the swimmer, help improve air and water quality, interested? Pentair is the right company for you. BioShield™ UV Disinfection System, IntelliBrite® 5G LED lighting, IntelliZone™ Ozone Systems, and Acu Drive™ XS Variable Frequency Drives are some of our most environmentally friendly products. Call for more information about our commercial swimming pool products.

We focus on Energy Efficiency and you enjoy the benefits!

NSF

®

800.831.7133 WWW.PENTAIRCOMMERCIAL.COM

©2015 Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc. All rights reserved.

Whitewater

e r u t n e v Ad

Whitewater parks are proving a great way to increase park usage and help mitigate environmental concerns

By Kevan Williams, MLA

“T

his project has taken several years to gain traction, beyond the supporters in the whitewater paddling stakeholder group,” Todd Milam, greenway planner for Raleigh, North Carolina’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department, tells me via email. His community is exploring development of a new whitewater park, a partially constructed and partially natural paddling adventure course in a channel of the Neuse River. The city of Raleigh is considering funding an environmental assessment next year, and fundraising, led by Falls Whitewater Park Committee, a citizen’s group, is underway.

The Falls Whitewater Park is part of a larger collection of outdoor amenities already built or planned in the area, including greenway trails along the Neuse River; connections to regional trails; recreational amenities at the

4

Parks & Recreation

adjacent Falls Lake, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and a planned 600-acre park on the lake to be managed by the city of Raleigh. “The completion of the proposed whitewater park will provide an additional out-

| 2 0 1 5 A Q UAT I C S G U I D E | W W W. N R PA . O R G

door recreation destination in this area, serving as an anchor for activities that include hiking, biking, walking, boating, fishing and passive observation,” says Milam.

When complete, the whitewater park will include a diversion structure to help provide adequate flow in the whitewater channel, and a series of drops and pools for whitewater kayak-

Image courtesy of McLaughlin Whitewater Design Group, a subsidiary of Merrick & Company

Whitewater adventurers enjoy the ride at Columbus Whitewater Park on Columbus, Georgia’s Lower Chattahoochee River.

W W W. N R PA . O R G | 2 0 1 5 A Q UAT I C S G U I D E |

Parks & Recreation

5

Image courtesy of McLaughlin Whitewater Design Group, a subsidiary of Merrick & Company

A view of Denver, Colorado’s Confluence Park.

ers and canoeists. But the park doesn’t just serve the paddling community.

“There was an intentional and deliberate effort to ensure that the park would provide activities for a wide range of user groups. This would of course include the kayakers and canoeists, but also tubing, fishing, wading and other activities that visitors of all ages and abilities could enjoy,” says Milam.

The park will also be a unique draw for the region, bringing in tourism dollars from paddling enthusiasts who might otherwise travel further into the mountains or out west to seek more boisterous rivers. It’s the economic benefit that the whitewater park would provide that helps justify the cost for a facility that seems targeted at a very small recreational niche. “From the comments I’ve received from many in the broader community, I believe there is recognition of the potential that a unique facility like this could have for the region,” says Milam.

Raleigh is joining a growing number of cities around the country that have looked to bring their once-wild rivers and urban rivers, often tamed by dams and diversions, back to life, and create havens for outdoor recreation participants and spectators at the same time. “It’s not really about kayakers or 6

Parks & Recreation

canoers, it’s about getting people in and around the river,” says Rick McLaughlin, of McLaughlin Whitewater Design Group, the firm designing Raleigh’s whitewater park. “The majority of people never actually get in the river; they just watch,” McLaughlin explains.

These whitewater features become dynamic focal points for the cities that host them, a free show of sorts that enlivens waterfront parks on average days, and creates a bigger and more impactful draw when tournaments and outfitters tie in. In addition to Raleigh, McLaughlin’s firm has developed designs for urban whitewater parks in Denver, Colorado; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Columbus, Georgia.

McLaughlin says that connecting children to nature is an important function of whitewater parks. “It’s a good entrée into the outdoor world,” he says. To facilitate those kinds of connections, the relationship between people and the river is important. “Bridges and overlooks are really nice, but we always want to get their feet down into the water. People want to be close to moving water and feel like they’re part of the action,” says McLaughlin.

Beyond their recreational appeal, these whitewater parks have a number of environmental and safety benefits.

| 2 0 1 5 A Q UAT I C S G U I D E | W W W. N R PA . O R G

In Denver, McLaughlin’s redesign of Confluence Park improved the downtown area’s ability to handle floods, opening up many valuable acres to redevelopment that were once in the floodplain. Others can benefit aquatic species. “In Columbus, it was very much an environmental project — we removed dams and improved fish habitat,” say McLaughlin. There, his firm worked with the city to remove two historic dams and restore two miles of shoals along the Chattahoochee River, creating what’s billed as the world largest urban whitewater course. In addition to providing fish passage and removing unsafe, failing dams, the project will also provide habitat for the spider lily, an endangered flower native to rocky rivers of the Southeast.

The Chattahoochee River project, which opened in 2013, hosts recreational paddlers as well as a commercial rafting outfit, which provided guided trips for 25,000 people in 2014, its second season. Beyond the jobs created for guides and outfitters, the project, which cost more than $25 million, has also yielded incidental benefits and is the centerpiece of a broader effort in Columbus.

“You couldn’t even get to our river 15 years ago — it was a real eyesore,” says Richard Bishop, CEO of Uptown Columbus, a downtown revitalization nonprofit for the city.

“The river is really a driving force when you have that in a community,” Bishop adds. In addition to the hugely successful whitewater park, the city has also constructed a riverwalk and pedestrian bridges, and other downtown redevelopment and preservation efforts that have brought new businesses to the area. The most recent addition is a zipline across the river into nearby Phenix City, Alabama. “It may be the only zipline that connects two states,” says Bishop.

Because of their location on rivers, projects like the Columbus effort, which took about 12 years to plan and complete, according to Bishop, can be time-consuming. Many federal, state and local government agencies participate in reviewing and permitting the projects, as they involve complex construction in sensitive habitats and active rivers. Management can also be complicated. In the case of Columbus, the city owns the riverbed but leases it to a subsidiary of Uptown Columbus, which in turn contracts with a private outfitter to provide the commercial rafting trips, explains Bishop.

The two-mile Columbus course, which includes dramatic Class IV rapids — intense rapids suitable for advanced paddlers — is very different in scale from the Raleigh proposal, which calls for about 600 feet of beginner and intermediate whitewater features. But it’s not as if Raleigh could have built a Columbus-sized project if it wanted. Each park is the product of the conditions of the river where it’s created.

“You have to have a good site to start with,” says McLaughlin. “You really can’t build these things just wherever you might want them.” Details such as a river’s width, length, fall and flow all impact the design of these courses.

McLaughlin says that the courses and features can come in two varieties. “Most of them are what we call ‘park-andplay,’ and are destination-oriented, like Raleigh. It’s not a run of the river where you get in one spot and take out in another.” Columbus is a good example of that type of course.

In Reno, Nevada, the city took advantage of an island in the Truckee River to create two whitewater courses side by side, the south channel more suitable for slalom-style river running and racing, while the north channel is used more for park-and-play paddlers, explains Peggy Nelson-Aguilar, recreation supervisor for the Reno Parks Department. The variety of uses available ensures that the park is always active.

“Kayakers are here whenever there’s water in the river — it doesn’t matter how it cold it is or anything else,” she says.

The Truckee River Whitewater Park, which opened in 2003, was part of an effort to rebrand Reno as an outdoor recreation mecca rather than a gambling town. The whitewater park and the events it brings, like the Reno River Festival, have helped bring kayakers and athletes from around the world to Reno. “It has really changed our downtown image to a much more positive one,” says Nelson-Aguilar.

The park, designed by Recreation Engineering and Planning, another Colorado-based whitewater engineering firm, is one of two now located along the Truckee River. Downstream, the city of Sparks, Nevada, built its own park on the Truckee, extending the whitewater experience further down the river and raising the region’s profile even further.

Like other communities, Reno faced challenges with

coordination, in this case with Native American groups and other competing interests for the river’s limited flow.

But it also realized environmental benefits, specifically in the form of decreased flooding for Wingfield Park, which occupies the island between the two whitewater channels.

These river parks have only emerged in the last few decades, inviting skepticism in many communities from those who imagine whitewater paddling is simply a niche or fad and not worth the high cost of these parks. But the environmental benefits, which drive much of the cost of the project, are also long-lasting and far-reaching, with the potential to reconnect entire watersheds when dams come down. And although kayaking and canoeing are currently popular river activities, this infrastructure is adaptable. Stand-up paddleboarding and river surfing are two of the latest sports to take advantage of whitewater rivers.

“These things are constantly being used in different ways.” says McLaughlin. “There will probably continue to be new sports and different kinds of recreation.”

Kevan Williams, MLA, is a Park Planner for the Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services Department in Athens, Georgia (kevanjwilliams@ gmail.com).

DuraSplash TM Water Play Surface

• U.V. and Chlorine Resistant • Non-slip • ADA compliant • Maintenance free • Endless design options Ask about our new chlorine resistant aliphatic binder.

512.847.2473 | www.duraplay.net

W W W. N R PA . O R G | 2 0 1 5 A Q UAT I C S G U I D E |

Parks & Recreation

7

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Aquatic Recreation Company

T

he founders of Aquatic Recreation Company (ARC) have been in the water entertainment business for more than 25 years. Together with ARC’s sister company, Commercial Aquatic Engineering (www. fountaindesigns.com), they have honed their expertise in water-feature design and fabrication of water-quality treatment systems. This deep experience is the foundation of ARC’s ability to create unique water-play products that provide safe and fun play — environments that are easy to install, maintain and operate.

WATER PLAY ARC-itects are on staff to make sure your project is a success. A complimentary 3D design concept and budgetary analysis helps you visualize play value, space usage and age-appropriate areas while getting the most value for your money.

In addition, our ARC-itects can provide complete splashpad project construction documents for project construction, permitting and soliciting competitive

construction bids. Our nuts-to-bolts services also include onsite construction supervision to assist your installers with project layout, sequencing of work, proper installation of materials and successful system startup and training.

SYSTEMS INGENUITY ensures your mechanical system is expertly engineered to your specific needs. Both environmentally sustainable recirculation and traditional drain-away systems incorporate the highest quality UL- and NSF-listed equipment.

ARC pre-fabricates, -plumbs, -wires and -tests each system prior to its leaving the factory to ensure those systems are easy to install, operate and maintain.

QUALITY COUNTS, and that’s why we design and manufacture our products and systems for long-lasting value. It’s why ARC water play products have been installed worldwide at municipal sprayparks, aquatic centers, hotels and resorts, campgrounds, fitness centers, housing developments, military bases and amusement parks.

Aquatic Facility Renovation • Large-volume water and environmentally conscious options • Modern and classic structures • Interactive and age-appropriate designs • UL Listed, easy-to-install/maintain mechanical systems

Old Structure

New Structure

Are some of your products showing their age and in need of updating with a newer, more exciting structure?

Aquatic facility standards have changed over the last decade and popularity has exceeded the estimated usages. ARC can help! Our products are surface mounted and can adapt to almost any existing plumbing.

Contact us to get your free 3D concept and budget analysis! info@arc4waterplay.com I 877.632.0503 | www.arc4waterplay.com Aquatic Recreation Company

8

Parks & Recreation

| 2 0 1 5 A Q UAT I C S G U I D E | W W W. N R PA . O R G

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Lincoln Aquatics

L

incoln Aquatics is a leading national distributor of commercial swimming pool equipment, chemicals and aquatics supplies in the country.

For more than 60 years, Lincoln’s reputation has been built by our knowledgeable staff, providing prompt personal service and carrying the highest quality products available. We know you have a choice of who you buy from, and it is our mission to separate ourselves from the other suppliers in the industry. We accomplish this by exceeding your expectations and offering you value in what you purchase.

The 200-page Lincoln catalog and our Lincoln website contain one of the most comprehensive selections of aquatic supplies in the industry. Our products are organized in an easy-to-use format, allowing you to quickly locate what you need. The Lincoln name is a trusted source for facilities across the country.

We don’t just sell the products we supply — we service them, too. Unlike some other companies, Lincoln is a factory-authorized service center. In addition, we are able to do our own installation of products at your facility, in many of the areas we cover around the country. Service, mechanical knowledge and ongoing support are key to what we provide to our customers.

Our Lincoln sales staff offer unparalleled knowledge about your pool and how to solve your specific facility needs. In addition, we know about new technologies that can help you lower your operating costs. Our sales staff also offer the unmatched ability to come meet with you on your pool deck in 37 states.

We are invested in your success and satisfaction and will be there over the long haul.

We look forward to serving you!

Contact us today at 800.223.5450 or visit our website at www.lincolnaquatics.com.

Let’s bring out

your best

Lincoln Aquatics is your dedicated partner for aquatic supplies and equipment.

By serving the commercial pool industry since 1954, with a knowledgeable staff and over 6,500 products, we’re always ready to offer expert advice and great pricing. Visit our website or call us to get our latest catalog.

www.lincolnaquatics.com

(800) 223-5450

W W W. N R PA . O R G | 2 0 1 5 A Q UAT I C S G U I D E |

Parks & Recreation

9

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

RenoSys Corp.

R

enoSys Corp. renovates existing and builds new commercial pools. We utilize more than two decades’ worth of experience and install our line of products that we design

and manufacture specifically for the demanding aquatic environment. RenoSys is a design/build firm, which allows us to have a uniquely collaborative experience with our clients. Our 60,000-square-foot manufacturing plant allows us to design what our clients need and custom-manufacture it for their facility. Since we design, manufacture and install, we provide a single point of responsibility.

RenoSys is known for our superior pool interior — our PVC pool shell.

Stop Throwing Money Down The Drain Year After Year The RenoSys pool membrane system makes pool renovation significantly less expensive than conventional renovation. Our PVC shell covers the existing pool surface with a thick, watertight layer that spans gaps and cracks, making leaks history.

We provide perimeter solutions for our TM ® clients as well, with our DuraTech™ line of gutters and grating. DuraTech stainless steel gutters offer a watertight, effiTrying to keep your pool facilities open, watertight and attractive can drain your budget – especially if you’re dealing with a leaky pool. If you’re cient gutter design. DuraTech grating is planning new construction or renovation - specify RenoSys, The Superior durable and textured, giving pool guests a Pool Interior.TM RenoSys will help keep your pools open and looking great sturdy and safe grating surface. for decades. Unlike fiberglass, paints and epoxy coatings, RenoSys does not RenoSys has a focus on safety. Our depend upon a mechanical bond with your old pool shell, allowing it to RecDeck™ flooring and SoftSide™ expand and contract with the freeze thaw Safety Padding upgrades typical pool cycle making even existing cracks and cold decking and padding. RecDeck is agjoints completely watertight. RenoSys has gressively textured for increased traca full complement of integrated products tion. SoftSide padding and dive stand and systems designed to renovate and build pads are covered in watertight PVC over new commercial pool facilities. Give us a call custom-level safety foam. Our decking today for a free, no obligation quotation and Call for your free sample! and safety padding are both formulated ideas on how to solve your pool problems. to resist algae and fungal growth as well as fading. Since both our decking and padding are designed for the aquatic environment, they outperform and outlast nonaquatic products.

800.783.7005 • www.renosys.com • info@renosys.com RenoSys has built and transformed all different types of facilities, including park and recreation pools, YMCAs, university pools, community pools, swim clubs and more.

For more information, call PVC Pool Shells Gutters & Grating Stainless Pools & Elevated Pools 800.783.7005 or visit www.renosys.com.

Where Does It End?

©2014 ARS Inc

Get The Superior Pool Interior From RenoSys

10 Parks & Recreation

| 2 0 1 5 A Q UAT I C S G U I D E | W W W. N R PA . O R G

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Vortex Aquatic Structures Intl. Inc.

V

ortex Aquatic Structures International Inc. is the world leader in aquatic play landscapes and entertainment. With installations at more than 6,000 locations around the world in public, commercial and entertainment settings, Vortex International provides imaginative, durable aquatic play and water

feature solutions that create everlasting memories. Our ongoing mission is to develop fun, safe and reliable products for families and children of all ages and abilities. For more information, contact Vortex Aquatic Structures International Inc. at 877.586.7839 or info@vortex-intl.com, or visit our website at www.vortex-intl.com.

ParkRec-Feb2015.indd 1

2015-02-13 10:47 AM W W W. N R PA . O R G | 2 0 1 5 A Q UAT I C S G U I D E |

Parks & Recreation

11

Dangerous Behaviors and Layers of Protection

By Paul McMinn

A

mother arrives at an aquatic facility and pays for herself and her four young children. She takes her girls to change into their swimsuits and her boys go and change as well. She comes out of the changing room with her daughters and witnesses a big commotion in the distance. While looking for her sons, she approaches the disturbance and realizes the lifeguards are performing CPR on her unresponsive child.

While a family is exiting the baby pool area, they do not notice a small boy is following them. The boy then breaks into a run and jumps into the deep end of the pool.

These are two examples of a risk that I call the “plunker.” A plunker is a child who jumps into water over his or her head. The child may struggle for a while, but without immediate intervention a fatality could occur.

A father leaves the kids’ area of an aquatic facility with his three small chil12 Parks & Recreation

dren and takes them to a big pool. The children cannot pass the swim test and he takes them to the five-foot-depth area of the pool where none of the children can stand. Most facilities insist that you keep a child within arm’s reach. With three kids, how is that going to work?

Once a child is more than an arm’s length away, this becomes a risk.

One of the most important aspects of creating a safe swimming environment is preventing accidents before they happen. Preventing accidents starts with

| 2 0 1 5 A Q UAT I C S G U I D E | W W W. N R PA . O R G

identification of risks and managing them with layers of protection.

Types of High-Risk Behaviors High-risk situations can be floppers, boppers, hangers, plunkers, breath-holding, a child beyond the reach of an adult and a child wearing an improperly fitting lifejacket.

“Floppers” generally are toddlers between the ages of 1 and 2, who can fall into shallow water and do not have the muscle coordination to pull themselves back up. “Boppers” are nonswimmers who get into trouble when the water level surpasses their noses and mouths. This can lead to a potentially dangerous situation when the water level changes without notice, as with traditional pools that are

built with a gradual slope. The changing water level without notice also makes it dangerous for the “hanger” (nonswimming child who holds on to the pool edge to get around) and the plunker. “Breath-holding” is a dangerous activity that should be prohibited by your rules and enforced by your lifeguards.

Mitigation Tactics The first layer of protection is education. The education process starts with cashiers at aquatic facilities, who should encourage the use of lifejackets. At South Bend Parks and Recreation, we have been surprised at the number of participants who

have taken advantage of our loaner lifejackets. Our cashier also informs adults that if they leave the kids’ area, they must keep their children within arm’s length, and if they don’t, they will have to put them in lifejackets. If there’s only one adult with three or more children who cannot pass the swim test, our rules state that those children must wear lifejackets.

If you ask a bopper, hanger or plunker, “Why were you in water over your head when you are a nonswimmer?” the answer you will get

most of the time is, “I did not know that the water was over my head.”

Aquatic facilities need to do a better job at warning participants of the different water depths at their facility.

If your child is in a pool that has the traditional water depth markings of 3 feet 6 inches to 4 feet 5 inches and they are in the shallower depth

W W W. N R PA . O R G | 2 0 1 5 A Q UAT I C S G U I D E |

Parks & Recreation

13

some pool slides. Using this concept, the participant will have a better understanding of where the water level will fall on their own body.

Clearly labeled signs like these help all pool users identify the appropriate areas where they can go.

walking toward the deeper end, do you think they have any idea they are walking down a slope and the water is getting deeper? The answer is often no. So how can we change that?

Visual signs with color zones that help emphasize the depths of the water are the next layer of protection.

The traditional pool can be divided into three color zones with measurements delineated in inches only. The 3-foot 6-inch to 4-foot area can be designated as the “Green Zone” and labeled as 42 inches to 53 inches in depth. Likewise, the 4-foot to 5-foot zone can be labeled the “Yellow Zone” and demarcated as 54 inches to 59 inches. The 5-foot-deep area then becomes the Blue Zone, indicated as being 60 inches in depth.

14 Parks & Recreation

The entry-level height at the start of each zone would be 42 inches (Green Zone), 54 inches (Yellow Zone) and 60 inches (Blue Zone). From the entry-level height, the Green Zone would gradually increase to 53 inches, the Yellow Zone to 59 inches, and the Blue Zones starts at 60 inches and does not get any deeper. If participants are at the entry-level height for a zone, they still need to be warned that the entry level of a zone is just that — an entry level — and that the end of the zone gradually becomes deeper, except for the Blue Zone which stays the same depth as its entry level.

Patrons are accustomed to being told how tall they need to be to participate in certain activities. For example, they must be 50 inches tall to go down

| 2 0 1 5 A Q UAT I C S G U I D E | W W W. N R PA . O R G

Using Visual Aids Participants at aquatic facilities deserve site-specific education about that facility. This can be done with the traditional pool example stated above by using a series of four signs and a quick measurement performed by the cashier.

The first sign would depict the dangers of the slope of the pool, with the next three signs connected by a fiberglass rod. The participant is then measured against the three signs and rods to show where they stand in relation to the pool depth. This system allows the participant to know the safe areas of the pool for them. The cashier then informs participants in the first two zones that they must stop when the water level gets to their neck because after that, the water level drops and is dangerous.

The same signs, which should be two-sided, are placed on both sides of the pool’s edge. This is done so potential boppers, hangers and plunkers are informed again of the dangers of the water’s depth by the visual signs. They now have been educated twice: Once by the cashier and the first signs, and second by the signs at the pool’s edge.

If you have other areas of the pool, such as a deep well, you will also need a visual sign showing the depth of that area and the potential danger that exits.

Guarding the Pool Area The risk guard, or lifeguard, is the next layer of protection. Their job as a walking patrol is to recognize potentially atrisk swimmers and move them to lower-risk areas. The risk guard makes sure nonswimmers stay in the appropriate water level for their height and helps educate them as to why the right height is so important to their safety.

An adult can take a child into any zone, but must keep the child or children no more than an arm’s reach away. If the adult does not comply, the risk guard informs the adult that they must get a lifejacket from the cashier.

The risk guard stops breath-holding games and educates patrons by asking them questions such as: “What happens when you hold your breath for too long on land?” The answer is, “You pass out and then you start breathing.”

“Now, what happens when you hold your breath underwater?” The answer is, “You could drown.”

The next layer of protection, and perhaps the most important, is doing everything possible to ensure that your lifeguard’s mind is fully engaged with every scan of the aquatic facility. Waterparks, wave pools and busy beaches have perhaps the best lifeguards based on how busy they are with rescues and assists. How can we take that action mindset into what can be, at times, a boring environment? By raising the bar of what is expected of our lifeguards. If a lifeguard misses a risk that is not in immediate danger, such as a hanger, then they are going to miss a risk that is in immediate danger, like a lap swimmer in distress. Employing a risk guard and asking them to prioritize and handle risks in an ever-changing environment is an excellent way of raising the bar.

Risk guards are rotated and tested every day to ensure that no risks are missed. This helps create an action mindset because they do not want to fail their test by missing a risk. Of course secret shoppers, red-ball drills and internal audits also help, but drills alone are not enough to create an action mindset.

Conclusions We need to do a better job of educating the public about different water levels at our facilities. Cashiers informing

users about the correct water depths for them, encouraging lifejackets and enforcing the rules for mandatory lifejacket use are of paramount importance. Visual signs that participants can see help them to better understand all the different water depths at your facili-

ty. Finally, lifeguards need to recognize all aquatic risks and respond immediately and appropriately to them.

Paul McMinn, MPA, is the Assistant Recreation Director with Indiana’s South Bend Parks and Recreation Department (pmcminn@southbendin.gov).

Design with Water Odyssey to create unique water features & environments.

Custom Capabilities • Interchangeablility Water Conserving Options • Themed Play Contact Us: 512.392.1155 | www.waterodyssey.com

W W W. N R PA . O R G | 2 0 1 5 A Q UAT I C S G U I D E |

Parks & Recreation

15

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Maintain and Beautify Your Pool with

Fresh Paint Courtesy of RAMUC Pool Paint

P

ainting is one of the best ways to protect and beautify your pool. In addition to adding a vibrant, fresh color, a new coat of paint can be a cost-efficient way to give new life to your concrete, plaster or fiberglass surfaces.

“Painting or repainting a pool is not as difficult as you may think,” says Kevin Harrington, division manager at RAMUC Pool Paint of Rockaway, New Jersey. “With proper planning and surface preparation, you’re 99 percent of the way toward a great result.”

Always start your job by purchasing premium tools. Not only will high-quality rollers, brushes and products create a better result, they’ll make your job easier.

Choice of paint is an important consideration. If your pool surface is already painted, determine what type of paint is in use. Consult a pool paint professional if you are unsure.

Three types of coatings are suitable for aquatic surfaces: Acrylic water-base can be applied 16 Parks & Recreation

over most types of coatings that are in sound condition and can be used on damp surfaces. This is a cost-ef-

Always start your job by purchasing premium tools. They’ll create a better result and make your job easier.

| 2 0 1 5 A Q UAT I C S G U I D E | W W W. N R PA . O R G

ficient approach and may last up to two seasons when done correctly.

Synthetic rubber can be applied over existing chlorinated or synthetic rubber systems, bare concrete or plaster. When properly applied, the finish can last up to three years.

Epoxy creates a tough, durable finish with unsurpassed stain, chemical and abrasion resistance. If your pool is currently painted with epoxy paint, you must continue to use epoxy. Epoxy can be an excellent alternative to replastering — two coats of a high-build epoxy will achieve a hard, abrasion-resistant surface that costs less than resurfacing.

With proper preparation, your epoxy finish can last up to eight years.

“Surface preparation is extremely important. Whatever coating you use will adhere best to a solid and clean surface,” says Harrington.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Inspect the surface condition of your empty pool. Repair minor cracks or chips, and sand down all peeling or flaking areas. Follow this by power-washing the entire surface to remove loose paint and other debris. Let it dry, then sweep away loose impediments.

Next, follow this process to clean and etch the surface: • Clean using a mixture of 8 ounces of trisodium phosphate (TSP) to 1 gallon of water for each 100 square feet to be cleaned. Scrub vigorously with a stiff-bristled brush, then flush thoroughly with water; • Etch using a solution of 1 gallon of muriatic acid with no more than 2 gallons of water for each 200 square feet to be etched. Apply and scrub until

your pool, but allowing for adequate drying time is your last step in proper application. the bubbling stops. Flush thoroughly with water; and • Repeat step one to clean again.

Optimally, you could replace the three-step process by using a professional one-step pool cleaning/ etching solution.

Now you are ready to paint. Begin painting the walls, then the deep-end floor, and work toward the shallow end.

“Be sure to apply the paint according to the recommendations on your product label,” adds Harrington.

“Paint applied too thinly, or too thickly, may result in problems.”

You may be eager to fill your pool, but allowing for adequate drying time is your last step in proper application. Wait the recommended time specified for your product. Then, fill the pool using a constant, steady stream of water.

Routinely monitor your water chemistry to keep your finish looking vibrant and new. When levels are out of balance, the water may appear cloudy or the paint may wear too quickly.

For more information, contact RAMUC Pool Paint at info@ramucpoolpaint.com or visit www.ramucpoolpaint.com.

RAMUC

S.R.Smith

Aquatic Access

F

S

W

or more than 70 years, RAMUC has developed and produced the most advanced pool and deck coatings in North America. All RAMUC products are formulated to match every pool painting need and are all self-priming, exceptionally durable and VOC-compliant. By using RAMUC on your project, the pool will open faster, look better longer and save you money. RAMUC, 800.745.6756, WWW.RAMUCPOOLPAINT.COM

You may be eager to fill

ince 1932, S.R.Smith has manufactured high-quality products for residential swimming pools and commercial aquatic facilities. Products include ladders and rails, pool lighting, diving boards, slides, starting blocks, lifeguard chairs, lane-line reels, pool games, water features and a full line of ADA-compliant pool lifts. S.R.Smith products are available worldwide through a network of distributors.

S.R.SMITH, 800.824.4387, WWW.SRSMITH.COM

e provide ADA-compliant pool lifts powered by reliable and free water pressure from a hose or plumbed-in line.

The water used is recycled into the pool to replace evaporation. No batteries to constantly charge and replace, no expensive electronic components, no regular maintenance except cleaning and only minimal attention from staff mean the most dependable lifts at the lowest costs over product lifetime. AQUATIC ACCESS, 502.425.5817, WWW.AQUATICACCESS.COM

W W W. N R PA . O R G | 2 0 1 5 A Q UAT I C S G U I D E |

Parks & Recreation

C3

For every purpose, the perfect pool paint: Pro-2000 – Chlorinated Rubber Perfect for annual painting and when competitive pricing is required

EP Epoxy – Perfect for water parks and lazy rivers

DS – Water-Based Acrylic Perfect when short down-time is critical

EP Hi-Build – 2-Part Epoxy Perfect for spas and slides

Perfect.

TYPE A – Chlorinated Rubber Perfect for extended coverage and protection of chlorinated rubber surfaces

Aqualuster – Water-Based Acrylic Perfect topcoat for existing acrylic surfaces

TYPE A-2 – Premium RubberBased Paint Perfect for restoring and upgrading previously painted rubber surfaces

Wood Deck Stain – Water-Based Acrylic Perfect for wooden hot tub skirts and wood pool decks

Acrylic Deck Coat – Water-Based Perfect for upgrading Kool-Deck and other textured concrete decks

www.ramucpoolpaint.com / 800 745 6756