There was a time when fun in a swimming pool centered on small, inflatable devices like inner tubes, diving boards or standard-issue slides. These are pretty basic and pretty mundane by today’s standards, however.
For commercial pools owned or operated by apartment complexes, home owners’ associations, cities, and hotels or YMCAs, the fun quotient has been — to borrow a line from celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse — kicked up a few notches. Where fun equipment and diverse water-based activities were once a novelty, they are now considered necessity to attract adults and families with children.
Three things seem to define a commercial pool operator’s offerings: imagination, target demographic and budget. There seems to be pent-up demand brewing on the part of larger HOAs, apartment complexes and municipally owned and operated pools: They’re ready to upgrade, especially when it comes to aquatic play themes and features. After the recession-induced commercial pool-building slump, this is welcome news for recession-battered pool builders and purveyors of aqua-fun products.
Ed Benck, owner of Aquatic Recreation Company in Eden Prairie, Minn., has happily noticed this trend. Benck works with a pool builder in Texas, he says, who has placed about five orders with Aquatic Recreation Company in the last 30 days. “These are all brand new projects — mostly for new home developments and HOAs,” Benck says.
Benck says the uptick in new business is not exclusive to the United States: Purchase orders are also coming in from Singapore and Malaysia. The most recent economic slump was not exclusive to America, and it seems the rising tide is lifting us all.
Another aspect of resurgence in water-play accessories for new and renovated pool construction seems to be a shift in how people are spending their money for entertainment or nonessential items. Those who came of age during the Great Depression were intensely aware of the difference between wants and needs. In much the same way, survivors of the recession are looking for entertainment that is budget-friendly, fun, memorable and interactive. A pool offering unique aquatic fun fits these criteria beautifully.
So what are the trends? Benck says splash pads are still a major draw. Probably 98 percent of splash pads are built by cities, he says, with the remainder installed by YMCAs and the like. “They’re building outdoor splash pads and indoor pools that incorporate some of these play elements,” Benck says. “Since splash pads don’t have standing water, they’re usually populated by children, from infants to about 10 years old. From then on, they’re all in the pools.”
Though splash pads have existed for years, they are becoming more like water playgrounds — and parents are demanding seating near these areas to keep a closer eye on their children. Benck and his designers also keep an eye on children: His company never sells a water feature until it first passes the fun test with kids.
Other trends include interactive items: features that spin, spray, turn or dump water. Lighting features are also coming into their own. “We did a community center in Connecticut; they basically built a large interactive fountain — in essence a splash pad,” Benck says. “What made it unique is that they sequenced lighting with the spray.” For municipal, HOA and other non–water park pool operators, manufacturers have more options than ever for gadgets, themes and interactive features. Existing pools can even be revamped and unveiled as fresh, modern and fun experiences for patrons of all sizes, ages and levels of swim experience.
