When your aquatic facility hosts a wide variety of programs, including a combination of swim clubs and meets with recreational swimming and aquatic exercise, it can be difficult to ensure the right equipment is in place at the right time — and safely stowed away when it’s not needed.
ADA lifts, lane line storage and lifeguard chairs can take up much-needed deck space in multi-use aquatic facilities. In order to maximize the deck space available, facility managers should be aware of the various new products on the market that are designed with minimal footprints, and those that are easy to move, remove and store when not in use.
Most aquatic facilities would prefer to comply with ADA regulations, but ADA lifts can often take up considerable space on the pool deck. To alleviate this problem, there is now a pool access lift that rotates 90 degrees left or right and provides easy access for swimmers while taking up less space on the pool deck. The unit anchors directly into the deck with an anchor socket, making it removable without tools and is easy to retrofit into existing anchors. Look for comfort, including armrests, a comfortable seat with an adjustable lap belt and a foot-rest. Controls should be easy to operate. Also, be sure to look for a lift that is designed to clear spa benches and gutters. Look for portable lift options that allow you to move the ADA lift to different areas of the pool as needed.
With heavy use by your campus swim teams and local swim clubs, your facility deals constantly with the use of swim lane lines. These lane lines take up large areas of space and are always causing trouble for those who need to store or move the lines throughout the day and week.
Luckily, there is a new innovation in lane line storage that prevents tangles and clumping. This simple, easy-to-reel product uses a proprietary lead-screw technology that provides a traversing guide block that slides from side-to-side, keeping lane lines properly aligned while reeling. The unit is made of lightweight, rugged stainless steel with a 1-inch, easy-to-grip captains’ wheel at each end to make reeling and transporting simple. Not only will the unit free up space on your deck and make the deck area safer, but it will also keep your facility looking clean and organized. What’s more, it helps lane lines last longer, as it helps you avoid the damage that can be caused by poor storage.
Lifeguard chairs can also take up much needed deck space. Rather than use traditional, in-deck lifeguard chairs, look at new deck-saving designs that not only save deck space, but also can be moved around the pool as needed. These lifeguard chairs can be positioned close to the pool edge and accommodate most pool gutter profiles, including zero-depth entry pools, and can be used in both indoor and outdoor applications. Available in one step, two step and three step models, they allow side-to-side access for uninterrupted coverage of the pool area during shift changes, which is known to increase lifeguard effectiveness.
Mike Fowler is the commercial marketing and sales manager for Pentair Aquatic Systems in Sanford, North Carolina. He has been with Pentair since 1992, starting his career in the technical services department at Purex Pool Products. Fowler has held many managerial roles within the company, including marketing and products. He can be reached at mike.fowler@pentair.com.
