October 2008 Table of Contents

Remember being 20? For me it was (gulp) nearly 20 years ago. Read more

As many operators quickly learn, in-service training sessions can be difficult. Sometimes the staff is not paying attention or is not too thrilled to be there. Read more

Highlighting the risk of aquatics facility sex offenders — from the public and staff — patrons at several venues became victims of alleged sexual misconduct in summer 2008 Read more

Michael Phelps and his history-making eight Olympic Gold medals — a feat followed by millions of new swimming fans — has set the stage for an aquatics rebirth never before seen. Read more

Approximately 6,500 children experience diving-related injuries every year, according to first-of-its-kind new research. Read more

More than 211 million Americans tuned in to watch the Beijing Olympics, making it the most-watched event in U.S. television history, according to Nielsen Media Research. In case you missed the action, here’s a recap of what happened, and a glimpse at prep Read more

How clean is your pool? Most operators feel confident when asked that question, but local inspections have revealed some alarmingly unsafe pools, most often in places such as apartment complexes and hotels Read more

The Big Splash Waterpark in Tulsa, Okla., was closed for several days in June. Read more

When a 5-year-old boy died at Sun Valley Beach waterpark in August, it was the Powder Springs, Ga., park’s second drowning this year. Read more

Operators across the nation have closed their pools by now, and for many, autumn could not come soon enough, following several mid- and late-summer crypto outbreaks. Read more

Nine quadreniums ago, swimmer Mark Spitz accomplished what no other Olympian had ever achieved: Seven races. Read more

You’ve spent countless hours attending to the needs of your patrons — ensuring good times as they careen down huge water slides, splash in gigantic wave pools or methodically execute their workouts. Read more

Modern businesses typically choose communities with cultural and recreational amenities that allows them to attract and retain a well-educated workforce. Read more

Imagine London, circa 1950 Read more

In 1990, just two years after the birth of Aquatics International, the federal government passed the sweeping Americans With Disabilities Act, prohibiting discrimination based on certain physical or developmental limitations. Read more

Lifeguarding has been a mainstay in the industry for decades, but the past 20 years have brought about some significant changes in the way these individuals do their job. Read more

From the ancient Roman baths to the sophisticated aquatic therapy treatment centers of today, water is undeniably cathartic. Read more

It'?s pretty safe to say that getting a job in aquatics today basically requires two things: a love of the water and a formal certification. Read more

Over the past two decades, private swim schools have become major players in the aquatics industry. Read more

Over the past two decades, many rectangular neighborhood pools that were state-of-the-art in the 1950s and ?60s became the ?dinosaurs of the industry. Read more

When it comes to aquatics, it appears mother knows best, Mother Nature, that is. Read more

When it comes to aquatic research, the National Swimming Pool Foundation has largely been at the forefront, founding the World Aquatic Health Conference. Read more

A recent report in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology found that melanoma rates among young women in the United States have increased 50 percent since the 1980s. Read more

Chlorine has always been the gold standard in pool sanitation, but in the past several years, a supplemental option has entered the mainstream. Read more

Early this year, President George W. Bush signed the first-ever federal pool and spa safety legislation — the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act. And experts agree that more federally mandated legislation of its kind is bound to follow. Read more

Thanks to recent technological advances, pools have undergone some pretty impressive changes in the past 20 years. Read more

Since ancient times, water has been associated with exercise and good health, but in the past two decades aquatic exercise — including aqua aerobics, deep-water running, shallow-water kickboxing, ai chi and various forms of strength training — has come of Read more

Since the birth of Aquatics International 20 years ago, RWIs including cryptosporidium, have become one of the major topics in the pages of the publication. Certainly aquatic parasites have existed for much longer than two decades, but over the past ... Read more

Neighborhood parks across the United States have taken on a new look in recent years. With the addition of “splashpads,” parks, as well as other nonaquatic settings, including zoos and shopping centers, now provide water-based recreation for young visitor... Read more

Highlighted by the Olympics, countless swimming world records have been broken so far this year. Read more

How many women are on your staff? According to a 2008 Aquatics International Salary Survey, male and female head lifeguards and supervisors are nearly equal in number. Read more

Tubes. Waves. Read more

If you were to have asked someone to describe a pool 20 years ago, they’d probably have drawn something rectangular with six or eight lanes for swimming. Read more

The first indoor waterpark of size in North America was 1985’s World Waterpark in Alberta, Canada’s West Edmonton Mall. Read more

Where have the past two decades gone? It was 20 years ago that the first issue of Aquatics International came rolling off the presses — and a lot has changed since then. Read more

I was hired by the San Diego Lifeguard Service [in Southern California] as a beach lifeguard in 1979. Read more

It is my sincere hope that at least one major advance will involve a modification of lifeguard training regimens, in accordance with solid scientific evidence and research — as opposed to the current reliance on past practice, trial and error, opinion... Read more