Is Your Pool Safe Enough for Guests?
by Erick Oeseburg
Swimming and playing in the beautiful ocean waters that surround the Caribbean islands is a dream for many. Here in the BVI, we are lucky to have this ideal at our disposal every day of the year. When visiting these tropical outposts, guests are naturally drawn to the sea. Days are spent on, at or in the water; whether partly submerged or flying above it, no other experience is equivalent. Water is such an invigorating substance, and we love to be submerged in it.
To stay competitive in the vacation industry, the majority of rental homes and villas have added swimming pools to their property. Some pools are fantastically laid out with slides, massage jets, shallow playing areas, and yes, even here, heated water.
Creating the perfect backyard water paradise is a great expression of homeowners’ creativity and personal wishes, and friends and guests will likely enjoy the pool as much as the owners. For those who plan to rent their beautiful creation during the time that they don’t occupy the house, certain preparations must be made. The property needs to be made ready for the arrival of unknowns as it is going to be subject to the judgment of others—people from a variety of countries, beliefs and walks of life.
When it comes to pools, homeowners have to be very careful. Is the pool safe? Is there suction entrapment avoidance installed? Are the right amount of ladders installed? Are there depth markers? Is the light bright enough to allow nighttime swimming? Something as simple as the steps that lead into the water should be sized adequately and within a certain range of dimensions. While all these considerations are typically addressed before and during the construction of the pool, the game changes when it is built for “public use.”
Real estate booking agents have strict guidelines on houses and swimming pools. In order to ensure that the property is marketable, it is good to work with the advice of specialist in the field. Sanitation of the water is probably one of the most daunting tasks of absentee pool ownership, without having the benefit to check on the pool water, homeowners must rely on more automated systems. The addition of a simple salt chlorine generator takes out the guesswork and ensures proper sanitation of the water with minimal human intervention. With a simple once a week check up, the pool can be kept in terrific shape with minimal cost and downtime to guests. After all, the majority of guests are here to enjoy. For some, that means relaxing at the beach or reading a book in the soothing waters of a spa or swimming pool while for others it is making incredible jumps while hanging on a few three-millimeter lines, which is inherently more dangerous than walking on a wet pool deck…the latter, however, should not require the use of a helmet. Be safe out there.
