Poolside Solidarity: How Organizations Like IPSSA Lift Our Industry

I’m Nathanael Greene, a pool expert with over 15 years of experience in designing, building, and maintaining pools, now sharing my know-how as a blog writer for Beatbot. My love for pools kicked off as a kid cannonballing into my granddad’s backyard oasis, and it’s grown into a career of keeping swims dreamy.

Recently, I caught wind of something that warmed my heart: the Independent Pool and Spa Service Association (IPSSA) donated $10,000 to the California Fire Relief Fund at the Western Pool & Spa Show. It wasn’t just a check—it was a lifeline for pool pros hit hard by the wildfires tearing through Southern California. “IPSSA knows the importance of supporting our fellow service professionals,” President Mike Denham said, and I couldn’t agree more. As someone who’s spent years elbow-deep in pool construction and maintenance, I’ve crossed paths with groups like IPSSA plenty of times, and they’ve been game-changers for our trade. Here’s how they’ve shaped my world—and why I’m damn proud of where our industry’s headed.

My first brush with an outfit like IPSSA came back in 2011, at a trade show in Charlotte. I was a scrappy builder then, fresh off a brutal summer fixing storm-damaged pools in Raleigh. A rep from a similar group—focused on education and support—pulled me aside at a booth stacked with pump parts and chlorine testers. “You don’t have to figure this out alone,” he said, handing me a pamphlet on troubleshooting filtration systems. That moment stuck. I’d been flying solo, piecing together fixes from trial and error, but here was a network ready to share the load.

Over the years, I’ve leaned on these organizations more than I can count. In 2018, a client in Durham had a vinyl liner pool wrecked by a fallen oak—Hurricane Florence’s parting gift. I tapped into a local pool pros’ association for advice on emergency repairs, and they hooked me up with a supplier who rushed me materials at cost. Another time, at a seminar hosted by a group like IPSSA, I picked up a trick for balancing saltwater pools that saved me hours on a job in Wilmington. These aren’t just clubs—they’re lifelines, especially when disaster strikes, like it did for those California techs.

Reading about IPSSA’s $10,000 donation hit me square in the chest. I’ve been that guy on the ropes. In 2016, a freak flood swamped my own backyard pool and half my gear—pumps, brushes, the works. A buddy from a regional pool network I’d joined stepped up, loaning me a spare vac head and some hoses to keep my jobs running. “We’ve got your back,” he said, no questions asked. That’s what IPSSA’s doing now—tossing a rope to pros who’ve lost homes, tools, or clients to the fires. Rose Smoot, their Executive Director, nailed it: “We focus on providing the resources and support that our fellow service techs need, especially during this unexpected disaster.” It’s not charity; it’s brotherhood.

I’ve seen it firsthand with clients too. Last fall, a pool owner in Cary lost his deck—and nearly his pool—to a windstorm. I rallied a few local pros I’d met through industry meetups, and we patched his filtration system pro bono. Groups like IPSSA formalize that spirit, turning lone wolves into a pack. Their donation isn’t just cash; it’s proof our field’s got a pulse—one that beats for community.

Let’s talk brass tacks: pool construction, cleaning, and maintenance in the U.S. are light-years ahead of where they were when I started. Back in the early 2000s, I’d see builders slap together pools with shaky rebar and techs guess at chemical doses—sometimes with ugly results. Organizations like IPSSA have flipped that script. Their push for education—seminars, certifications, shared know-how—means fewer cracked shells and cloudy waters. I’ve built infinity pools with glass edges that’d make your jaw drop, and I owe that precision to tricks I’ve picked up at their workshops.

Cleaning’s evolved too. My early days were all sweat and scrub brushes—hours hunched over algae stains. Now, with groups preaching tech like robotic cleaners (shoutout to my Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra ), I’ve cut that time in half. A client in Asheville once marveled, “You’re done already?” after I ran the Ultra through her 22,000-gallon pool. That’s the ripple effect—standards rise, tools improve, and we all look sharper.

And when disaster hits? These networks shine. The California fires aren’t the first rodeo—IPSSA’s $10,000 echoes relief efforts I’ve seen after hurricanes here in the Carolinas. Pool pros lose gear, shops burn out, but the community steps up—donating funds, lending rigs, keeping businesses afloat. It’s not just survival; it’s progress. We’re tougher, smarter, and tighter-knit because of it.

I’ll be honest: I get a lump in my throat thinking about where we’ve landed. Pool work used to be a grind—isolated, rough around the edges. Now, it’s a craft with a backbone. IPSSA’s donation isn’t a one-off; it’s a symbol of how we’ve grown roots—Community, Education, Support, like they say. I’ve watched rookies turn pro with mentorship from these groups, seen builders like me dodge rookie mistakes thanks to shared wisdom, and felt the relief of a hand up when the chips were down.

Southern California’s burning, and IPSSA’s $10,000 is a spark of hope—proof we’re not just in it for the paycheck. I’ve built pools that families cherish, cleaned waters where kids learn to swim, and I know those Cali techs will bounce back because of this support. Our field’s better—stronger—because we’ve got structures like IPSSA holding us up. Makes me damn proud to be part of it, and I’ll keep cannonballing into this life with a grin.