Talking Pools Podcast
If you’ve ever stared at a test kit like it personally insulted your family… welcome home. Talking Pools Podcast is the pool industry’s “pull up a chair” show—part shop talk, part field manual, part therapy session—built for people who actually live on pool decks: commercial operators, service techs, builders, facility managers, and anyone responsible for water that can’t afford to go sideways. The network was created to level up the pool industry with real-world conversations on water chemistry, filtration, troubleshooting, construction, safety, and the business side of keeping pools open and budgets intact. Here’s the hook: it’s not theory-first. It’s experience-first—a roster of seasoned pros (with 250+ years of combined “been there, fixed that” wisdom) turning complicated problems into practical moves you can use the same day. And it’s not one voice, one vibe, one corner of the industry: it’s a network of shows designed to reflect how diverse this work really is—different regions, different specialties, different personalities. Also worth saying out loud: women aren’t “special guests” here—they’re on the mic as hosts, from the beginning, with an intentionally balanced roster. That matters, because the best ideas in this industry don’t come from one lane—they come from the whole road. If you want a podcast that can make you laugh and make you better at what you do—without pretending the job is easier than it is—Talking Pools is the one you queue up before the first stop, and keep on when the day starts getting weird.
Episodes
SPLASH 2026: Why Pool Professionals—and Their Teams—Need to Be There
SPLASH isn’t just another excuse to escape the office, collect two years’ worth of free pens, and start asking suspicious questions about when the complimentary slushy machine becomes a margarita machine.
For pool professionals across Australia and the Southern Hemisphere, SPLASH is the industry event. It’s where new pro...
🚨 Warning: This episode contains intentionally abrasive commentary and strong language.
Most Talking Pools questions come from pool service professionals. This week, Rudy clears the inbox of questions submitted by pool owners—and provides pool pros with a little emotional support in the process.
Why is the pool consuming so much chlorine? Why did it turn green after the technician left? Should th...
What happens when the people who actually know the product disappear—and customer service becomes a phone tree, a 90-minute hold, or an ordering department that cannot answer a technical question?
This week, Steve Sherwood and Wayne Ivusich examine the decline of accessible technical support across the pool and spa industry. Wayne reflects on his 32 years with Taylor Technologies, where he answered technical qu...
Natalie Hood welcomes Eric Knight back to the Talking Pools Podcast to discuss his move from Watershape University to Pool Brain—and what this new role could mean for pool service professionals.
Eric explains how a conversation that began in 2022 eventually developed into an opportunity to combine the work he does best: water chemistry, education, technology, and solving real-world problems for technicians in t...
In the conclusion of our conversation with Lee Moore and Blake, Technical Director at AIS Water, we examine what it takes to make saltwater chlorination work reliably in demanding commercial environments.
Commercial pools cannot be managed by reacting to every change with another drum of chemicals. Like steering a cruise ship, water chemistry requires calculated adjustments, accurate information, and equipment sized ...
Profanity does not make someone unprofessional. Confidently spreading bad information does.
In this intentionally abrasive episode of the Talking Pools Podcast, Rudy Stankowitz takes aim at the comment-section experts who diagnose complicated pool problems from one blurry photograph, defend outdated beliefs with “I’ve been doing this for 20 years,” and treat confidence as a substitute for evidence.
B...
This week on Thursdays with Wayne and Steve, the guys take aim at “miracle” pool products, suspiciously cheap equipment, expired test reagents, and the growing number of online knockoffs promising professional results at bargain-basement prices.
Wayne recalls some of the industry’s most memorable gimmicks—including magnets that supposedly made calcium disappear—and explains why words lik...
Cold plunges and ice baths are appearing everywhere—from fitness centers and recovery facilities to wellness clinics, athletic programs, and luxury spas. But colder water does not automatically mean cleaner or safer water.
In this episode of the Talking Pools Podcast, Natalie Hood is joined by Dewey Case, Technical Director for the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code and Aquatics Coordinator for Williamso...
On this episode of Mondays Down Under, Lee Salisbury and Nick are joined by AIS Water’s Lee Moore and Technical Director Blake for a deep dive into commercial saltwater chlorination.
AIS Water has worked in salt chlorination for approximately 35 years, developing systems for everything from swim schools and splash parks to resorts, 50-meter competition pools, coastal pools, and enormous lagoons containing milli...
Specialty chemicals are not the enemy. Phosphate removers, enzymes, clarifiers, sequestrants, scale inhibitors, flocculants and stain treatments can all deliver real value—when they address an actual, diagnosed condition.
In this episode of the Talking Pools Podcast, Rudy Stankowitz explains why the bottle should never become the protocol. Before adding any specialty chemical to a pool, service professionals sh...
Show Notes
This week, Steve and Wayne tackle two timely topics affecting the swimming pool industry.
First, Steve discusses a growing number of calls from homeowners who find themselves trapped in construction projects with missed deadlines, questionable workmanship, and uncertainty about what to do next. The conversation explores the challenges of residential pool inspections, the gray areas of building code...
What really separates a good pool company from a great one?
This week, Natalie Hood sits down with Leslie Elliott, Founder and CEO of Poolie, one of the fastest-growing pool service companies in Texas. Leslie's journey into the industry didn't begin with decades of pool experience—it began with a green pool, poor customer service, and the realization that the industry had room to improve.
Together, Natalie and L...
What separates a professional pool service company from someone simply adding chemicals?
In Part 2 of this special Mondays Down Under discussion, Lee Salisbury and Nick dive deeper into professional water analysis with the team from LaMotte, discussing why consistent, accurate testing is one of the biggest differences between average pool care and true water management.
The conversation explores the value of the Water...
When the National Park Service added hydrogen peroxide to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, the internet immediately decided it had found the culprit behind the peeling coating.
But science doesn't work that way.
In this episode, Rudy Stankowitz takes a research-first approach to one of the most discussed pool stories of the year. Instead of asking whether hydrogen peroxide caused a coating failure, he asks a diff...
This week on Talking Pools Thursdays, Wayne Ivusich and Steve Sherwood cover everything from the newest generation of robotic pool cleaners to protecting your business from costly mistakes, distributor pricing, chemical accountability, inspection reports, and why good documentation may be the most valuable tool you own.
The episode opens with congratulations for Andrea Nannini on her new position with Gorman Company ...
Are you making pool chemistry harder than it needs to be?
In Part 2 of our Chemistry Myths That Cost Pool Pros Money series, Natalie Hood welcomes Eric Wall back to the show to continue separating fact from fiction in professional pool care.
From the belief that a strong chlorine smell means a clean pool to the misconception that "perfect" test results always equal healthy water, this episode challenges some of the in...
Magnesium, Salt & the Truth About Water Testing with LaMotte – Part 1
Is your salt test really measuring salt?
What happens when magnesium enters the equation?
And why do two different salt tests sometimes give two completely different answers?
This week on Mondays Down Under, Lee and Nick welcome Hieron from LaMotte for a fascinating deep dive into modern water testing, magnesium pools, calcium hardness, Lang...
The Truth About Pool Coatings, Surface Preparation, and Why Failures Really Happen
Everyone wants to know which pool paint is the best.
Wrong question.
In this episode of Talking Pools, Rudy Stankowitz takes listeners far beyond the paint can and into the science of coating failures, adhesion, compatibility, moisture, and surface preparation. Using the recent attention surrounding the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool a...
What happens when you walk onto a commercial pool deck expecting to provide a service quote... and instead discover a facility that should probably be closed?
In this episode of Insurance Interlude, Steve Sherwood and Pat Grignon tackle one of the toughest situations a commercial pool professional can face: discovering serious code violations before you've even signed a contract.
Steve shares a recent experience inspe...
How different is open water swimming from training in a pool?
Far more than most people realize.
This week, Natalie Hood is joined by ultra-endurance swimmer Hilda Lopez, fresh off completing the 50th Annual Swim Around Key West—a grueling 12.5-mile marathon swim that tested her endurance, mindset, and determination.
Hilda shares her inspiring journey from struggling with her health and being significantly overwe...
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