Guest Blogger: Andrea Velazquez
Tell me I’m not the only Aqua Pro that does this? ... I leave my aquatic fitness equipment in my car overnight!!!
I have done this during winter’s frigid temperatures and summer's sweaty humid heat waves, for quite a few days at a time, weeks…okay maybe a month or two! Equipment has also been dropped from various heights ("Sorry, Boss Lady. I didn’t mean to roll the barbells down the flight of stairs!"), left in super warm chlorinated environments, salty environments, collided with hard surfaces, and hard heads (ouch!).
Now for the great news: My equipment always survives. It lasts for years. The investment in my aquatic fitness equipment was worth every single cent. The quality of the products made a huge difference in the longevity and use. Sometimes I even hint to my children about my "Aquatic Equipment Trust Fund" they will one day inherit.
I have been in the aquatic fitness industry for over 25 years. I have ordered and used various types of equipment, ranging from empty milk jugs to Acquapoles. Standard flotation barbells, noodles, belts, balls, elastic bands, stars, bars, plates, Aqualogix, Aquastrength, AquaOhm, fitness boards, trampolines, bikes, and poles. And I have replaced standard equipment numerous times due to deterioration. Many factors can contribute to wear and tear, such as water and air temperature, pool chemicals, and storage. The equipment starts to smell moldy and disintegrates within a short span of time.
But those foam "dumbbells" and noodles are cheap, right?
Facilities buy the same inexpensive equipment over and over again. As managers, we then make excuses every fiscal year why it’s okay to buy the cheap stuff, but reason it’s too costly for the "expensive" equipment. Yet the "expensive" (translation: well-made equipment) turns out to be a better return on the investment in the long run because you buy the product once, and it lasts!
The Indigo Aquatics equipment line is made with great material and intended to withstand the corrosive aquatic environment.
Acquapole Poles are made with marine grade steel that does not rust. Foam equipment, such as the boxing gloves and "Liquid Stars" are made of closed cell eva foam, which isn’t porous and does not get stinky at all. Best yet, most of Indigo equipment can be used for other aquatic activities as well, including swim lessons.
Working within a municipality that requires justification for anything and everything, it is not an easy task to convince management of the importance and advantages of investing in quality products. But if you are blessed with an abundance of budget and have an aquatic "Just Do It" policy, go for the better, costly but worth it products.
Your patrons will thank you for it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea Velazquez has been immersed in the Aquatics Industry for over 25 years. She is a Recreation Supervisor for the City of Yonkers and Creator of AVAQUATICS. She is Master Trainer for many aquatic specialties, representing Acquapole, SAF Aqua Drums Vibes and HydroRevolution. She holds numerous certifications including AEA Fitness Professional, ACE- GF, Aqua Vida Floating Yoga, Tsunami Fitness Boards, and RM Medically Based Aquatics. She is a StarGuard Instructor and Starfish Aquatics Institute Swim School Instructor Trainer. She is a Presenter at the NYS Parks and Recreation Conference, SUNY Cortland (her alma mater) Recreation Conference, DCAC Fitness Convention, Association of Aquatic Professional Conference (AOAP), and SCW Fitness Mania Fitness Conferences.