Discussions on Surfaces  and  Damage

I have only played this sport for 2 years but I find giving lifeguards respect and not taking for granted our pool has helped our club grow the pool now even gives us referrals. There is no substitute for kissing up even if you know more about the pool than some of the staff. Find someone diplomatic (seems like you) and find out what they don't like our club was taking a few to many liberties (coming early, staying late acting like they owned the place, getting mad at new lifeguards banging the goals at the end of the night) this was brought up and now our pool is more welcoming we have changed slightly I try and ask permission instead of assuming things. We have broken many a tile not to mention a 200 dollars window but because of that repore we have nipped many buds. Talk to all the staff maybe it isn't they manager that has a problem with you.
offer to pay set up some probation type thing and don't forget to encourage them to come and play for free whenever they want.
Good luck
your underwater buddies
Gilles and  Connie
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Subject:          [Hockeynet] Protecting your pools
   Date:          Wed, 22 Aug 2001 00:46:29 -0300 (ADT)
   From:          Sandra MacDonald <AJ244@CHEBUCTO.NS.CA>
     To:          underwater-hockey@topica.com

I just got notice this week that the pool that has hosted our hockey team for the past 19 years will not be welcoming us back in September as they feel that hockey is to blame for damage done to the bottom of the pool. The pool has a small tile bottom and for many years metal pucks were used and caused no complaint and the past 6 years we have been used the coated pucks and don't feel they have caused much damage, even behind the goals.

I was wondering if anyone out there has had similar complaints and how these were addressed or if anyone has suggestions that we might forward to the pool manager as to how we can resolve this. We would hate to loose our pool....
____
Sandra MacDonald
aj244@chebucto.ns.ca

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Subject:             Re: [Hockeynet] Protecting your pools
      Date:             Wed, 22 Aug 2001 14:11:16 +1000
      From:             Simon Talbot <SIMON.TALBOT@UTAS.EDU.AU>
        To:             underwater-hockey@topica.com
        CC:             AJ244@CHEBUCTO.NS.CA
 References:             1

Hi Sandra,

I suspect that you'll get rather a lot of replies to this e-mail!!!  Many pools blame uwh for damage (rightly in a lot of cases).

What sort of damage is the pool complaining about?  Is it old stuff, or new?   I'd be very surprised (given that you are on a 'small tile' bottom) if the coated pucks that you're now using would be causing any damage (are they from Mike Gillespie in Western Australia?).  Has the pool manager seen the coated pucks?  Has he/she ever played uwh, or looked at the way the new pucks bounce?

In our old pool, when damage was commented on (and we thought we were the guilty party), we used to offer to repair it - using an underwater epoxy to fill any gaps.  This didn't look as good as the original tiles, but it did quieten the pool manager, and more importantly, stopped us from cutting ourselves to pieces on the sharp tile edges!

If the damage is recent, and you're thinking that it's not from uwh, ask the manager if there are any dive courses (SCUBA) run in the pool!  As a dive instructor myself, I've seen dive students do a lot more damage to tiles with weight belts and cylinders than we ever do playing uwh (even with the old lead pucks), and the pool management usually try to blame our uwh association for this (I hasten to add that my students are told to be VERY careful with tanks and weights while in the pool on a course - not that this always helps!!!)!

All the best with your negotiations,

Simon
Simon.Talbot@utas.edu.au
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Subject:          Re: [Hockeynet] Protecting your pools
   Date:          Wed, 22 Aug 2001 16:22:52
   From:          Liz Brown <lizsitka@hotmail.com>
     To:          underwater-hockey@topica.com

We received a complaint about the scratches we were causing in the pool. A quick inspection proved that what looked like scratches were actually black marks from the cheap rubber pool fins that some players use, and are easily rubbed off. I'd try to work with the pool manager to verify that the damage you're supposedly causing is really yours. We've generated enough positive publicity from our weird sport that the pool is eager to keep us there. Maybe it's time to remind the powers that be how unique they are by hosting this wonderful sport, as evidenced by the appearance on the Today Show, should it ever happen.

-Liz Brown
Sitka, Alaska Mighty Fighting Humpies

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• From Hockeynet, by David Andrews.

Painted concrete or painted Marcite can be a good surface for awhile, BUT - the paint always seems to oxidize in less than a year and great white clouds of oxidized paint do not get filtered out of the water very well and the pool visibility can be really suckey.   A number  of years ago we played at a pool that was painted and when they re painted it, we could not play for a month 'cause the puck lifted the new paint.  It was about 5 months later that oxidized paint started to cloud up the water again (from us playing, I might add ).

We play on fiberglass and it is really great.  However, some fiberglass surfaces make players itch like crazy (ours used to be like  this).  Make sure that the people contracted for the fiberglass job know what is what and are experienced with pools and that they  know about underwater hockey and that pucks and sticks will be flying about and rubbing on the bottom (as will be elbows, knees, thighs, nipples, and some big tummies - you know who you are ). An extra coat of resin over the fiberglass does the trick and this  must be included in the contract.

One great benefit to the owners of the pool with fiberglass is that the extra cost of fiberglass will be saved by the reduced cost of pool chemicals.  Fiberglass does not absorb or neutralize any pool chemicals and the savings over a few years will pay for the fiberglass and end up costing less.

If tiles are properly set in the pool bottom, they will hold up to and be really good for underwater hockey.  If they are not set correctly, they will break and chip and make sharp edges that can cause problems.   A good tile pool is really great to play in.
 

• From Hockeynet, by Alisdair Galbraith.

I have played on glass tile, one inch tile and painted concrete.

From the pools perpective - one inch tiles are least likely to be damaged by pucks/sticks. I have never seen any damge to the one inch tiles.

There are a number of chips in the tiles (eight inch glass) at Lindsay Park that may or may not have been caused by pucks. Of course, I have strong reason to beleive that the new 2000 Orange World Pucks practically eliminate
this possibility. This is the pool site of the wonderfully exciting and always fun Calgary Easter Tournament that some may be familiar with. though.

Painted concrete works well for speed and being totally smooth, it does not casue probs with wierd bounces at all. Unfort, I have not had extensive experience there so I don't know if chipped paint/scratches etc might become
an issue over time. During the few hours I have played on that surface though, I did not see any damage whatsoever. (I would be very interested in response from players who do know this - I am looking at expanding into pools like this for our high school program and I hope to find out before it happens if damage is likely)

The simple fact is that a faster bottom like glass tiles reduces effort and improves shots. The downside is cost and a small potential for damage.

As for other issues:

You may want to ask for 90 degree corners instad of rounded corners. Rounded joints between wall and pool bottom contribute to some pretty high flying pucks and make it impossible to place a goal trough right against a wall - overshooting the goal is really annoying after you make that brilliant break away. Remember - it results in an advantage puck for the defender.

You want at least six feet and I personally think eight feet is perfect. It allows for no interference from the surface swimmers even if they are straight up and down. A much cleaner and more enjoyable game and not so deep that it is a problem for breath holding.

If a slope is required (and it might be) - try to get a gentle one instead of a sudden sharp drop. It is much more even playing in a pool that slopes evenly from 10 to 4 feet than going from 4 to 5 feet and suddenly taking a steep drop down to 9.

Last but not least - the steps should be recessed.

A Bit of news now. The few chips I mentioned earlier in our tiles from the last fifteen years will not be a problem for long. This Summer Lindsay Park plans to retile the pool including planned UWH markings. Similarly, if you have the chance - ask them to put in some marks for UWH. In Quebec during Nationals, I found it much easier as a ref to position and judge the puck even though there were only a few black marks instead of lines. It doesn't take much to help.