Past the limits of sight and sound, but within the lines of property and pool, there is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension not just of water and chlorination but of creativity and quirk, as vast as outer space and as timeless as an infinity edge.
It’s a place between light and shadow, between science and superstition, between the back fence and the back door. It’s hot and wet and real as the backsplash dripping off your chin after a cartridge filter cleaning.
Join us on a journey into the mind of the pool service tech, where routines transform into rituals, and every backyard holds a mystery waiting to be uncovered. Look closely — that’s the skimmer lid up ahead — your next destination: The Poolside Zone!
CHARMS AND RITUALS OF SERVICE
[The following is a true account of what I either witnessed or was shared with me by pool service professionals I have known. The names have been changed to protect the guilty — after all, no one deserves to be put on blast.]
Most of the stories in AQUA are about the hard facts of chemistry and pool equipment and running a business. But today, join me for a little walk on the wild side, toward the mental fringe of the poolside technician.
We all have private inner lives, often completely different than those around us would suspect. The same is true of the men and women that maintain our swimming pools. That inner space contains an entire universe of thought and wonder, and somewhere at the far reaches of that universe, beyond Antares, is the planet juju. It’s a place of firm irrational belief and lengthy conversations with nobody in particular.
These rituals and comments when no one is around tie actions to a higher purpose — often symbolic and sometimes consequential. These don’t always have to be spiritual, but they often are. They can reflect religious beliefs, personal convictions or just superstition. You’ve probably seen these dozens of times without even noticing — a pool guy or gal’s ritual, so subtle that you likely paid it no mind, even if you were standing smack dab in the middle of the deep end of the ceremony.
Some are simple and fly under the radar — like the tech with her mom and dad’s necklaces dangling from her rearview mirror, the rubber duck I kept on my dashboard (nope, not a Jeep), or the rock that was dislodged from a WWE champ’s pool during service, which the pool pro in question feels compelled to keep in his route truck for luck, and plans to encase and display in his home upon retirement.
You could call these good luck charms, which would be technically accurate, but realize not all lucky charms are magically delicious. And that rabbit’s foot keychain you grabbed at a bodega? That’s just a commercial gimmick.
While following the same steps in the same order at every house may feel ritualistic, it’s not. It’s simply a routine, and good practice. However, avoiding stepping on an expansion joint while brushing, thinking it’ll leave your mother hospitalized in a back brace, THAT is superstition. Not walking beneath a ladder, though? That’s just being safe.
How about the service pro who jiggles every gate, rattles the latches, and shouts, “Here, doggie, doggie!” without fail — even when he knows there is no dog at the house? Ritual? Superstition? All I can say is “once bitten, twice shy.” You just never know where the next mouth full of sharp teeth is waiting.
Using the time it takes to smoke a cigarette to measure PVC glue curing time is a nice rule of thumb? That’s just a welcome, justified break. However, attending pool and spa shows could be a ritual if you do it regularly, infuse it with personal significance, and use it to reaffirm your professional identity.
Placing a section of copper pipe in an aspirin bottle with predrilled holes or a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser into the skimmer? Just dumb. But what about those who place silver amulets in skimmers for positive energy or divine protection? Classy.
THE REIKI ROCKS
A pool pro shared a fascinating ritual she used to handle seven leaky pools at a country club — a problem that made maintaining proper chemistry nearly impossible.
Believing the community might be built on an Indian burial ground, a claim she acknowledged as unverified, the tech turned to a spiritual solution. She marked stones with Reiki symbols using an oil-based marker and placed them in the skimmer baskets.
Within two months, all seven properties switched service providers. Convinced her ritual had “cleansed” her route of difficult accounts, she adopted the practice for other challenging pools going forward.
While the actual impact of the stones is debatable, this story highlights how personal beliefs can shape perceptions and influence professional practices. Whether or not the ritual worked, it reflects how we like to seek control in challenging situations.
THE TALKING POOLS TAROT EVENT
On December 22, 2023, we hosted TikTok influencer and psychic advisor Brenda (@TarotReader__ReikiHealer) on the Talking Pools Podcast. During a live tarot session, pool pros were invited to ask questions about their business concerns and goals. Initially framed as lighthearted entertainment, the event took a surprising turn as participants engaged deeply with Brenda’s insights.
Attendees asked thoughtful questions about work-life balance, professional growth, and personal challenges. Brenda’s readings, blending tarot symbolism with energy insights, resonated with many, offering clarity and actionable guidance. One attendee asked Brenda whether expanding their service route was a wise choice, and her tarot reading suggested waiting six months — a prediction that eerily aligned with the local housing market dip. Coincidental?
While the event was playful, its structure — providing birthdates, posing specific questions, and engaging with tarot — added a dash of metaphysics. It highlighted how collective practices can transform professional concerns into reflective moments of purpose.
Are you screaming ‘Chakra Fluff!’? You might find this worthy of a vomit rewind. According to Scientific American, rituals do work! Like all the elements of the netherworld we bring into our own — our superstitions, our talismans (talismen?) of luck and safety, and our personal voodoo — they are successful in alleviating grief, reducing anxiety, and even boosting confidence.
So there. We invent these things because they serve us.
I asked Joy Riddle, one-half of the team of hosts of Meridian Healthcare’s popular mental health podcast, The Brain Factor, for her thoughts. She explained that rituals, often involving repetition, can help to create a sense of order, which may reduce anxiety, help ground a person, boost confidence, prepare you for the job at hand, and possibly help connect you to your purpose. So, is it more mindset than mysticism?
Have you ever seen the All Blacks — New Zealand’s national rugby team — perform the haka, a powerful and electrifying traditional Māori war dance
before a match? Talk about a ritual! It’s an incredible way to energize the team before they hit the field. What about your team — how do you get them fired up? And what about you — do you have any personal rituals?
This article first appeared in the February 2025 issue of AQUA Magazine — the top resource for retailers, builders and service pros in the pool and spa industry. Subscriptions to the print magazine are free to all industry professionals. Click here to subscribe.
