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Steve Barnes | Pool Safety Expert

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Pool safety + hydraulics geek | Director @ AquaStar | Codes, standards & gear that make pools safer, smarter & more efficient!

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“The Stars & Stripes Forever”

Celebrating America’s 250th — Tempe Town Lake, 2017 🇺🇸

This clip is from our 2017 Tempe Town Lake Festival fireworks show, choreographed by the Barnes Crew to “The Stars & Stripes Forever.”

For me, this is one of the most fitting ways to begin this series. A great American march, a night sky over Tempe, and a crew working together to turn music, timing, color, and fire into a shared patriotic moment.

As the United States celebrates the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I’m sharing a few clips from that show as my way of looking back, giving thanks, and celebrating the country we call home.

Happy 250th, America. 🇺🇸

#America250 #IndependenceDay #FourthOfJuly #Fireworks #TempeTownLake #StarsAndStripesForever #USA #PatrioticCelebration by @poolgeekguide

Happy Independence Day — and Happy 250th Birthday, America. 🇺🇸

This image is personal for Suz and me. It captures us standing in the foreground at Tempe Town Lake on July 4, 2018, watching the grand finale of what became our last fireworks show before retiring from that chapter of our lives.

The photo was taken by the show’s AHJ, the Fire Marshal, which makes it even more meaningful. Fireworks were never just bright lights in the sky for us. They were planning, permits, safety, teamwork, trust, and a shared responsibility to create a moment people would remember.

Today, as our country celebrates 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I’m grateful for the people, the work, and the freedom that make moments like this possible.

Happy 250th, U.S.A. 🇺🇸
May we never stop working to live up to the promise.

#IndependenceDay #America250 #FourthOfJuly #USA #Fireworks #TempeTownLake #Grateful #HappyBirthdayAmerica#AquaStarPoolProducts by @poolgeekguide

Word of the Day (But Not Every Day): The Pool & Spa Show 🏊‍♂️🛠️✨

Definition: the annual gathering where pool people speak fluent “flow, fittings, filters, and fixes” — and somehow we all leave with more ideas than luggage space. 😄🧳

We made it. Team AquaStar powered through the snow and ice storm ❄️🧊 and we’re here for Day 1 in Atlantic City! If you’re at The Pool & Spa Show Powered by NESPA, come say hi, swap a travel war story 🚗💨, and let’s talk real-world upgrades that make pools safer, cleaner, and easier to run. 🤝💧

📍 Atlantic City Convention Center
📅 Day 1: Today
👋 Find AquaStar: Booth #3519

#ThePoolAndSpaShow #NESPA #PoolGeekGuide #AquaStarPoolProducts😎🤘 by @poolgeekguide

Word of the Day (but not everyday): Access—🎃💀.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! — Steve (PoolGeekGuide) & the AquaStar team 🎃💀

#WordOfTheDayButNotEveryday #PoolGeekGuide #AquaStar #PoolNationPodcast #PHTA #PoolPros #VGBA2017 #NSF50 #PoolSafety #ISPSC #HappyHalloween #EveryChildASwimmer #stepintoswim by @poolgeekguide

“Word of the Day—” —PoolGeekGuide
“…but not everyday.” —@68MustangSuz

ZOOX — Amazon’s driverless, bidirectional robotaxi (yep, no steering wheel) gliding out of Resorts World right behind us. PSP Expo days, Pool Nation Boot Camp brains, and Vegas serving autonomy on the curb. Currently live on the Strip with designated pickup zones—and rides are free via the app. 🤖💦

#WordOfTheDay #ZOOX #PoolGeekGuide #68MustangSuz #PSPExpo #PoolNation #AquaStar #LasVegas #ResortsWorld #Robotaxi by @poolgeekguide

Word of the Day (but not every day): Flow Sync Install

Answering a great DM from @dannywang: “Can Flow Sync be installed on the wall?”
Short answer: yes. We didn’t guess, we tested. The wall-mount works beautifully—and the reel shows it in action.

Why designers/builders will love it: adjustable flow from 1 -63 GPM, great near benches, steps, and on Baja shelves; flexible orientation to erase dead spots; smooth surface movement for better skimming and mixing. It’s an NSF/ANSI 50 certified return fitting—the only one certified for public pools. And it’s a direct replacement for the most common fitting over the last 50 years!

Thanks for the nudge, Danny. 🙏
Got questions on flow strategy or placement? Drop them below—we’re happy to look into it.

#WordOfTheDay #FlowSync #AquaStar #PoolGeekGuide #PoolDesign #DesignBuild #BackyardResort #WaterCirculation #ReturnFitting #Hydraulics #PoolBuilders #TestedAndProven by @poolgeekguide

Word of the Day (but not every day): SCARED

Recorded 88 feet above the water from the very top of the dive tower at the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Florida—home of Every Child A Swimmer.

SCARY DIVE TOWER
1 m (3.28 ft)
3 m (9.84 ft)
5 m (16.40 ft)
7.5 m (24.61 ft)
10 m (32.81 ft)
15 m (49.21 ft)
20 m (65.62 ft)
24 m (78.74 ft)
27 m (88.58 ft)

What’s the scariest height you’ve faced?
#WordOfTheDay #PoolGeekGuide #ISHOF #EveryChildASwimmer #FortLauderdale #HighDive #DivingTower #Aquatics #NotEveryDayWOD by @poolgeekguide

Word of the Day: Surfers Point 🌊

Some chase waves. Others become the wave. Confidence, balance, and ambition don’t ask if you’ve got two legs or four — they just reward whoever shows up ready to ride.

If a dog can drop in, and bring the board home like a pro, what’s stopping the rest of us from going all-in on our next challenge?

#SurfersPoint #WordOfTheDay #PoolGeekGuide #aquastarpoolproducts #RideTheWave by @poolgeekguide

Purple dye never lies—watch Flow Sync™ Floor Return turn a still pool into a moving masterpiece. This violet plume is the MAHC-approved test for real circulation, and Flow Sync passes with flying colors. Dial 1-83 GPM from deck level with nothing but a pool pole—no dive gear, no downtime. It drops right into legacy 4-inch returns, pairs perfectly with variable-speed tech, and keeps those shallow sun shelves sparkling.

Like what you see? Head to PoolNationAwards.com and vote Flow Sync™ for Innovative Product of the Year, then dive deeper at AquaStarPoolProducts.com. Keep the water moving—because safety and sparkle start with circulation.

#FlowSync #AquaStar #PoolInnovation #MAHC #PurpleDyeTest #PoolCirculation #VariableSpeed #SunShelf #PublicPool #NSF50 #PoolNationAwards #PoolPros #PoolGeekGuide #SwimmingPool #Aquatics #PoolBuilder by @poolgeekguide

🌊 Word of the Day - Rowdy!

Today, I’m thrilled to share a special moment with three-time Olympic gold medalist Rowdy Gaines, discussing the incredible impact of the PHTA’s Step Into Swim program. Rowdy passionately explains how swimming lessons reduce the risk of childhood drowning by 90%, calling it the cure we’ve found to this preventable tragedy.

AquaStar is proud to support this life-saving initiative. Our collaboration with the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance and Every Child A Swimmer helps raise vital funds to provide swim lessons to children nationwide. Together, we’re making a splash in drowning prevention, aiming to teach 30,000 kids to swim this year alone.

Steve Barnes was honored to stand with Rowdy Gaines on Capitol Hill, where Rowdy delivered these powerful remarks in the U.S. House of Representatives alongside Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Join us in supporting this vital cause and creating a safer future for our children.

#DrowningPrevention #StepIntoSwim #AquaStar #PoolGeekGuide #RowdyGaines #EveryChildASwimmer by @poolgeekguide

Word of the Day (but not Everyday): May is National Water Safety Month.

Today, PoolGeekGuide is in AquaStar’s lab, where VGBA-2017 drain cover tests are underway—ensuring every cover meets the standard that has saved lives since the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act became law.

This topic hits home: Virginia’s tragic story began with a non-compliant cover. Faulty or expired covers are still out there, posing hidden dangers. Pool professionals have the power to change that.

The mission is simple: inspect, identify, and replace non-compliant covers. For companies that don’t offer safety upgrades, it’s just as important to speak up—like telling someone, “Hey, you left your headlights on.” That small action could save a life.

Let’s keep the spotlight on safety this month and every month. Thanks to @phtaorg for leading the way with National Water Safety Month—check out their resources and help spread the word.

#WaterSafetyMonth #PoolSafety #VGBA2017 #DrainCoverTesting #PoolPro #PoolGeekGuide #AquaticsSafety #PoolLife #SwimmingPoolSafety #AquaStarPoolProducts #PHTA #poolindustryexpo #poolnation #ippsa by @poolgeekguide