FAQ
COOL-SWIM is easy to launch, retrieve and store. With proper care, the pools can last in excess of 10 years, with many customers reporting usage for 20 years or more. Thousands of satisfied customers can attest to the high quality and outstanding benefits our products offer.
Below are some of the most frequently asked questions we have heard from potential customers over the years. Please click on the appropriate question to view the answer. If you have additional questions that are not covered here or elsewhere on our website, please contact us - we'll be happy to answer your questions!
How hard are they to launch?,
How hard are they to retrieve? and
Do they really fit back into the mesh bags?
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They really are quick and easy to use. Simply take the COOL-SWIM out of its storage bag, unravel the pool, and begin pumping with the included foot pump. We modify the adaptor on the foot pump tube so that it locks into the valve in the pools, allowing you to have both hands free to feed the pool into the water. A boat with a swim platform is the ideal work surface from which to launch the pools. Just feed the pool into the water as you inflate the float ring. If you don't have a swim platform, don't fret, people have been using the pools for years from boats without swim platforms. Just feed the pool into the water over the side of the boat (detailed instructions come included with the pools). In both cases, make sure to tie a short security line (not included) to one of the tie straps on the outside of the pool, preferably the strap nearest to the valve. Once the pool is fed out into the water, lay your swim ladder into the pool and tie the security line to your swim ladder so the pool will stay attached to your boat if the swim ladder floats up. Send the most eager swimmer into the pool to help the pool assume a circular shape, and then you are all set. Once you do it a few times, you'll be launching the 12.63 foot pools in less than 5 minutes, and the 20 foot pools in just a couple more.
How long do the pools last?
- This will vary depending on usage, care, and environment, but it is unusual to see a COOL-SWIM out last for less than 10 years. Most last for 15 years or more, and many pools that are more than 20 years old are still in use.
How do I repair tears in the netting?
- Although COOL-SWIM is manufactured from the most expensive, toughest and lightest hi-tech composite fabrics available, tears or punctures may occasionally occur - almost always from overlooked sharp objects such as barnacles, oyster shells, or exposed bolts. For simple net repairs, carry a needle and thread (preferably nylon or polyester) on your boat and simply stitch a torn net together. If you are not comfortable with tackling the job, give us a call. We can advise you or you could send the pool to us to do the job for a reasonable fee
How do I patch a float ring?
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First, try to avoid situations where the COOL-SWIM could become damaged. Most small float ring leaks are caused by contact with barnacles or sharp spots on boats. The pools are durable, but can be damaged. Try to police the portions of your boat where the pool may come in contact (particularly around the stern) and remove sharp objects. Dock users please see the "Info for dock users" page on the website. 20 foot pools come with a patch kit that works with the exterior material on those pools. Repairs for 12.63 foot pools are as follows.
Buy a small bottle of Contact Cement with a brush (a form of rubber cement). This is a brand name, manufactured by the DAP company. You can find bottles at your local hardware store, they usually only cost a couple dollars. No other glue or adhesive will work and will actually make it difficult or impossible to subsequently do a proper repair. For a small pinhole leak, first find the leak by submerging the float ring under the water to locate air bubbles. Second, mark the exact location of the air bubbles with a pencil. Third, after the floatring is completely dry, brush 3 coats of contact cement over the leak area. Let the contact cement dry an hour or more between each coat. The last coat must dry overnight before inflating the pool to be a permanent repair. More than 3 coats are better.
For leaks larger than 1mm, do the same as described above, but also make a patch 1" larger than the hole by simply putting 3 coats of contact cement on both sides of any small piece of fabric (with at least 35% polyester content) and around the damaged area, letting each coat dry until tacky and then roll the patch over the damages area. Cover and weight down. Women's panty or bra material, 100% nylon or polyester, works best as it is very stretchy. This provides a nice flexible patch and will be a permanent repair. No other type of material (except original material) will work because the material will not stretch enough.
Do the pools really work? Can a jellyfish sting you through the netting?
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Thirty years of use and experience in the bays, rivers, and estuaries along the Atlantic Coast and thousands of satisfied customers attest to the effectiveness of the COOL-SWIM in waters populated by the common, mildly stinging jellyfish of these regions. The pools have proven through years of experience to effectively create a jellyfish free swimming area. The pools have worked successfully in areas populated by Sea Nettles (Chysaora Quinquecirrha), the most common stinging jellyfish of Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic Coast, and the Lions Mane and Moon Jellyfish in these regions. The degree of pain from a sting varies from person to person and with the severity of the encounter with the stinging tentacles.
The mesh netting on the pools is by necessity porous so that water can flow through the pools and allow the pools to function as swim areas. Since the mesh netting is not an impermeable barrier, it is theoretically possible that some stingers could be felt through direct contact with a jellyfish through the netting. There is no guarantee that a user cannot be stung through the pool netting. Due to the slight chance that someone could possibly be stung through the netting we do not recommend the pools be used by any person who, for physical or emotional reasons, cannot tolerate the risk of a jellyfish sting.
We do not recommend that the pools be used as protection against certain types of jellyfish. These include, among others, the Portugese Man O'War (which is not technically a jellyfish), and certain highly toxic jellyfish, many of which are often found in tropical waters, such as Box jellyfish and Irukandji jellyfish. On the Atlantic Coast, Portuguese Man'O War tentacles can grow up to 20 or 30 feet long. At that length, they could wrap around a pool. In addition, there is documentary evidence that Man'O War stingers can penetrate through latex gloves, which are impermeable barriers, and of a greater thickness than the netting of the pools.
We do not recommend the pools as a defense against Sea Lice, like the type found periodically in South Florida and along the coast of Mexico. These pin-head sized creatures are small enough to float into the netting.
We do not recommend using the pools for protection from highly toxic jellyfish. Swimmers should avoid waters inhabited by these creatures.
We do not recommend use of the pools by people who could have potentially severe allergic reactions to jellyfish stings.
When I pull the pool out of the water, won't it be covered with jellyfish?
- No. Unlike an anchor line, which you pull up through swimming jellyfish (and which sometimes comes up covered with tentacles), jellyfish are below and outside the COOL-SWIM when the pool is in the water. Jellyfish are not in the space that you are pulling the pool through. If jellyfish do come in contact with the fine mesh they slide off, leaving a negligible amount if any stingers. We have never heard of anyone getting stung while retrieving a pool.
Can you use the pools from docks?
- In most cases, yes. Approximately 25% of our customers use our COOL-SWIM successfully from docks. However, there are additional issues to be aware of that you do not encounter when using the pools from boats. Please see our "Info for dock users" page on the website which covers these issues.
How do you keep the pool circular?
- The calmer the conditions and the less wind and or current is present, the better the COOL-SWIM will hold a circular shape. If the pool temporarily becomes oval, kidney shaped, or crescent shaped, no swimming area is lost, it's just temporarily different. All boats (motor or sail) "sail" to and fro on a single anchor. The stronger the wind, the more sailing, until they traverse several dozen feet. Any pool tied to the stern will be dragged back and forth. There are several solutions such as two anchors, stern anchoring, or a shorter rode that could stop sailing (never set too short a rode than would be safe under the conditions). Another alternative is to use a bridle mooring line from your anchor line to a rear cleat or winch. There is a detailed description of this technique in the pool instructions. Lines tied from side tie straps on the pool to outer points on a boat or a dock can help as well.
How do I care for my pool?
- The best thing you can do for your COOL-SWIM is to keep it away from sharp objects, such as barnacles and sharp metal parts on boats. To keep your netting more supple and less discolored over the years, rinse the pool with fresh water after use and before drying and storing. At the end of the season, soak the pool in a container (a trash can works well) with a very mild amount of detergent before rinsing, drying, and storing.
How long can I leave my pool in the water?
- It depends. Dock users tend to want to leave a COOL-SWIM in the water longer than boat users. How long you can leave it in depends in part on how quickly algae and other organisms will grow on the pool at your location. Usually a weekend is fine, but longer than a few days may result in algae starting to grow on the pool. To learn how long you can leave it in, simply retrieve the pool and inspect it periodically. If you are concerned, fully retrieve it and rinse it before redeploying it. Under any circumstances, do not leave the pool in the water in inclement weather or high winds, as these conditions could damage the pool.
Can I use my electric or compressor driven pump to inflate the pool?
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No. The COOL-SWIM only needs 3 - 4 psi to fully inflate. Electric or compressor pumps can easily exceed that pressure and can blow a seam on the pool, ruining the pool. The included foot pumps work very well and the pools cannot be over-inflated with them.
