First Memorial Day With the Swimming Pool – Here’s How It Went

[Ryan]

Just wrapped up our first real Memorial Day weekend since getting the pool installed last fall, and man… I finally get what the hype is about.

Whole weekend felt like a vacation. We had friends over Saturday and Sunday, grilled nonstop, played music, and the kids practically lived in the water. Even the adults were in there more than I expected. Beer pong with inflatable tables was a hit, and so was our random idea to do a “night swim” with glow sticks and floating lights.

Few things I didn’t expect as a pool owner:
• The water chemistry stayed solid. I was nervous it would get thrown off with that many people swimming, sunscreen, food nearby, etc. But I shocked it lightly Friday night, checked the levels each morning, and it held up great.
• Pool cover was a lifesaver last week. We had storms roll through Tuesday and Wednesday. I threw the cover on and didn’t have to deal with a swamp Thursday.
• I ran the pump almost nonstop. I know it costs more in electricity, but I didn’t want anything cloudy or green creeping in. Glad I did.
• Floats take up so much space. Like, where are people storing these giant flamingos and pizza slices in the off-season? Because my garage is not the move.
• Bug situation? Worse than I thought. I’ll be adding some citronella torches or mosquito traps soon. No one wants to be slapping their legs all night.

All in all, this was exactly why we wanted the pool. Felt like a little oasis for our family and friends. Already getting texts from people asking when we’re “doing it again.” I didn’t think I’d be this excited to vacuum the pool tomorrow morning, but weirdly I kind of am.

Anyone else host this weekend? Any surprises or tips you wish you knew going into your first big pool party?

 

[skylar]

That sounds like an awesome weekend, honestly the kind of pool vibe everyone dreams of when they’re debating whether it’s worth the investment. Love the glow stick night swim idea too, definitely stealing that!

Totally with you on a few things, those floats are ridiculous to store. I ended up grabbing one of those big mesh storage bins on wheels just to wrangle them all. Not pretty, but better than tripping over pizza rafts all year. And yes to the bugs. citronella helps a bit, but I also picked up a propane-powered mosquito trap and it made a noticeable difference during our evening swims.

As for surprises, I didn’t expect how fast people would volunteer your house as the go-to hangout spot, but it’s a compliment, right? Glad your water chemistry held up too. Having a solid system in place makes hosting way less stressful. Cheers to the first of many.

 

[Brent Carter]

I love the idea of glow sticks and floating lights for a night swim, that’s something I haven’t tried yet. We had a small get-together too, and I can definitely relate to some of what you said:

• Floats are such a pain to store. I’m honestly not sure where I’ll put all of ours once the season’s over. Maybe some hooks or a big bin in the garage?
• Bugs were a bigger hassle than I expected as well. Citronella candles helped a bit, but I’m thinking about trying one of those mosquito traps next time.
• I ran my pump a lot more than usual too, just to keep the water clear. It really made a difference, especially with kids swimming constantly and sunscreen everywhere.

What surprised me the most was how much everyone loved swimming after dark. Adding some lights in the pool really changed the vibe and made it more fun.