Full Transcript for Let's Talk About Riptide Pool Vacuum

00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:58.160 And the main thing, honestly, it's not that they didn't do a good job, it was more build quality we were going after. 00:04:58.319 --> 00:05:01.040 We were looking to build a true commercial quality unit. 00:05:01.199 --> 00:05:03.040 We were not willing to compromise. 00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:14.000 Uh, and since its inception, the unit has been incredibly good with a few flaws, things that we had to perfect, things that we had to get to the bottom of it and make better and better. 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:18.879 And I think one of the most important things we always did was stand behind the customer. 00:05:19.120 --> 00:05:25.519 And uh, if there was an issue, we admit to it immediately and we start working on the improvements. 00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:38.720 And probably one of the biggest things we've ever had to deal with was early on, the plugs that we were using were a disaster, but nothing existed in the marketplace to do a good plug-in uh vacuum. 00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:47.439 So we actually developed our own plug, and that was uh essential in the development of the riptide and making it what it is today. 00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:58.480 And it's it's totally unique plug, it's it's you know, it's just a one component on this thing, but that's one of probably another one of our major uh strengths is we design everything in-house. 00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:05.759 So if there's anything that isn't quite right, we can jump into it and keep working until it's perfected. 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:11.759 So, how long has uh riptide pool vacuum system been in the industry? 00:06:12.079 --> 00:06:14.720 Uh going on four years now. 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:16.480 Going on five. 00:06:16.800 --> 00:06:18.800 Time goes by so fast, going on five, bro. 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:22.240 These days of four and a half years at this point. 00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:24.959 Yeah, and you yeah, hard to keep track sometimes. 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:30.399 Uh sent off to. 00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:33.600 You're selling these internationally as well, aren't you? 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:50.079 Yeah, yeah, we're selling uh internationally now, and we just sent a unit off to Switzerland and the UK the other day, and it's got units in Vietnam and Greece and Australia and Spain all over the world at this point, which is kind of it's cool. 00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:53.519 It's it's nice though your product is used all over the world. 00:06:53.680 --> 00:06:56.319 It's uh it's it's a cool feeling. 00:06:56.639 --> 00:07:01.360 But you're based right out of my great state of Florida, correct? 00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:06.480 Yes, we're in West Palm Beach, uh Florida, nice and sunny today. 00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:09.680 Yes, it is, although we've had some rain recently. 00:07:09.920 --> 00:07:21.519 Yes, and and one of the things that you mentioned, David, that I really liked that you said was um, you know, admitting when there was a flaw or something that was wrong. 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:36.480 A lot of companies are not willing to do that, and and the honesty there is is very uh captivating and uh that you're willing to you know hear from people and then you figure out how to fix the problem. 00:07:36.560 --> 00:07:39.600 That I mean, nothing is ever going to be perfect, right? 00:07:39.839 --> 00:07:42.319 No, that's that's true except riptide is now. 00:07:44.079 --> 00:07:52.480 But that's because you listen to your customers or you listen to the issues that were happening without you know saying, no, no, no, no, there's nothing wrong with it. 00:07:52.560 --> 00:07:53.680 It's perfect the way it is. 00:07:53.920 --> 00:08:01.120 Well, you know what's funny, Lauren is is in capping on that, is is you kind of bare your soul when you put a product out there. 00:08:01.279 --> 00:08:02.000 This is your baby. 00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:06.879 This you you put all your life savings into a new concept, a new new design. 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:13.439 You literally have to make it work, or you're just gonna lose everything you ever did work for prior to that moment. 00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:15.680 So you get a lot on the line. 00:08:15.839 --> 00:08:30.800 And one thing that was not gonna sit with us from the start was was we had identified uh this nonsense that goes on in the industry where just nobody ever, just like you're saying, ever admits to, and it's not really in the industry either, it's probably in life, it's just admit to it. 00:08:31.040 --> 00:08:36.639 It's not limited to the pool industry, it's it's any company you deal with, they don't want to listen to you anymore. 00:08:36.799 --> 00:08:38.879 We just didn't want to be that company. 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:48.399 So uh and so it's it's something that you have to in adopt from day one in so we and we've done a lot of really innovative, cool things too. 00:08:48.559 --> 00:08:52.480 So we actually at this point have uh developed a high torque motor. 00:08:52.799 --> 00:08:59.120 I think I'm not positive to be honest with you, because I'm not embedded in anybody else's system, but I don't think anybody else has ever done that. 00:08:59.200 --> 00:09:10.960 So we actually took the unit, took the motor, uh, used rare earth magnets and built it out, uh, changed the armature, doubled the brush size, just doing everything in our power to make the motors last the best it can possibly last. 00:09:11.200 --> 00:09:15.600 And in the process, just made the motor function the best it possibly can. 00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:21.759 And we did it by optimizing it in use in this vacuum housing and doing all of our tests. 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:37.360 We did uh probably 20 different test test windings on the on the uh armature inside these motors uh until we just got to the point where it was running the most optimally it could and performing the best it possibly could inside these vacuum cases. 00:09:37.519 --> 00:09:43.759 Because really the industry has always just

taken off-the-shelf motors and stuck them in there, and they are what they are. 00:09:44.080 --> 00:09:50.879 So I think it's kind of cool that we're the first ones to take that to a new level and really optimize these motors for use in the vacuums. 00:09:51.279 --> 00:09:54.399 You made an innovation, yeah, made an innovation. 00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:59.200 So, why did you start Rip Tide pool vacuum system? 00:09:59.840 --> 00:10:19.519 I I used to maintain uh another brand for my ex-wife, and it was it was kind of insulting when certain when certain parts would fail and you have to go out and buy these things, and they were failing only because of the design and process that was used to make them. 00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:23.360 Again, failure to live up into and admit to the problem. 00:10:23.519 --> 00:10:29.039 So things like the vacuum case was breaking down constantly, and we would have to. 00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:34.799 I I remember the first time I ever went out to buy these cases, I go up and I'm thinking, you know, what can they be? 00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:37.120 Uh 50 bucks, something like that. 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:41.200 So um I go to buy them and they tell me$450. 00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:44.480 And I would just, I I my jaw, my jaw hit the floor. 00:10:44.639 --> 00:10:49.919 I couldn't believe that anybody would try to charge that kind of money for a chunk of plastic. 00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:58.080 So uh, and for that reason, we in the process of developing the riptide, we actually offer a 10-year warranty on our vacuum case. 00:10:58.879 --> 00:10:59.440 Wow. 00:10:59.600 --> 00:11:06.639 That's we've had and we've had people do crazy things and actually break them, like backing over them with their pickup trucks, and we still warranty them. 00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:07.679 They're having a bad day. 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:10.720 It is it's not a big deal for us to help them out at that moment. 00:11:12.799 --> 00:11:14.960 All kinds of things that can happen out there. 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:16.159 There really are. 00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:18.159 And we've seen a lot of it. 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:23.039 So well, what makes uh the rip tide unique? 00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:28.240 Oh, there's actually there's a lot of things. 00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:31.039 There's a lot of things that truly make it unique. 00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:41.120 Probably the most important thing we do with regards to truly making it unique, making it true commercial quality, is we don't rely on any off-the-shelf parts. 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:45.039 We design and manufacture virtually everything. 00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:51.200 Um, so we have the the vacuum case itself, which we uh it's very thick. 00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:54.080 It's the it's the right kind of plastic to be out in the sun all day. 00:11:54.559 --> 00:11:55.679 As a 10-year warranty. 00:11:55.840 --> 00:11:57.039 We do the 10-year warranty. 00:11:57.120 --> 00:12:04.159 So if somebody does break one, crack it

somehow, um um, it's not a big deal, just switch the parts out into the new case. 00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:07.120 Uh, we do things like ceramic bulb bearings in the wheels. 00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:23.759 We're the first ones, I believe the only ones to ever use actual bulb bearings in the wheels at all, because I I guess because it's in the water, so they just everybody uses a bushing style or just puts a shaft through the wheel and they wear out pretty, I mean, incredibly quickly. 00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:27.600 They're very floppy and and they just it's really not a good design. 00:12:27.759 --> 00:12:31.679 So we do ceramic bulb bearings, which are impervious to water chemical. 00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:34.159 Um, we have our original units are out there. 00:12:34.240 --> 00:12:39.840 You can walk up to any one of them and spin the wheels, they're just like um the wheels on a skateboard at this point in time. 00:12:40.799 --> 00:12:41.440 Wow. 00:12:42.240 --> 00:12:43.519 The locking bag ring. 00:12:43.600 --> 00:12:51.039 So the bag has a uh a locking ring on the bag sewn onto the bag, so we guarantee that bag will never blow off in the pool. 00:12:51.200 --> 00:12:54.240 Um, very easy to put on and take off. 00:12:54.480 --> 00:13:06.240 And you know, as you know, if you have a bag full of debris and it it blows off when you're you're vacuuming, it's all on the water column now, and you have to wait for it to settle, so it could ruin your day. 00:13:06.559 --> 00:13:09.360 Um anything like that. 00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:13.840 We always we try to take everything here to the next level, something that hasn't been done before. 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:18.159 We're always trying to improve and make everything as best as it can be. 00:13:18.320 --> 00:13:21.840 So I think that really separates us from everybody else. 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:22.639 Yeah. 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:31.759 And in the, you know, one early on, we had a we would the first matter of fact, the first trade show in Orlando that we ever did. 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:38.240 We everybody kept coming up and pulling the impeller off of the our unit, and they kept saying, Did you do anything to solve this problem? 00:13:38.399 --> 00:13:41.200 That's all they would say, and we didn't even know what the problem really was. 00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:46.799 So, what happens in the industry is hair and stringy debris wraps on the shaft of the motor. 00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:54.159 And if it's not cleaned enough or often enough, then it will drive down inside the seals and just wipe the motors out. 00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:56.480 And we saw some motors get ruined early on. 00:13:56.720 --> 00:14:01.440 It was after that trade show, probably within two, three months, we saw these motors get ruined that way. 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:05.840 And we pull the impeller off, and they would just be a bird's nest of crap inside there. 00:14:06.159 --> 00:14:12.080 So we developed what we call a debris guard, and it totally protects the motor from this problem. 00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:19.120 It still you should pull it off and clean it and check it from time to time, but it wraps on the outside of this thing instead of on the shaft of the motor. 00:14:19.200 --> 00:14:21.200 So it protects the motor against this problem. 00:14:21.440 --> 00:14:25.279 And we're, I was kind of proud of the fact that we actually solved that problem. 00:14:25.440 --> 00:14:32.480 So here we were in the industry for only probably three months and identified it as a real problem. 00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:36.240 And really the customers helped us to realize what a big problem it was. 00:14:36.399 --> 00:14:43.679 Um, but we came up with the first ones in several decades of these kinds of units being on the road uh to come up with a real solution to that problem. 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:47.360 That that's really unique that you guys uh do that. 00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:51.600 Like somebody identifies, oh, did you fix this problem? 00:14:51.679 --> 00:14:58.080 And then you did, you know, and that's listening to the customers that are coming up, potential customers at a trade show. 00:14:58.240 --> 00:15:15.279 I mean, that's absolutely and in with that particular component, we actually with the with the patents uh that are uh because there's already patents issued on using it on a vacuum cleaner, but it might even find its way into the trolling motor industry because it's so effective. 00:15:15.519 --> 00:15:19.519 So we're actually putting a patent together for use on trolling motors now. 00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:23.600 So, how does your pool vacuum help the pool tech? 00:15:23.840 --> 00:15:27.200 The people listening to my podcast today. 00:15:27.519 --> 00:15:31.279 Uh, really, at this point, it's doing what they expect of the vacuum like this. 00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:43.200 It's just doing it a little bit better at this point because of the fact that the motor has been improved, the fact that it does have things like ceramic bulb bearings and the cases aren't breaking down every year and having to be replaced. 00:15:43.360 --> 00:15:47.039 And um, so those things, of course, are always helpful. 00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:52.080 And as far as obviously, these things are a mechanical thing, they are going to break. 00:15:52.399 --> 00:16:02.240 And when it does come time to repair them, it is literally so we took the need to repair and do maintenance on these things very seriously. 00:16:02.399 --> 00:16:04.240 We have to be able to do it fast and easy. 00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:11.120 So, when it comes to something like let's say a customer comes to our shop, anybody that comes that buys a riptide and they're local enough, they can come in here. 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:16.720 We've never even charged for any repairs at this point, but we can do that because it doesn't take very long. 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:23.360 So, if somebody needs a new motor, for instance, it takes about five minutes for us

to drop one in to a vacuum head. 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:28.240 Um, new cord, same thing, super easy to change, do everything. 00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:34.879 Even the um the control panel on our carts, it's designed so that there's just two bolts to hold it on. 00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:38.320 We sell the whole unit complete, it's already pre-wired. 00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:43.600 It has um uh it holds the switch, the uh everything. 00:16:43.759 --> 00:16:44.399 Everything is right there. 00:16:44.480 --> 00:16:46.559 So those two bolts, the whole unit comes off. 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:50.879 They put a brand new one on, it takes about two minutes, hook it up to a battery, and that's it. 00:16:50.960 --> 00:16:54.320 Everything that runs the unit is brand spanking new on that car. 00:16:56.480 --> 00:17:02.159 It does does the riptide uh vacuum work off of like a marine battery? 00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:05.920 Yep, a deep cycle uh marine battery. 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:08.559 Um, so it's all self-contained. 00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:12.480 You don't have you know, you had to ask, you know, how does it help the pool tech? 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:23.920 Well, if you if you're not accustomed to using this class of cleaner, say you're still doing it the old-fashioned way of a manual pool vacuum, um, running it through the customer's filter. 00:17:24.079 --> 00:17:31.519 I mean, it's the time savings there that you're gonna experience when you switch over to to our system is you know substantial. 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:35.599 It's going to cut your cleaning times in half, literally. 00:17:35.920 --> 00:17:45.680 Um, it's always nice to get a call from a customer who who wasn't using, you know, this class of cleaner uh before and they were doing it the old-fashioned way. 00:17:45.759 --> 00:17:47.359 And then they make the switch. 00:17:47.599 --> 00:17:52.960 They call and they're like, oh my God, I don't know how I was doing it for two or three years, you know, without your system. 00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:55.279 I'm saving so much time now. 00:17:55.680 --> 00:17:57.440 Um and that's that's cool. 00:17:57.519 --> 00:18:10.079 It's it's nice to know that our products out there, and it's actually, you know, for them now, they're cleaning pools faster, so they've got more time for repairs, or they can take on more pools um on their route. 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:17.279 You know, they can go from you know, 15 pools to 30 pools, or you know, they they can literally double the amount of pools that they do. 00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:33.920 So uh, and that goes more into what what Dave was saying about the you know ease of repairing these is you'll become so reliant on it that we understand that you can't afford any downtime with it because it just it's a cascading failure. 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:45.119 If you go back to having to manually vacuum pools, you're you're you still have the same amount of pools the vacuum, you're just doing them in half the time, and there's only

so much time in the day. 00:18:45.279 --> 00:18:47.200 So it's just you're not able to do it. 00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:53.039 Uh so that that's it's a big benefit for anybody out there that's that's manually vacuuming the pools. 00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:58.640 The amount of time savings uh you just you're not really able to compete. 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:00.960 That's a great point, Matt brings up. 00:19:01.119 --> 00:19:08.400 So these guys become so reliant on these things, they become so much more productive that if the unit is down, there's no way they can get through the workday. 00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:10.960 So they go into panic mode if it breaks. 00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:15.599 And that's one of the reasons we have made a conscious decision to not use distribution. 00:19:15.680 --> 00:19:26.880 Because when you use distribution and we become removed from the equation with communication to the customer, then all kinds of crazy things happen and you don't get good information to the customer. 00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:30.799 Any customer that calls our place is going to get real information. 00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:32.880 If they need a part, they can have it the next day. 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:34.720 Doesn't matter where they are. 00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:43.839 Um, and this is just stuff that we are we learned it's really the best way to deal with customers and make sure that they have what they need, when they need it. 00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:46.720 Anybody that orders a riptide, they're buying it directly from us. 00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:51.839 We automatically have a record of the sale, and therefore the warranty is always seamless. 00:19:52.319 --> 00:19:58.559 Um, it just everything becomes so so stress-free and easy for us to deal with the customers this way. 00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:15.759 Hey listeners, short intermission here for my other podcast sponsor, wonderful podcast sponsor, Base Creek, flexible waterproof bond coat for concrete swimming pools, Vitomeriano, wonderful gentleman to talk to. 00:20:16.160 --> 00:20:29.039 Um, if you ever need to know anything about concrete, what swimming pools, suspended swimming pools, or you want to talk to him about his product, you can find them at basecreteusa.com. 00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:33.279 And he is all over social media as well. 00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:34.640 Wonderful company. 00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:35.759 Please check them out. 00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:40.960 And thank you again for sponsoring this episode of the Let's Talk About Pools podcast. 00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:47.359 So the the bags that attach to the pool vacuum that the pool tech would be using. 00:20:47.599 --> 00:20:51.119 Um tell me talk talk to me about those a little bit. 00:20:51.359 --> 00:20:53.039 Yeah, I'm glad you bring that up again, actually. 00:20:53.200 --> 00:20:56.799 There's a lot of things that we we have done to innovate on those as well. 00:20:57.200 --> 00:21:03.119 And so early on, the bags would last some people like eight months, which seemed exceptional. 00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:06.480 Other people would get like two pools out of them and they'd tear them up. 00:21:06.640 --> 00:21:10.079 So obviously, we had to bring these numbers a little closer together. 00:21:10.400 --> 00:21:18.799 And at this point, what we've done is we put the a real heavy net on the outside of the bag, similar to the the leaf rakes that people have done uh in the industry. 00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:26.400 And we learned that simply moving the seam to the outside of the bag makes a world of difference with regards to the longevity of these bags. 00:21:26.640 --> 00:21:33.680 So now we see these bags consistently lasting people six plus months in the industry. 00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:41.680 And I've seen them lasting over a year at this point, even, which is obviously people that really take care of it and everything else because it's still cloth. 00:21:41.759 --> 00:21:44.720 But that said, we it's the bags have been phenomenal. 00:21:44.960 --> 00:21:47.680 We have we don't have any complaints on them anymore. 00:21:48.079 --> 00:21:48.720 Wow. 00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:56.079 And on top of that, because it will never blow off, we can run really any micron we want. 00:21:56.240 --> 00:21:59.759 Uh of course, it doesn't mean the bags can do everything, there is a limitation. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:05.200 Into what these vacuums can do with regards to the vacuum the stuff that they'll vacuum up. 00:22:05.279 --> 00:22:14.000 So you're not going to vacuum algae only because it gets stuck on the inside of the bags and turns them into uh they're no longer porous, the water can't flow through. 00:22:14.079 --> 00:22:16.880 And if the water can't flow through the bag, they cannot clean. 00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:27.599 Um, we do have a heavy net bag that will allow it's the same net actually that we use to protect all the uh filtering cloth on the on all the double layer bags. 00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:35.200 But we have the heavy net bag, and that's really the only way that you can vacuum a pool that is green and has a lot of or any algae in it. 00:22:35.680 --> 00:22:43.680 So the algae will blow through the bag and then uh vacuum all the big stuff out, and you can vacuum the algae to waste with just a pump. 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:44.640 Nice. 00:22:45.119 --> 00:22:49.359 And we talked you talked about the marine battery that it runs on. 00:22:49.519 --> 00:22:53.680 If if that's fully charged, uh how long is that last? 00:22:54.319 --> 00:23:11.039 Well, there's different sizes of batteries, so people can select, and in the really the only reason for not just going for the biggest one on the market would be weight, so they could be the batteries can become very, very heavy anywhere from uh like 35 pounds to 70 pounds or something like that. 00:23:11.440 --> 00:23:14.480 And the riptide cart will it will accommodate all of those. 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:18.319 The XP model with the handheld

battery box can only use the 35 amp hour. 00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:20.880 There is a game changer coming though. 00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:34.960 So these lithium batteries are hitting the market, they're getting to a point where when you consider the warranty and everything, the cost is actually very reasonable, and we're learning that there's a huge uh uh uh potential upside to using them. 00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:37.599 So there's there's actually several potential upsides. 00:23:38.000 --> 00:23:40.079 The weight is ridiculously light. 00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:46.079 They are a battery, and we we we've got some, we've bought several and we're putting them in the market out there testing them. 00:23:46.240 --> 00:23:57.119 A battery that weighs, so one customer we have is doing like 30 something pools a day, and he was using either group 29 or group 31 battery, so it's a very, very large battery. 00:23:57.200 --> 00:24:02.880 I believe they're up around 70 pounds, and he felt he needed that to get to his day. 00:24:03.200 --> 00:24:27.519 So we got him a 54 amp hour lithium battery to test for us, and it weighs 15 pounds, it's so light that we actually have enough, we have a special provision on the riptide to be able to move the axle back, and then we have an adjustable handlebar, which is necessary when you get into a battery that's so light, otherwise, you're gonna have an unbalanced cart that makes it kind of obnoxious to use. 00:24:27.759 --> 00:24:31.920 But with that adjustment, we're able to get a perfect balance, even with these super light batteries. 00:24:32.079 --> 00:24:46.160 But the interesting thing when he started doing this test on the battery is he said that when he starts his route in the morning, his first pull of the day, the battery is is obviously very charged and it's it's running super strong. 00:24:46.319 --> 00:24:55.039 But the interesting part is he said now with this battery versus a lead acid battery, the last pull of the day, it's running just as strong as the first pull of the day. 00:24:55.440 --> 00:24:56.960 And that's on the lithium battery? 00:24:57.279 --> 00:25:00.559 That's on a lit little lithium 54 amp hour battery. 00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:04.960 And that's after doing 30, I think it was 32 pulls he's doing in a day. 00:25:05.279 --> 00:25:11.759 And this is the if you came out with this, this would be the what per would this be the first pool vacuum? 00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:15.359 Well, we're not gonna, we don't have any intentions of being in the battery business. 00:25:15.519 --> 00:25:17.920 People would have to just buy the batteries themselves. 00:25:18.240 --> 00:25:30.000 But it's something that you would be able to advise to a pool tech that's buying a uh a riptide that they had the choice of getting a lithium battery once you've tested it and you know it works well. 00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:34.880 Yeah, so that's exactly what we're trying to do right now is we're just doing tests with several different

brands. 00:25:34.960 --> 00:25:43.200 We just want to be able to share the knowledge with people that we gain and then uh hopefully endorse a particular brand. 00:25:43.599 --> 00:25:44.240 Nice. 00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:51.119 So that that's that's a new thing, that's new technology integrating with with your pool vacuum system. 00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:51.680 That's cool. 00:25:51.839 --> 00:25:52.240 Yeah, yeah. 00:25:52.319 --> 00:25:57.119 The lithium iron batteries were they've been around for a long time now, but they were so ridiculously expensive. 00:25:57.200 --> 00:25:59.039 And they are at face value, they're still expensive. 00:25:59.119 --> 00:26:02.319 It's like for that 54 amp hour battery, it's like like$500. 00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:04.160 It includes a charger. 00:26:04.480 --> 00:26:07.039 Uh, so it has to provide some real benefits. 00:26:07.279 --> 00:26:14.319 And one of them, and one of the most important when you talk that kind of money, is it has a very long warranty, like 10 years. 00:26:14.880 --> 00:26:19.759 Well, and and the pull vacuum is going to be a little bit lighter, it's gonna be significantly lighter. 00:26:19.839 --> 00:26:21.920 Yeah, the whole thing, total game changer. 00:26:22.160 --> 00:26:27.599 So, we're not willing to compromise the quality of the cart or the vacuum or anything else for a couple of pounds. 00:26:27.839 --> 00:26:37.039 However, when you're talking a massive difference like a battery, and you now have performance enhancements instead of decreases, then it's nothing but positives. 00:26:37.279 --> 00:26:48.640 Well, and and that's a positive for the pool tech because they're dealing with a heavy cart and they got to take it to somebody's backyard through a fence, deal with a dog while they're trying to carry the cart. 00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:58.720 If it's a lot lighter, they're gonna be able to get from pool to pool quicker, and it's gonna be a lot less uh impactful on their body as well. 00:26:58.960 --> 00:27:01.839 Uh trying to move something around that's heavier. 00:27:01.920 --> 00:27:04.000 So that's definitely that's a big game changer. 00:27:04.079 --> 00:27:04.720 That's that's cool. 00:27:05.039 --> 00:27:07.359 Yeah, that's gonna be interesting to see how this develops. 00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:16.400 It's it's something that we've actually so so what happened with everybody that has used one of our batteries that we've purchased just for testing, immediately they order one. 00:27:17.839 --> 00:27:22.319 I I would if it was me, I I'd be looking for something lighter too. 00:27:22.559 --> 00:27:23.200 Yeah, yeah. 00:27:23.279 --> 00:27:31.039 I was surprised though that they were willing, they didn't care about the it was so such a huge difference that they didn't care about the price, they just literally said doesn't matter. 00:27:31.279 --> 00:27:31.920 Absolutely won't be. 00:27:41.359 --> 00:27:44.720 You know, they put it on the back of their truck or the back of their trailer. 00:27:45.839 --> 00:27:48.880 I we call it a transport rack, but yes, transport rack. 00:27:48.960 --> 00:27:50.880 Let's talk about the transport rack. 00:27:51.440 --> 00:27:53.279 It's all included with the SL model. 00:27:53.359 --> 00:27:57.279 So anytime somebody buys that unit, it is included with it. 00:27:58.000 --> 00:28:12.240 And the probably the unique thing about that is we've designed this product so that uh one of the reasons we can sell direct like we do is it's designed so that it ships UPS and it's very cost effective to get it anywhere in the country. 00:28:12.559 --> 00:28:13.200 Nice. 00:28:14.480 --> 00:28:20.400 So are there any situations you wouldn't use the riptide system for? 00:28:22.640 --> 00:28:32.559 Well, like I stated earlier, so you can use it to vacuum a pool full of algae, but you have to use do it a certain way, you have to use the heavy net bag so the algae actually flows through it. 00:28:32.640 --> 00:28:35.200 So you're not going to use it to remove algae. 00:28:35.440 --> 00:28:46.160 The only way you're gonna remove the algae is after you get the big the idea being get the big debris removed, and now there's nothing in the pool to plug your vacuum hose while you're vacuuming to waste. 00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:53.119 So the the that's probably the only thing you can't use it for is removing algae from a pool. 00:28:53.920 --> 00:28:57.839 And I know we've talked about a couple of cool things already. 00:28:58.000 --> 00:29:03.440 Is there anything else new or cool on the horizon for riptide? 00:29:03.680 --> 00:29:07.680 Any other product lines that you guys are dealing with in the pool industry? 00:29:07.839 --> 00:29:11.119 Anything you're willing to talk about or or can talk about? 00:29:11.519 --> 00:29:17.680 Uh, you know, what one thing we've been considering, and and I don't know, you know, so far we've we haven't done it. 00:29:17.759 --> 00:29:27.519 So people we talk about the algae, and and people have asked us to do a uh pump on a cart that will lock into our transport rack. 00:29:27.680 --> 00:29:36.880 So they could either put a T-bar on it and have both pumps with them if they want to, or they could just take one or the other, depending on how their day is is designed to work out. 00:29:37.440 --> 00:29:43.440 And really, it'd be great if your customers could give us some opinion on that if that's something they're interested in. 00:29:43.599 --> 00:29:53.759 It wouldn't be a difficult thing to do, it would just be a uh cart designed appropriately for the pump to make it as simple and effective to cut cart into the backyard as possible. 00:29:54.160 --> 00:29:59.759 And it would allow them to do that uh that vacuum to waste that we talked about. 00:30:00.400 --> 00:30:05.119 What are you allowed to say what material the cart is made out of? 00:30:05.279 --> 00:30:25.440 I'm sure you looked into it to make sure it was like as light as possible, but able to support absolutely so our

cart is fully um aluminum, and with the exception of things obviously like the axle, which is stainless steel and um but everything is aluminum. 00:30:25.599 --> 00:30:31.920 We're like I said earlier, so we're not willing to compromise on strength for lightness. 00:30:32.240 --> 00:30:38.960 So when it comes to the two rods that go into the transport rack, those are solid solid aluminum rods. 00:30:39.119 --> 00:30:44.079 We actually see these things get rear-ended every once in a while by cars, and the bar never breaks. 00:30:44.160 --> 00:30:55.440 Believe it or not, the bar is just it will bend completely around the transport rack sometimes, uh, but it never breaks, which that blows my mind that how well these things hold up. 00:30:55.680 --> 00:31:04.559 But so what happens is these things obviously are subjected to really harsh conditions, they're in people's hands all day, every day, a tremendous amount of hours that these things get run. 00:31:04.960 --> 00:31:08.240 And uh it's it's it's a harsh environment, period. 00:31:08.480 --> 00:31:11.200 While they're going down the road, they're in this transport rack. 00:31:11.279 --> 00:31:22.240 Those two rods are essentially uh responsible for holding the weight of the entire unit all the time for many years as it's hammering and going down the road and vibrating. 00:31:22.400 --> 00:31:29.279 So you don't want to use anything like a hollow tube there, where it's going to wear into that tube and then break the tube. 00:31:29.519 --> 00:31:41.839 So yeah, we use aluminum for weight, obviously, but then we're not willing to compromise when it comes to a couple of individuals, uh a couple of spots that you need that really extreme strength. 00:31:42.319 --> 00:31:57.039 And while we're talking about driving and car absence, so many times I see pool techs have their bottle of muriatic acid and a yellow jug of liquid chlorine in the cart, in the tray of the cart. 00:31:57.440 --> 00:32:08.160 And that's not a great idea when while you're traveling down the road, you should still put it in your in your back of your truck or in your trailer to make it more secure. 00:32:08.400 --> 00:32:15.039 So if you do get rear-ended, you don't got acid and chlorine mixing together there as part of the car accident. 00:32:15.200 --> 00:32:18.400 I know you guys don't never intended it to be done that way. 00:32:18.559 --> 00:32:28.640 That's just part of what's been seen many times when you drive around, they just leave it on the cart because they don't want to move it back and forth. 00:32:28.880 --> 00:32:33.519 Yeah, and some people don't, some people are very, very conscientious about all that, but it's like everything in life. 00:32:33.599 --> 00:32:38.640 Some people are very conscientious, other people are just you know, these guys work hard, right? 00:32:38.720 --> 00:32:41.920 They so they get in this rush, but you're right, those things should be pointed out. 00:32:42.079 --> 00:32:53.279 I know you do your classes and stuff, that's a great thing to point out to them so that they realize the jeopardy that they're putting themselves in or others in, or um, just that there's a there's a safety factor there. 00:32:53.599 --> 00:33:11.200 Occupational safety, but yes, you're right, it's even the people because you're driving on the road, so making sure because yeah, the pool vacuum's there, but that's not gonna really mit any chemicals or anything added to what the accident's gonna be already. 00:33:11.759 --> 00:33:17.920 Well, is there anything we haven't talked about that you wanna talk about about Riptide? 00:33:18.400 --> 00:33:20.160 Oh, I think we covered everything pretty well. 00:33:20.240 --> 00:33:21.680 You have any ideas, Matt? 00:33:24.240 --> 00:33:26.480 Yeah, yeah, I think we got everything pretty clever. 00:33:27.519 --> 00:33:28.240 Awesome. 00:33:28.559 --> 00:33:39.200 Well, let's tell the listeners where uh they can find you on the web or how to contact you if they're interested in a Riptide pool vacuum system. 00:33:42.799 --> 00:33:45.359 That's that's uh I think his headset just died or something. 00:33:45.519 --> 00:33:52.240 So so you can they can go to uh riptidevac.com and they can place orders right there. 00:33:52.400 --> 00:33:56.720 If they have questions, they can give us a call at our 800 number, which is on the website. 00:33:56.880 --> 00:33:59.759 It's 800-735-3029. 00:34:00.400 --> 00:34:11.119 Um, where we can follow us on uh Facebook or Instagram at RiptideVac um or email us at sales at riptidevac uh.com as well. 00:34:11.360 --> 00:34:15.519 And they can Facebook message you because I know that's how we were communicating. 00:34:15.760 --> 00:34:16.159 Yep. 00:34:16.320 --> 00:34:19.119 So and it was very they were very quick on it, guys. 00:34:19.199 --> 00:34:21.280 So if you're into the Facebook messenger thing. 00:34:21.519 --> 00:34:26.639 Yeah, and if you don't and if you don't get a message back from on Facebook right away, just drop us an email. 00:34:26.719 --> 00:34:29.119 Sometimes we don't get the the notifications for that. 00:34:29.199 --> 00:34:30.320 I don't I don't know why. 00:34:30.639 --> 00:34:40.239 Yeah, emails are nice because they come into the office in a manner that there's several of us that can monitor them to make sure that responses happen faster and get taken care of quicker that way. 00:34:40.559 --> 00:34:43.119 Well, thank you for being on my podcast today. 00:34:43.280 --> 00:34:51.360 It was a joy to talk to you guys and about your uh very unique uh pool vacuum system called Riptide. 00:34:51.599 --> 00:34:53.039 And I hope you Lauren. 00:34:53.519 --> 00:34:57.519 And I hope to see you at the pool show uh next year. 00:34:59.199 --> 00:35:03.119 Thanks for diving in today with the Let's Talk About Pools podcast. 00:35:03.280 --> 00:35:06.320 Be sure to follow us on our YouTube channel or our Facebook page. 00:35:06.480 --> 00:35:14.079 And feel free to rate, subscribe, and leave a review wherever you listen to your podcast so more aquatic professionals like you can learn about the show. 00:35:14.239 --> 00:35:19.599 We appreciate it, and we'll catch you in the next episode of the Let's Talk About Pools Podcast.