Sentiment Remains Positive For Post Covid High-End Pool Projects

Though the market appears to have slowed in a post-pandemic economy, many of the higher-end residential and commercial projects are still rolling full steam ahead. Jason Jovaag, whose company Hammerhead Aquatics specializes in acrylic installations for pool and aquatics-related projects has remained consistently busy. Because he frequently collaborates with builders and designers across the globe, we asked him what the sentiment is amongst his peers regarding the forecast for our industry. Listen in on our conversation on this latest episode of Pool Magazine podcast. Read in Pool Magazine: Recession Proof: Luxury Pool Projects Still Riding High

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Transcript

[00:00:00.480] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Thanks for joining us on another episode of Pool magazine podcast. I'm your host, Joe Trusty, Editor of Pool magazine, and today I'm chatting with Jason Jovaag, owner of Hammerhead Aquatics. Jason was on our show a few months ago to discuss this company and what they do, and Hammerhead Aquatics as a leader in aquatic lazing. I brought him back on the show to discuss some really interesting projects that his company was recently involved with. It's a pleasure to have you with us again on the show, Jason.

[00:00:26.010] - Jason Jovaag - Hammerhead Aquatics

Oh, thank you for having me.

[00:00:27.950] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

So you're just popping up in my timeline all the time now, man. I mean, it seems like almost every week I see you're jetting off to work on some project or another. I saw you recently were working with something with Johnny Nalepa on a new project. I think I saw a post from you last week that said you were heading over to Florida to photograph a couple of projects.

[00:00:46.540] - Jason Jovaag - Hammerhead Aquatics

Yeah, correct. I was just down with Johnny as well as Jimmy Smith out there taking some pictures and photos, getting some social media stuff going for a project we recently completed, the Siesta Key Market.

[00:00:57.220] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

What's that project all about?

[00:00:58.990] - Jason Jovaag - Hammerhead Aquatics

It was unique. It It was the house that was filmed on MTV's Siesta Key TV show. Once the show had wrapped, the owner wanted to put a new facelift on the pool, so they went in and reconstructed the pool. We did an addition by adding a subterráne four-sided support acrylic window, looking down to what is going to be a bar. So the project came out great. These subterráne or four-sided support windows into occupied space below. They always have a very good presentation for them, whether that's the ambient lighting throughout the day or if it's going to be the LEDs or different types of lighting in the pool for the evening.

[00:01:35.930] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Sure. I'm looking at the photos of that project right now, as a matter of fact. I think you did another one where one of my Facebook friends, Danny Reilly, recently tagged you in another collaboration project with Ray Corral, Guy Wood, and Kyle McDaniel, right?

[00:01:49.890] - Jason Jovaag - Hammerhead Aquatics

Yeah, correct. That project was done a while ago back in Texas. We did three windows over there. Amazing design that everybody collaborated on to be able to come up with the best sheet utilization for the space that was there. It came out absolutely awesome. Ray does a great job with his tile and his layout. Stuart's design was awesome. Guy Wood is an executor of top-notch quality out there, and it really came together well.

[00:02:12.980] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

I just spoke with them yesterday, as a matter of fact, about a project that they are doing with Randy Angel. Yeah, Guy Wood is tremendous. I saw that you're working on something right now for the Columbus Zoo for their Otter Exhibit. You did quite a bit of work for them, if I'm not mistaken. This is your fourth project with the zoo, from my understanding.

[00:02:30.830] - Jason Jovaag - Hammerhead Aquatics

Yeah, correct. We've been at the zoo for years. Our first exhibit we did out there was a grizzly bear exhibit. Then we went into polar bears. After that, we did seal and sea lion, which is an amazing pavilion. That was probably one of the most complicated zoo and aquarium projects that we worked on just based on geometry and really getting this thing to line up correctly. There's an all-acrylic tunnel that's in there that typically most tunnels are straight. This one's actually faceted and goes around a curve, and it really showcases a great perspective of underwater viewing for the Seals and Sea Lion.

[00:03:01.880] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Those zoos are right in your wheelhouse. I mean, that's your bread and butter is those aquariums and those displays for animals. I saw a few photos of a project I know you were working on for the Milwaukee Zoo as well. I mean, what were you doing on that project?

[00:03:17.040] - Jason Jovaag - Hammerhead Aquatics

Ironically, we remodeled that project about 10 years ago from the original construction, and we did it then. Then they decided to change the configuration. It's the entry pavilion right when you walk through the entrance of the zoo. They got some CapEx money there to expand, giving the animals more open area to be able to swim, reconfigured the design a little bit, and changed some of the windows around. It'll be a good exhibit when it opens. I think it's going to open in about a month. But yeah, you'll be able to get up close and personal with the penguins.

[00:03:47.340] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

You certainly get around, that's for sure. I love your post because you're always up to something new. Any type, I hop on Facebook. I'm never disappointed. All these awesome projects you got going on just blow me away.

[00:03:59.170] - Jason Jovaag - Hammerhead Aquatics

Traveling is always... Unfortunately, it's the nature of the beast for what we do. The zoos and aquariums are not built that often in Vegas, so we got to go where the work is. Clients like Columbus or Milwaukee or SeaWorld or San Diego Zoo, they always tend to be coming up with new innovative designs and reworking their facilities. It gives the guests a continuous experience as they go through the zoos over the years, so they're not looking at the same exhibit.

[00:04:23.760] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

We wrote about the new St. Regis Resort a while back. I interviewed Ray Carral and Vito Mariano about that project, but I didn't get to find out until afterwards that Hammerhead Aquatics was also involved. I was hoping that you could discuss what you and your firm did on that particular job.

[00:04:41.140] - Jason Jovaag - Hammerhead Aquatics

Yeah, great project. St. Regis, their half of the facility is a hotel, which is owned and managed by the Marriott. The other half, there was three buildings that we did, was actually residential towers. We installed 24 windows in all Bradford stainless steel vessels. Each one of these units has their our own individual small plunge pool. In three different buildings, six different stories. Like I said, we did a total of 24 windows there, and that project came out amazing. I was out there last week, taking a look at it, waiting for some of the ownership to get back in there and finalize their design plans and get the ownership suites actually moved into and inhabited. But yeah, a lot of neat stuff going on there. That project came out great. It's definitely one of a kind for the St. Regis market. It's a world-class property for sure.

[00:05:27.170] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

You're always focused on the next thing, and I love to see these amazing projects you're involved with. Just before our call, I was watching a video that you posted of a job that you collaborated with Radford products on a stainless steel rooftop pool project in downtown Miami, where the pool actually had to be delivered by a helicopter. I mean, that video was so cool. How did Hammerhead Aquatic's acrylic expertise come into play on that particular job?

[00:05:53.320] - Jason Jovaag - Hammerhead Aquatics

It was definitely challenging. That was a renovation of a penthouse in downtown Miami. Building had been existing for a while. There was an existing pool that was there. Ownership wanted something a little bit more spectacular than what was there. Bradford was brought in to recreate a new stainless vessel on this rooftop. As you saw in the video in collaboration with Quizo Group, they went ahead and helicopter the vessel up in several pieces and then did what Bradford does and go ahead and weld everything together and give them a great water tight vessel. We came in and installed six acrylic windows going around that pool, giving you a great view, and again, the ambient lighting out into the Miami Bay.

[00:06:29.680] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

I've The video is so cool. I can't imagine just being on the street downtown Miami, just looking up and seeing this pool flying overhead. It's really cool. Now, I heard rumors. I haven't seen photos, but the words going around the campfire that you're involved in another big project in Beverly Hills. I heard the words floating pool. I was hoping that you'd fill us in on the details of that particular job you got going on.

[00:06:53.040] - Jason Jovaag - Hammerhead Aquatics

Yeah, it's a very unique project. Mclean Architecture is actually the architect designer there on that project. And what we're doing is we actually have a pool that's about 80% acrylic over another pool that's down on the lower level. We've got a series of eight acrylic windows on the floor of the pool. And then at the very end of the pool, we've got an acrylic bonded U-shaped assembly that cantilevers off the edge of the house structure. As you're driving up through the area, what they call the Bird Street, you'll be able to see this body of water hanging off the side of the building. That's all acrylic that's been fused together.

[00:07:29.690] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

I I got to take a look at this. I'll have to hop on your Instagram after we chat. A while back, I interviewed you and we spoke about the price of acrylic and how production costs were rising. I know after 2023, prices for many different construction materials like wood, concrete, PVC began to soften a bit. I mean, have you guys seen any relief on prices on the acrylic side of the business?

[00:07:53.530] - Jason Jovaag - Hammerhead Aquatics

We've seen a little bit of cost decrease on the acrylic. Us, since we do travel so much, the travel-related have gone up anywhere from 12 to 15% across the board, whether that's hotel, flights, rental cars. Again, as we're always on the move, we're not physically tied down to one location. We're seeing those costs increase a little bit. But to the point, construction materials, silicone, our normal waterproofing materials that we use, that has flat-lined off a little bit. We haven't seen too much more spiking going on in that market. Sure.

[00:08:26.730] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Just from a logistics and travel standpoint, the cost of living going up, prices increase, based off of that.

[00:08:34.310] - Jason Jovaag - Hammerhead Aquatics

Correct.

[00:08:35.800] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Well, moving into these post-pandemic years, what have you seen as a business owner as far as demand? Have residential or commercial projects increased or decreased since the end of COVID?

[00:08:46.220] - Jason Jovaag - Hammerhead Aquatics

I think they've increased. From our standpoint. We've seen an increase in it. I think that COVID really put people into a sense where they wanted to stay home a lot more. We watched the outdoor living pavilions and this whole backyard oasis explode during that time frame. People weren't traveling. They wanted to have that oasis, their own piece of paradise there in their own backyard. I think that was coming out of COVID, that's been the driver as we watched some of these designers create bigger and better backyards for people that don't want to travel as much anymore. So for us, the demand for our product and our services has definitely increased after COVID.

[00:09:26.810] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

I was speaking with Sabina Hickman, the CEO CEO of the PHTA this week, and we were pretty much discussing the same topic. I was alluding to the fact that there is this perception in the industry that we're in a recession, right? But the fact of the matter is that the numbers that indicate whether or not the country is in a recession indicate that we're not. Gross domestic product in our country has been up. We see an increase in GDP. But I know that you work and collaborate with lots of different builders and designers. I was wondering, what's the sentiment like among your peers in the industry right now in terms of the outlook or forecast for our industry?

[00:10:11.580] - Jason Jovaag - Hammerhead Aquatics

We're seeing a lot of designs right now. There's a lot of designs coming out. There's a lot of pricing exercises coming out. I think that this being an election year, things are shelved a little bit. I think everyone's waiting to see what happens in November. So we'll see how that happens here after the election. But from our side, on a design standpoint, we're getting new designs daily. So I don't think that the building growth is slowing down, but I think there's going to be a lot of people that are cautious on how they're going to proceed into '25 after the election.

[00:10:43.780] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Sure. Cautiousness, I Like, doom and gloom, I don't.

[00:10:46.600] - Jason Jovaag - Hammerhead Aquatics

Yeah, I agree with you. I don't think it's necessarily that. We deal with a lot of high-end builders and a lot of high net-worth people, and they have been, I don't want to say it, recession-proof, but there's a big demand for what we do for the product and its use. So we haven't really seen too much of a slowdown for the higher-end projects.

[00:11:06.880] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Well, I'm glad things are remaining healthy for you. And I know a lot of the jobs that you work on are years in the planning and development. But what's next on the horizon for Hammerhead Aquatics moving into 2025?

[00:11:18.630] - Jason Jovaag - Hammerhead Aquatics

We've got a couple of good projects coming up. There's a lot of international work going on. There's some commercial stuff that we're tracking with several designers on. So we've got some really new cutting-edge stuff that's coming out. Again, with some of the bigger designers, we've got some Hilton stuff coming up. We've got a couple of resorts in the Bahamas that are coming up. We've got a big project coming up in Anguilla, and some exciting more things coming on with our zoo and aquarium work as well. Design-wise, utilizing our materials effectively and pushing the boundaries like we've always done. I think we'll be able to get some stuff out here on market, at least share some conceptual stuff coming up here relatively soon. But we don't see a slowdown in '25, and we're looking forward to the challenges that are coming ahead.

[00:12:02.040] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Sounds like you're busy, busy, busy. Well, Jason, absolute pleasure getting the chance to reconnect today and learn more about what your company is up to. I appreciate you taking time out today to chat with us and look forward to meeting up with you at one of the events this upcoming Trade Show season.

[00:12:16.400] - Jason Jovaag - Hammerhead Aquatics

Yeah, we'll be out there in Dallas at the International Pool & Spy Expo. So anybody who wants to come out, we will be there.

[00:12:22.970] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Well, that's all the time we have left today. Make sure to like, share, subscribe, and follow, and we'll catch you next time on another episode of Pool magazine podcast.