Viking,san Juan, Or Blue Hawaiian?

[feltdog]

My wife and I are going to have a new fiberglass pool installed before next summer. We have been doing some research to try and figure out what we want. After reading some posts on here we decided it was very important to find a reputable contractor, even more than the brand of pool we choose. After doing some leg work through the BBB and other places, I have found three contractors that appear as though they do very good work and have very low customer complaints against them. One is a Viking dealer. One is a San Juan dealer. One is a Blue Hawaiian dealer. I do not have prices yet from each dealer so that could very well sway which way I decide to go, but my question is this; all things being equal, which manufacturer would you go with, or is the quality between these brands so comparable that the decision should come down to which pool design I like the best?

Thanks in advance for all of your advise. It is very much appreciated.

[Greg H]

My wife and I are going to have a new fiberglass pool installed before next summer. We have been doing some research to try and figure out what we want. After reading some posts on here we decided it was very important to find a reputable contractor, even more than the brand of pool we choose. After doing some leg work through the BBB and other places, I have found three contractors that appear as though they do very good work and have very low customer complaints against them. One is a Viking dealer. One is a San Juan dealer. One is a Blue Hawaiian dealer. I do not have prices yet from each dealer so that could very well sway which way I decide to go, but my question is this; all things being equal, which manufacturer would you go with, or is the quality between these brands so comparable that the decision should come down to which pool design I like the best?

Thanks in advance for all of your advise. It is very much appreciated.

We just installed a Blue Hawaiian Fiberglass pool. We live in Northwest Ohio. Looked at a few different companies and settled on a dealer that was close to us and seemed to do some good work. I can say that Blue Hawaaian has a great pool but we had some minor problems. The dealer we went through gave us a great deal on an "in stock" pool but it took about a month to get it up here, and the local dealer ended up having to drive out and haul it up because Blue Hawaaian was not going to ship it in the time we needed it. The only other issue was that we wanted two cascade waterfalls installed, but Blue Hawaiian didn't do it (Vikign does). You can still have the cascades installed but that takes extra time and cost. Our local dealer ended up giving us a few "deck jets" instead, and is also supposed to be giving us a deck fountain. I can also tell you the "galaxy blue" gelcoat is an awesome way to go. It really hides the dirt and looks great.

The only other issue that we've run into has been the timing. The local dealer is high on quality, so everything we have got has been done really well. The pool install has taken about 6 weeks, which was much longer than the original 1-2 week estimate we were given. Also, the concrete work with our dealer has been exceptional.

If you have any questions, let me know, it's a big decision. I'd be glad to let you know who we went through and some of the items we had to deal with in more detail.

[PoolFacts]

My wife and I are going to have a new fiberglass pool installed before next summer. We have been doing some research to try and figure out what we want. After reading some posts on here we decided it was very important to find a reputable contractor, even more than the brand of pool we choose. After doing some leg work through the BBB and other places, I have found three contractors that appear as though they do very good work and have very low customer complaints against them. One is a Viking dealer. One is a San Juan dealer. One is a Blue Hawaiian dealer. I do not have prices yet from each dealer so that could very well sway which way I decide to go, but my question is this; all things being equal, which manufacturer would you go with, or is the quality between these brands so comparable that the decision should come down to which pool design I like the best?

Thanks in advance for all of your advise. It is very much appreciated.

I am a Viking dealer so take this with a small grain of salt............however, Viking has the best colors of FG pools available and has been actually doing color longer than anyone else, Viking is heads above everyone else as to options, quality control and innovation and they have great customer service. My guess is that they are also in the best financial shape and that is important because of the long term warranties offered by FG pools. The pool business has been a tough business lately. San Juan is in bankruptcy; little is known about the financial condition of Blue Hawaiian. Viking itself just emerged from bankruptcy on 1/22/10 with a solid net worth, a $30,000,000 line of credit and a host of money people dedicated to their longevity.

That being said, it is MORE important to pick a great installer--screw up on the installation and it doesn't make any difference who built the shell--your problem will be between you and the installer (and in this day and age, make sure your builder isn't on the edge of bankruptcy)'

[don pool]

POOL FACTS

I'm sure that being a Viking Pools dealer is difficult these days. To state that Viking is in the "best financial shape" doesn't make much sense to me. I would guess that Latham's creditors and maybe even the Stahls themselves might argue with you on that point. It is good to hear that Viking has a group of dedicated staff and dealers working hard in hopes of turning things around. No one in the fiberglass industry would benefit from their demise.

Just like you said, a good installer/contractor is the key to a happy customer.

[PoolFacts]

My wife and I are going to have a new fiberglass pool installed before next summer. We have been doing some research to try and figure out what we want. After reading some posts on here we decided it was very important to find a reputable contractor, even more than the brand of pool we choose. After doing some leg work through the BBB and other places, I have found three contractors that appear as though they do very good work and have very low customer complaints against them. One is a Viking dealer. One is a San Juan dealer. One is a Blue Hawaiian dealer. I do not have prices yet from each dealer so that could very well sway which way I decide to go, but my question is this; all things being equal, which manufacturer would you go with, or is the quality between these brands so comparable that the decision should come down to which pool design I like the best?

Thanks in advance for all of your advise. It is very much appreciated.

I am a Viking dealer so take this with a small grain of salt............however, Viking has the best colors of FG pools available and has been actually doing color longer than anyone else, Viking is heads above everyone else as to options, quality control and innovation and they have great customer service. My guess is that they are also in the best financial shape and that is important because of the long term warranties offered by FG pools. The pool business has been a tough business lately. San Juan is in bankruptcy; little is known about the financial condition of Blue Hawaiian. Viking itself just emerged from bankruptcy on 1/22/10 with a solid net worth, a $30,000,000 line of credit and a host of money people dedicated to their longevity.

That being said, it is MORE important to pick a great installer--screw up on the installation and it doesn't make any difference who built the shell--your problem will be between you and the installer (and in this day and age, make sure your builder isn't on the edge of bankruptcy)'

Because your name is Pool 'Facts', I wanted to clarify your color statement. Viking pools got their color from Compass Pools out of Australia. They clearly were not the first. Also, Compass no longer uses the Crystite that Viking took from them because of its 'issues'. In other words, if Viking's color was so great, why does Compass, who were the color originators, now use something different?

VIKING CRYSTITE COLORS==You may be right about Compass pools.....I am not that familiar with Australia but I do know the USA and FG pools. When we were doing Viking in the late 1990s we were the ONLY one around with color and it was a huge competitive advantage. Now everyone is doing some kind of color although I like Viking's crystites the best for a lot of reasons especially durability as all those crystite pools we put in in the late 1990s (including mine) still look great. I do know that Leisure (I believe an Australian company) has some deep colors that look good in the kitchen but just look like blue paint once a pool is in---there is just not enough variation in the color so that water line stains as well as every scratch shows. Maybe they should knock on the door of Compass, their Australian neighbor, if they have such great colors and see if they can borrow one.

[BandOnTheRun]

My wife and I are going to have a new fiberglass pool installed before next summer. We have been doing some research to try and figure out what we want. After reading some posts on here we decided it was very important to find a reputable contractor, even more than the brand of pool we choose. After doing some leg work through the BBB and other places, I have found three contractors that appear as though they do very good work and have very low customer complaints against them. One is a Viking dealer. One is a San Juan dealer. One is a Blue Hawaiian dealer. I do not have prices yet from each dealer so that could very well sway which way I decide to go, but my question is this; all things being equal, which manufacturer would you go with, or is the quality between these brands so comparable that the decision should come down to which pool design I like the best?

Thanks in advance for all of your advise. It is very much appreciated.

If you have a chance to look at Barrier Reef Pools, they build a very sturdy pool so much so that a spreader bar is not needed to lift into position, they have a 15 year warranty on their finish and a lifetime warranty on the pools. The color is VERY beautiful - the best I've seen. I would definitely check them out. The have been building color fiberglass pools since 1984. I agree with the person who stated it is VERY important to pick the right installer

[BandOnTheRun]

My wife and I are going to have a new fiberglass pool installed before next summer. We have been doing some research to try and figure out what we want. After reading some posts on here we decided it was very important to find a reputable contractor, even more than the brand of pool we choose. After doing some leg work through the BBB and other places, I have found three contractors that appear as though they do very good work and have very low customer complaints against them. One is a Viking dealer. One is a San Juan dealer. One is a Blue Hawaiian dealer. I do not have prices yet from each dealer so that could very well sway which way I decide to go, but my question is this; all things being equal, which manufacturer would you go with, or is the quality between these brands so comparable that the decision should come down to which pool design I like the best?

Thanks in advance for all of your advise. It is very much appreciated.

If you have a chance to look at Barrier Reef Pools, they build a very sturdy pool so much so that a spreader bar is not needed to lift into position, they have a 15 year warranty on their finish and a lifetime warranty on the pools. The color is VERY beautiful - the best I've seen and the report I looked at from the testing company (provided by manufacturer) showed theirs performed the best out of all other finishes available. I would definitely check them out. I too live in NW Ohio and looked at Viking Blue Haw. S/J and choose Barrier Reef. The have been building color fiberglass pools since 1984. I agree with the person who stated it is VERY important to pick the right installer.

Bandontherun, I like seeing you here on the forums and appreciate your passion for BR. As you already know, I think they make a good pool as well. But I also think it's important that you show all your cards on here and fill out your profile---Name, company, etc... Transparency is the best approach when discussing manufacturers on forms.

[poolandspadude]

Hey RiverPoolsMarc...I personally like to sit on the sidelines and watch these knucleheads eat each other while you and I install quality pools!!! I have to admit..you seem to be the most respectable person on this topic!!

My wife and I are going to have a new fiberglass pool installed before next summer. We have been doing some research to try and figure out what we want. After reading some posts on here we decided it was very important to find a reputable contractor, even more than the brand of pool we choose. After doing some leg work through the BBB and other places, I have found three contractors that appear as though they do very good work and have very low customer complaints against them. One is a Viking dealer. One is a San Juan dealer. One is a Blue Hawaiian dealer. I do not have prices yet from each dealer so that could very well sway which way I decide to go, but my question is this; all things being equal, which manufacturer would you go with, or is the quality between these brands so comparable that the decision should come down to which pool design I like the best?

Thanks in advance for all of your advise. It is very much appreciated.

If you have a chance to look at Barrier Reef Pools, they build a very sturdy pool so much so that a spreader bar is not needed to lift into position, they have a 15 year warranty on their finish and a lifetime warranty on the pools. The color is VERY beautiful - the best I've seen and the report I looked at from the testing company (provided by manufacturer) showed theirs performed the best out of all other finishes available. I would definitely check them out. I too live in NW Ohio and looked at Viking Blue Haw. S/J and choose Barrier Reef. The have been building color fiberglass pools since 1984. I agree with the person who stated it is VERY important to pick the right installer.

Bandontherun, I like seeing you here on the forums and appreciate your passion for BR. As you already know, I think they make a good pool as well. But I also think it's important that you show all your cards on here and fill out your profile---Name, company, etc... Transparency is the best approach when discussing manufacturers on forms.

[bluedolphin-toledo]

My wife and I are going to have a new fiberglass pool installed before next summer. We have been doing some research to try and figure out what we want. After reading some posts on here we decided it was very important to find a reputable contractor, even more than the brand of pool we choose. After doing some leg work through the BBB and other places, I have found three contractors that appear as though they do very good work and have very low customer complaints against them. One is a Viking dealer. One is a San Juan dealer. One is a Blue Hawaiian dealer. I do not have prices yet from each dealer so that could very well sway which way I decide to go, but my question is this; all things being equal, which manufacturer would you go with, or is the quality between these brands so comparable that the decision should come down to which pool design I like the best?

Thanks in advance for all of your advise. It is very much appreciated.

If you have a chance to look at Barrier Reef Pools, they build a very sturdy pool so much so that a spreader bar is not needed to lift into position, they have a 15 year warranty on their finish and a lifetime warranty on the pools. The color is VERY beautiful - the best I've seen and the report I looked at from the testing company (provided by manufacturer) showed theirs performed the best out of all other finishes available. I would definitely check them out. I too live in NW Ohio and looked at Viking Blue Haw. S/J and choose Barrier Reef. The have been building color fiberglass pools since 1984. I agree with the person who stated it is VERY important to pick the right installer.

Bandontherun, I like seeing you here on the forums and appreciate your passion for BR. As you already know, I think they make a good pool as well. But I also think it's important that you show all your cards on here and fill out your profile---Name, company, etc... Transparency is the best approach when discussing manufacturers on forms.

I will fill you in on bandontherun. He is a distributor for Barrier Reef pools in Findlay, Ohio. Very nice guy. He worked for Leisure Pools for a couple of years as a regional sales guy, which is when we met-when he was pushing Leisure pools. He then had an opportunity with Tony at BR and took over a yard and stocked 20-30 colored shells in it. This was in 2005. (general story) He approached our company numerous times to switch from Viking and BHawaiian and bring on BR pools. We as a company install 50-60 pools per year in the Toledo area, all fiberglass going on our 23 year in business. Were not a perefct company by any means, but in the end we do what ever it takes to please our customers. 90% of our business is referral based which gives us a huge advantage against any of our competition. The reason this is important to know is, we want to have continued "Happy" customers. My father and I decided after years of not doing business with BR, to give one a try (st.Crispin).......to say the least, the pool did not hold up to any of our standards. That was the last pool we ever did with BR. Now out of pure desperation the bandontherun has hooked up with some landscape guys with very very little pool experience. Back in 2006 bandontherun actually came up to one of our Blue Hawaiian installs to video tape our install because he had no actually hands on expereince- we allowed it to prevent any BAD installs of any fiberglass pools from them down the road, which would have possibly affected my market and given FB pools a bad name. I beleive he has very good intentions and give him a good deal of credit for the hard work he continues to put into his business. On the other hand, the pools in his yard have all been damaged from wind storms blowing them all over the yard , cracking them and creating some very ugly beat down pool shells. Overall this new BR group has less than 15 fiberglass pool installs over 4 years, maybe more sales to outside regional dealers, but not installs themselves. The pools are inferior in regard to options/sizes/depths etc. I understand desperate times call for desperate measures, but with 11 local Toledo pool companies, knowing none of them wanted to take on BR pools-and having to settle on a landcape hardscape group......not the company i want installing my pool. Im just being honest. I think they do have a decent backround in concrete pools though-and a very good designer that worked for a well known pool comapny in Toledo. Good luck to all this season.

[BruceWayne]

You should try Water World Pools in New Jersey. They build a great pool and can also offer DYI and Turn Key installations. Had a great experience with them. Good luck