In ground pool contractors

[Susan]

Do you know of any local contractors actively building in ground pools? Thanks in advance..

[Punaperson]

I don't have a contractor name, but I do have a funny story from way back that may make you smile.

Back in the early 80's, a retired couple on 2nd Ave in HPP wanted an in-ground pool to cool off during the hot summer days. After getting several estimates, they knew they couldn't afford it because they didn't have enough money. But they did have plenty of time. Over the course of 3-4 months, they ended up hand-chiseling out their pool, 3' deep at one end, 8' at the other, and if I remember right, about 20' long and 15' across. They then had it cemented, and set up a filtration system themselves using lots of the material they excavated. I asked him once how much it cost, and he told me chiseling the hole cost him about 20 cases of beer, 4 pairs of gloves, and 3 chisels. We enjoyed many more beers in the cool of their pool.

[Susan]

Punaperson, it just so happens I stayed at a rental in HPP with a natural lava rock pool that was cemented. This about 10 years ago before we lived here. Was on 1St though. Funny if it was the same place.

[Punaperson]

The hand-chiseled pool was on the Maku'u side of HPP. I 'm pretty sure it was on 2nd, but memories of those years are smokey.

I did know people with a pool on 1st on the Kaloli side that was dug with a small backhoe back about the same time. It was boomerang shaped, with the deepest part at the 'elbow'. They raised shrimp and tilapia, so when we wanted to take a dip, they would toss handfuls of 'trout chow' at one end of the boomerang, and we would jump into the other end. If the shrimp/fish weren't otherwise occupied, we would get nibbled everywhere ! (Their neighbors on 2nd were part-time residents, fishermen from Alaska, who cemented a small lava tube collapse hole, but it was only sit-down deep, more of a tub than a pool.)

We also had Queen's Bath back then. That was always worth a quick motorcycle ride at the end of the day - still one of the favorite spots in my memories.