Beware of Very Cold Lazy River

[808blessing]

 

[CampbellzSoup]

This isn’t fixed? I know some people brush off complaints but this is a big deal. The water attractions are essential to aulani.

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

Any month in Hawaii is better than any month on the mainland…. at least I heard. But being a local, of course we’d like to be on the mainland and just travel everywhere at our leisure. Congratulations to your mom!

Actually, I’d say July/August are pretty much even between the two. We try to never take vacations those month because it’s soooo beautiful around here - and when the trade winds die down a bit, it gets a little too warm in HI for me. Not as bad as my wife’s birthplace (Singapore) though! That’s pretty much miserable year-round.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

I’ve only been to Hawaii in January and February and it was stunning weather

 

[WillGan]

Actually, I’d say July/August are pretty much even between the two. We try to never take vacations those month because it’s soooo beautiful around here - and when the trade winds die down a bit, it gets a little too warm in HI for me. Not as bad as my wife’s birthplace (Singapore) though! That’s pretty much miserable year-round.

Of course right now sitting on the chairs that I’m reserving for my family at 715 am, it’s like 69 degrees and I’m freezing. Yes the trade winds are our natural air conditioning but when it dies down like even in Sept./Oct., yuck!

 

[WillGan]

This isn’t fixed? I know some people brush off complaints but this is a big deal. The water attractions are essential to aulani.

In all the times I’ve been here (4 stays) it is colder than the other pools so we’ve just gotten used to it. Maybe it’s a way to not keep guests in there all day but man during this past July 4th, it was packed to where guests were waiting for tubes for a longer than normal wait. Perhaps this is something the DVC Fan Show can maybe address. I’ll even ask one of the cast members and relay the news to our members here.

 

[JC1984]

Can anyone currently at the Aulani confirm water temperatures at pool opening? We are headed there in 15 days and want to start asking questions of Aulani Guest Services and DVC Member Services if this is not fixed This is what our DVC annual dues ($3000 they just sucked out of me) go to if they need to rush a part to repair a boiler than so be it. Or they can upgrade me to a 3 Bedroom Grand Villa extend my stay 2 extra days and I will fix it for them.

 

[Hubie]

Of course right now sitting on the chairs that I’m reserving for my family at 715 am, it’s like 69 degrees and I’m freezing. Yes the trade winds are our natural air conditioning but when it dies down like even in Sept./Oct., yuck!

Is it that bad in Nov.? We've only been to the Big Island (2009 and 2011) in May and over Mother's Day, which was a bargain time to go back then. Due to the deep recession in 2009, we got our flight from Madison, WI, a beautiful 2-bedroom condo at the Houla Resort located just outside of Kona for 9 nights, and a rental car for $2400 from Orbitz. Then in 2011 we paid $3400 for same package for 8 nights. I know those days are over!

When we arrived in 2009, the rental car folks tried to get me to upgrade to a convertible. I refused but then when we went out back to get our car, we got to pick out one of eight convertibles. That's all they had left when they tried their best to get me to upgrade. We generally spent a lot of time in the car with the top up except in the late afternoon and evenings. In the nine days we put 3,000 miles on the car driving to Hawi three times, twice to Hilo and once up to Volcano. Here's a few pictures of the Big Island's Beauty.

 

[WillGan]

Bad no! It’s bearable for Hawaii residents but just very uncomfortable would’ve been the better way to say it! Yes! The Big Island is the last remaining place that has the islands untouched areas so you’d get to see the real Hawaii there!

 

[cgattis]

Is it that bad in Nov.? We've only been to the Big Island (2009 and 2011) in May and over Mother's Day, which was a bargain time to go back then. Due to the deep recession in 2009, we got our flight from Madison, WI, a beautiful 2-bedroom condo at the Houla Resort located just outside of Kona for 9 nights, and a rental car for $2400 from Orbitz. Then in 2011 we paid $3400 for same package for 8 nights. I know those days are over!

When we arrived in 2009, the rental car folks tried to get me to upgrade to a convertible. I refused but then when we went out back to get our car, we got to pick out one of eight convertibles. That's all they had left when they tried their best to get me to upgrade. We generally spent a lot of time in the car with the top up except in the late afternoon and evenings. In the nine days we put 3,000 miles on the car driving to Hawi three times, twice to Hilo and once up to Volcano. Here's a few pictures of the Big Island's Beauty.

View attachment 729290View attachment 729291
View attachment 729292
View attachment 729294
View attachment 729295

Aw, your girls look adorable!

 

[Hubie]

Aw, your girls look adorable!

They are very cute, but not ours. They helped serve us snacks at an open house at the Houla Resort. I did ask permission if I could take the pic.

 

[maxbuffmelvin]

The lazy river water is cold but not as cold as the water in the kids water playground area . It would help if/when the sun comes out but at 1015am (12/30), it’s manageable, especially for Hawaii’s standards. The pool is much warmer of course.

The water was cold in the kid's Menehune water playground in August 2022 compared to August 2021.

 

[Chy]

How is it possible to have cold water in August in Hawaii? That's not good news.

 

[tankin]

It was frigid last week ... just another stupid cost savings at Aulani

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Do hotels really set pool temps to 86? Anything above 80 seems warm to me, but I also grew up swimming in the northeast.

86 isn't even safe.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Just fix the boilers. Why do they let these things fester. Yikes.

There are no boilers. The pools are heated using the "waste heat" thrown off from the air conditioning systems. There's nothing that is switched off that's saving them any money from not using.

 

[tankin]

There are no boilers. The pools are heated using the "waste heat" thrown off from the air conditioning systems. There's nothing that is switched off that's saving them any money from not using.

If that's true, its a really poorly designed system then.... Under that system the months that you need the most heating, when its cold, would be the months that AC system isn't working as hard and, therefore, has less waste heat so the pools remain cold (which was the case last week). Conversely, in hotter periods, when the pool is heated atmospherically, you have less need for the waste heat.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

If that's true, its a really poorly designed system then.... Under that system the months that you need the most heating, when its cold, would be the months that AC system isn't working as hard and, therefore, has less waste heat so the pools remain cold (which was the case last week). Conversely, in hotter periods, when the pool is heated atmospherically, you have less need for the waste heat.

The perceived temperature of the water is relative to the ambient temperature of the air. A 78 degree pool doesn't feel cold in 78 degree weather, but it does feel cold in 86 degree weather.

 

[Kmk2]

86 isn't even safe.

I keep my pool heated to 86+ in cooler times in the summer. How is that in any way unsafe? Other than to the Aulani bottom line.

As per US Masters Swimming:

Most multi-purpose pools incorporating lap, recreational, and water fitness swimmers across the country are typically kept at a higher temperature, between 83 and 86 degrees, though some programs will bring temperatures up to 90 degrees for small children.

 

[Kmk2]

As per Disney they heat their Disney world pools to 82 - I guess it Aulani is left out in the cold