Charter Class open · Founding 50 · Aquatic Side · $197/yr locked for the life of the account
PSIP Protocol Aquatic Side

YOUR POOL
SHOULD NOT
FAIL.

PSIP Aquatic is the documented shotcrete and gunite pool shell standard, built to solve the ASR crisis behind the more than 250 Central Texas pools reported affected. Every certified shell documents ASR mitigation, substrate prep, shell thickness, and a verified Tier 1 SCM. When a homeowner asks how they know their pool will not fail, you hand them the certificate.
Get Aquatic Certified See the Standard
ACI 506.2
Referenced Protocol
6
Documented Pillars
Tier 1
SCM Verified
Why a standard exists

THOUSANDS OF POOLS ARE FAILING RIGHT NOW.

When three major coal plants closed, the fly ash that had quietly prevented ASR in pool shells disappeared from the supply chain. Suppliers kept the same spec sheets and removed the ingredient that made them work. Pools built in the years after are developing ASR, the internal expansive reaction often called concrete cancer, from the inside out. Most builders still do not know why. PSIP Aquatic creates the record that proves a shell was built to resist it.

The chemistry broke quietly
Fly ash bound the alkalis that drive ASR. When it left the mix, the shield left with it. The concrete looked identical. The protection was gone.
Pools are uniquely exposed
A shell is in permanent contact with water, the catalyst for ASR gel expansion. Vertical shotcrete dries unevenly, accelerating the reaction at the most vulnerable zones.
No record, no defense
When a shell fails, a builder with no batch ticket, no SCM verification, and no protocol record is answering with memory instead of evidence. PSIP Aquatic is that record, built before the shell is shot.
The Aquatic protocol

SIX PILLARS. EVERY SHELL. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Each pillar addresses a specific failure mechanism in pool construction. Together they are the most comprehensive pool shell quality standard in residential construction.

01
⚛
Mix Design and ASR Mitigation
ACI 506.2 · ACI 318
Performance specified per exposure class with a verified Tier 1 SCM batched at plant. If the batch ticket cannot confirm pozzolanic protection, the shoot does not proceed.
02
◇
Substrate Pre-Hydration
ACI 506R
Rebar cage and substrate pre-wetted to a saturated surface dry condition before the gun starts, so dry substrate does not pull mix water from the bond layer. Timestamped photos required.
03
☰
Rebound Management and Thickness
ACI 506.2
Rebound material is never reincorporated. Shell thickness measured and documented at three or more points per wall panel, minimum six inches for residential shells.
04
☼
Evaporation Control and Curing
ACI 308R
Curing matched to conditions: wet burlap or misting in heat, an approved compound with the Tier 1 internal cure otherwise, and a cold-weather trigger that reschedules below forty degrees.
05
▰
Post-Cure Surface Treatment
Best Practice QA
A penetrating treatment on the hardened shell after the cure reduces porosity at the bond layer before plaster. The shell and deck are treated as one system, not separate events.
06
▣
Documentation and Certificate
Best Practice QA
A Signed PSIP Aquatic Workmanship Certificate with mix design, ASR confirmation, batch tickets, pre-hydration photos, thickness measurements, and dual signatures. The record that protects both parties.
The builder experience

FROM ENROLLMENT TO CERTIFIED, START TO FINISH.

One clear path. You take the exam free, you only pay when you pass, and your certification unlocks the field tools that document every shell.

01
Reserve Your Charter Seat
Claim one of the first 25 Aquatic Side seats. Your $197 locks the Charter rate permanently and opens your preparation window.
02
Study the Free Guide
Download the free PSIP Aquatic training guide. The exam is built directly on it, so you train on exactly what you are tested on.
03
Take the Exam Free
Sit the certification exam at no cost. Three attempts to pass at 80 percent, with a cooldown between cycles. Train first.
04
Pass, Then Activate
When you pass, you complete payment and receive your activation code. The code unlocks your app account and your directory listing.
05
Document Every Shell
The field app captures the shell record, GPS-timestamped photos, batch ticket, ASR confirmation, and curing log, in a guided flow.
06
Deliver the Certificate
Hand the homeowner a Signed PSIP Aquatic Certificate. Proof of ASR mitigation that transfers with the property at resale.
07
Win on Proof
A builder who presents the documented standard wins premium pool work, and carries the record that protects against an ASR claim.
08
Own Your Market
Certify before your competitors understand what PSIP Aquatic is, and hold the standard buyers will ask for next.

The certification lives on the website. The app is the field tool for builders who are already certified. Your activation code is the single bridge between the two.

Standard Pool Practice
✗
SCM and ASR mitigationSupplier dependent, often unverified since the fly ash supply broke.
✗
Substrate pre-hydrationRarely performed on the rebar cage and substrate.
✗
Rebound and thicknessRebound reused, thickness unmeasured.
✗
CuringGeneric, not matched to conditions.
✗
Closeout documentationNone. A verbal promise on a six-figure pool.
PSIP Aquatic Standard
✓
SCM and ASR mitigationVerified Tier 1 SCM with a batch ticket gate before the shoot.
✓
Substrate pre-hydrationCage and substrate to saturated surface dry, photographed.
✓
Rebound and thicknessRebound discarded, thickness documented per panel.
✓
CuringMatched to temperature, with cold-weather triggers.
✓
Closeout documentationSigned certificate, photos, and verified batch tickets.
For technical depth

THE TIER 1 SCM SPECIFICATION AND CLIMATE PROTOCOL.

The full Tier 1 SCM categories, the two thousand year evidence base, the cold weather decision tree, and the complete Flatwork versus Aquatic breakdown live on the Aquatic Standard page. This page is the overview. That page is the operating manual.

Read the Aquatic Standard
Aquatic Side certification

LOCK YOUR CHARTER RATE.

The first 25 Aquatic Side builders within the Founding 50 lock $197 per year, permanently. Profile+ and Elite are pay-as-you-go at the Aquatic Side rate for every member.

Charter Class · First 25
Tier 1
Certified
$197
per year · locked for the life of the account

The credential, the field app, and the doctrine. Listed as a PSIP Aquatic certified pool builder in your region. The right to sign PSIP Aquatic Certificates on every shell.

  • Full PSIP Aquatic training guide and protocol
  • Certification exam, taken free
  • Field app access and certificate templates
  • Directory listing, name, city, and cert badge
  • Charter rate locked for the life of the account
Enroll, Certified
Tier 2
Profile+
$597
per month · pay-as-you-go

Full certification plus your own profile page on psipprotocol.com, a contact form and phone number homeowners can reach you on, and inbound leads from your market. One pool job covers the year.

  • Everything in Certified
  • Your own profile at /contractors/your-name
  • Contact form and phone display
  • Your documented pour archive, on your profile
  • Standard lead delivery from PSIP
Enroll, Profile+
Tier 3
Elite
$997
per month · pay-as-you-go

A bigger card in the directory, a cinematic profile with video, and priority lead delivery. More room to show the work you have documented. It does not move you up. Nothing does, and that is the point.

  • Everything in Profile+
  • Expanded regional profile card
  • Cinematic profile, video and crew showcase
  • Priority lead delivery
Enroll, Elite

Members 26 and up enroll at the standard rate of $499 per year · Charter Class closes when the 50-seat cap fills

The standard exists. The certification is open.

EVERY PILLAR. EVERY SHELL. EVERY TIME.

The pool builders who certify first will own their regional market before their competitors understand what PSIP Aquatic is. Certification starts at $197 per year.

Get Aquatic Certified Find a Certified Builder