Having a pool is often a dream come true for a homeowner. But enthusiasm can wane upon realizing how much work it can take to maintain. That’s why so many homeowners in the Lowcountry trust Sunny’s Pool & Spa. The team at Sunny’s has gained the trust of countless families over the years, but it all started with a man who simply loved to get his feet wet.

Sunny Drake is a Charleston native who has always been drawn to the water. His affinity should come as no surprise, given that his last name is the term for a male duck. “Just like a drake, I can’t stay away!” he laughs. His love for all things aquatic is one reason why he took a job at a Kiawah-based beach service in the 1980s, and why he eventually bought his way into ownership there after Hurricane Hugo. Over time, he and his beach service business partner expanded their business to service swimming pools. “I didn't know anything about pools at the time, but I loved the water, so I was meticulous and focused on getting the water chemistry exactly right,” he remembers. “I spent all day looking at the pools, taking great pains to make sure everything was perfect. When I wasn’t at a pool, I wanted to learn everything I could—taking classes and reading articles,” Sunny describes. The pool business took off, and in 2006, he founded his own company to focus exclusively on residential pools and spas. For the Sunny’s Pool & Spa logo, he of course chose a drake, which has become known across Kiawah Island as the symbol of meticulous service and a love for family fun in the water.

Now, 20 years (and around 20 additional employees) later, Sunny is beginning to transition into retirement but is leaving his customers in experienced hands: Chris Howard, the newly hired general manager who grew up in his own family’s pool business, and Sunny’s daughter Debi, who grew up working with her dad. These two represent the next generation of meticulous pool care at Sunny’s Pool & Spa.

And they’re basing their vision for the future on the same foundation that has made Sunny’s Pool & Spa the top pool service company in the area for decades: every customer receives white glove, concierge-level service. “Our homeowners expect reliability, proactivity and attentiveness. That obviously means we have to be consistent in all the basics: skimming, brushing, vacuuming, basket clearing, deck blowing, chemistry readings and water treatment,” says Chris. “However, we can't stop there. That’s table stakes. The next level is when we do things like weekly tests on pumps, filters, heaters, lights, etc. to ensure everything is working so that our clients don’t have to worry. We try to be proactive, not reactive.”

When issues do come up, Sunny’s Pool & Spa is especially proud of their response time. “We are centrally located on John’s Island, which puts us within 10 minutes of Kiawah and Seabrook Island and within 30 minutes of Mt. Pleasant,” Chris explains. “If an emergency comes up, we can react quickly.” In addition, not only does Sunny’s have a well-trained team who can be on-site in no time, but they also have experienced professionals answering the phone. You’ll never get AI or a generic customer service agent, you’ll always talk to someone like Debi—someone who has cleaned pools, has a wealth of knowledge and can help troubleshoot issues over phone.

Sunny’s Pool & Spa has gained a strong reputation for quality in their 20 years of business, and their goal is to continue being a beacon of high quality, family-oriented service for the foreseeable future. “If you want quality and professionalism you can rely on, and you don’t want your pool to become a headache, then you want us,” says Sunny. “At the end of the day, it’s about trust. We consider it an honor to be trusted with our clients’ pools, and we take that responsibility seriously. I hope our clients know they are like family to us as well.”