So you think you might want a
swimming pool, but it costs too much money. So you thought
about getting a hot tub spa instead, but they seem to be just too
small. Don't you wish that someone would invent something that
had all the best features of a pool and a spa combined, but at a
really reasonable cost ? Well, your wish has come true because
although Swim Spas have actually been around for a few years, they
are just now becoming much more popular and much more available
throughout most of the USA - and the rest of the world too !
So
exactly what the heck is it anyway?
Quite
simply, a Swim Spa is a machine that allows you to swim
continuously against a water current. You never "hit the
wall" or have to turn around to continue to swim laps
like in a regular pool or a lap pool. Swim Spas
provide the absolute best swimming exercise work out,
using the least amount of space in your home or yard.
Swim Spas also act as smaller swimming
pools in the sense that you can play around in them, or
with some of the split-models, you actually have a hot
tub spa in one end of it and a swimming area in the
other end.
Swim Spas
come in a few different categories and sizes.
Almost any type Swim Spa can facilitate an environment that will allow a
person to exercise continuously, relax by just soaking in
the warm water to sooth the mind and body, or spend time
with family/friends in the comfort of your home. According
to the American Heart Association, just 30-60 minutes of
physical activity 3-4 days per week can help reduce your
risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. As a regular
physical activity, swimming can also help lower your blood
pressure and cholesterol.
You can have self-contained and
"portable" unit, you can just get a Swim Spa shell and
set it into a deck, you can have a customized Swim spa
made for you or you can get a Swim Spa Water Jet and
install it into your existing above ground or inground
swimming pool.
O.K.,
so what
are all the different types of Swim Spas?
Molded
Acrylic Swim Spa Shells You Put In A Deck:
Just like
hot tub spas, most Swim Spas are molded out of acrylic
and are typically 12' - 24' in length. You can get
these shells separately and then set them into a deck
and landscape around it any way you wish. In this
type of installation, the pumps, heater, filter and
equipment can be remotely located wherever you choose.
Fiberglass Composite
Swim Spa Shells You Put In A Deck:
Some Swim Spas are constructed with
fiberglass composite similar to the hull of a boat. They
are built with fiberglass and resin layers on each side
of a balsa wood core and finished with gelcoat to create
an indestructible shell that weathers the elements, is
self-supporting and allows for installation above
ground, below ground or partially above ground. The Swim Spa to the left is made
out of Fiberglass Composite by
SwimEx.
These type of Swim Spas can be ordered as completed
units or come in sections to be assembled on-site for
easy access.
Self-Contained
Acrylic "Portable" Swim Spa:
Many Swim
Spas are also available completely pre-built.
These are referred to as Self-Contained or sometimes
"Portable". Although big and bulky, they do not
necessarily have to be permanently installed and can be
moved from location to location in a yard and can be
taken with you when you move. These units are fast
becoming the most popular style of Swim Spas because of
the ease of installation, the fact that all the pumps,
jets, filters, heater and equipment are completely built
inside the unit, within a wood or thermoplastic cabinet
that is pre-installed around the acrylic unit. Think of it
as a really big hot tub spa!
Photo Credit - Endless Pools
Component / Modular
Designed Units:
Endless Pools is one of the first companies to
develop this Swim Spa, or "endless" swimming pool
concept quite a number of years ago. Because
of its modular design, it can be installed indoors in
existing spaces. All of the components of an Original
Endless Pool fit easily through doorways and down
stairs. The modular design also allows for pools of
varying sizes from 7' x 12' to 10' x 16' with water
depths up to 6' deep. This flexibility has allowed
thousands of people to realize the dream of "endless"
swimming at their own home. With these type of
custom built units, you can determine the aesthetic.
Custom copings and sidings supplement the standard
options offered. Because they use a heavy gauge vinyl
liner inside the steel wall panels (just like a standard
steel wall inground swimming pool), you are not
constrained by a mold. If you want multiple and specific
water depths, we can have them. You can make it any size
you want.
Photo Credit - Endless Pools
Self-Contained
"Fast-Lane" Swim Spa Jets:
There is a new invention
called a
Fast Lane Swim Jet unit that can be been retrofitted
into most existing swimming pools. This is a
fairly new innovation by
Endless Pools. You can add a Fast Lane Swim Jet unit
to most inground or above ground pools and instantly
have a Swim Spa water current in your existing pool.
Are they all heated? Can I have the Hot Tub part
hot, and the Swimming Pool part cold?
Well, depending on which
style you select, you can have that functionality. First
you have to decide how you want to use the Swim Spa.
Do you want it just for swimming exercise, or do you
want to use it like a hot tub spa as well ? Do you
want it indoors or outdoors, and if outdoors, do you
want to use it in the winter ? Here are the
different options you have:
Photo Credit - Premium Leisure
All One Body Of Water
- All One Temperature:
The Swim Spa to the left is made by
Premium Leisure. Some Swim Spa units have just one body of water.
Obviously, this can only be one temperature. These
are generally to be used just as a swimming machine.
However some manufacturers have also molded some hot tub
seating into the ends of their Swim Spas, so you can
relax in them as well. With a large volume of
water like this (between 600-2000 gallons depending on
the size) it will be somewhat costly to heat up to hot
tub temperatures though. Also consider that you
will most likely not want to swim in 100 degree water.
So these are things to think about with a unit that is
all one body of water.
Photo Credit - Premium Leisure
Detail Shot Of The
"Spa" End:
The
photo to the left shows the hot tub spa area of an
all-in-one Swim Spa unit. There are many jets to
hit all the parts of your body for a soothing massage.
Photo Credit - Premium Leisure
Detail Shot Of The
"Swimming" End:
The photo to the left shows
the swimming end of the Swim Spa. Those large oval
black things in the photo are the swimming
jets. They are the actual jets that produce the
incredibly high flow-rate needed to swim against.
Photo Credit - Premium Leisure
Two Separate Bodies
Of Water - Two different Temperatures:
The Swim Spa to the left is made by
Premium Leisure. Some Swim Spa units are separated into two
distinct bodies of water. One stays cool for
swimming, and the other stays hot for hot tubbing.
The unit to the left is divided to separate the two parts. This
is ideal if you want the best of both worlds. The
down side to this is that the swimming end is normally a
little smaller, until you get into the bigger units. If space is no problem, you may
want to consider a larger unit like the one to the left (16'
or larger) that has
two separate sections molded into it. Realize that
these style units may be a bit more costly because
they need two completely separate filtering, pumping and
heating systems.
Photo Credit - Dimension One
Matched Sets:
Some people want two different units, but
want them to look the same - a matched set ! Well,
this is also available from many of the manufacturers
(see photos to the left). With a matched set, you
get a separate Swim Spa unit that is all one body of
water, and a separate hot tub spa, that you can keep
much hotter.
Really? That is so interesting ! So what do these things look
like anyway?
Take a look at the photos below, which
demonstrate the various types of Swim Spas in different
environments.
This is a self-contained Swim Spa
that has been set on the ground and then had a wood deck
built around it. Notice that the body of water is all
together (not separated into two areas). All the
water is the same temperature.
This is a
self-contained Swim Spa that has been set on the ground
and then had a wood deck built next to it. Notice that
the body of water is separated into two areas, one for
the hot tub spa section and one for the swimming /
exercise section. You can have the Swim Spa cold
and the Hot Tub Spa section hot.
This is an
Endless Pools Swimming Pool. Endless Pools was
one of the first companies to develop the Swim Spa
concept years ago. These are component systems and are a
little more custom built and installed for you.
This is an
Endless Pools Swimming Pool in a totally custom
built indoor setting. Here you can see the swimmer
stroking against the current to get a great work-out.
This is a
SwimEx Swim Spa
Shell that has been set in a floor of a sunroom. Notice that the
body of water is all together (not separated into two
areas). All the water is the same temperature. A
lot of people like to put Swim Spas indoors for easy
year round use.
This is a Swim Spa
Shell that has been set in a wood deck, for the look of
a pool, crossed with the look of a spa. Notice that the
body of water is all together (not separated into two
areas). All the water is the same temperature.
This is a Swim Spa Pool that
uses a Paddlewheel for the water current. The
paddlewheel technology featured in a
SwimEx
Pool creates a current that spans the entire width of
the pool. It is a deep, wide current that has up to 99
speeds. Positioned in the back of the pool, the
paddlewheel pulls the pool water through a rear grate
then pushes it through tunnels or under the pool floor
to the front of the pool where it comes out a front
grille. It can circulate up to 25,000 gallons of water
per minute for a smooth, river-like current.
Above are two examples Swim
Spa Pools by SwimEx that use the new paddlewheel
technology. Actually, SwimEx is the only manufacturer on
the market that has this particular water current
system.
Here you can see a
matched set - a Swim Spa next to a Hot Tub Spa.
Normally this is done to have the Swim Spa cold and the
Hot Tub Spa hot.
Here you can see a
matched set - a Swim Spa next to a Hot Tub Spa.
Normally this is done to have the Swim Spa cold and the
Hot Tub Spa hot.
Ok, I love this
idea....How much do they
cost?
You are probably thinking, "Yeah, this
sounds great, but it probably costs like a trillion dollars."
That is a common misconception about Swim Spas...that they are only
for the fabulously wealthy. Well, nothing could be further
from the truth. Swim Spas actually cost a bit more than a
portable hot tub spa and a lot less than an inground swimming pool.
When Swim Spas first came on the market about 10 years ago, they
were priced in the $25,000 range. At that time you could get a
pretty nice portable hot tub for about $4000 and a fairly well
equipped inground pool for around $25,000. At that point in
time, the Swim Spa did not really seem like such a great bargain.
As time progressed though, the average price of a portable hot
tub spa shot way up, mostly because of all the new features and
advanced technology that was being built into them. This put
the typical hot tub in the $8000-$12,000 price range, with the
deluxe models approaching $16,000.
At the same time, the price of swimming pools rose greatly as
well....partially due to advances in technology and features, and
partly due to the increased price of installation and insurance that
pool builders had to pay. So all of a sudden, a "nice"
inground pool price was in the $30,000-$40,000 range, with deluxe
pools going for upwards of $100,000. Add to that the price of
the decking around the pool and the landscaping costs, and you have
a very expensive (albeit beautiful) backyard project.
During the mid-2000's, a few keen hot tub manufacturers saw that
there might be a larger market opening up in the Swim Spa industry,
and a number of them changed their production lines to also produce
the larger, more bulky Swim Spas. Innovative jet pump &
equipment technology and newer manufacturing methods made the cost
of production of the Swim Spa to come down to the levels of a high
quality portable hot tub.
All of a sudden, you could produce a 14' to 18' long Swim Spa and
offer it for sale anywhere between $13,000 - $25,000 complete,
delivered, hooked up and installed and ready for use in a few hours.
Now the price of a Swim Spa seems very reasonable when compared to a
$16,000 hot tub or a $40,000 inground pool.
Who makes these
things?
There are many companies making Swim
Spas these days If you go to our new
Swimming Pool
and Swim Spa Buyers Guide page, we have a complete chart and
directory where you can easily see the different Swim Spas offered
on the market today, as well as getting links and contact info on
each manufacturer. Tell them you heard about them on
PoolAndSpa.com!
How can I see
some of them and where can I buy one?
Many dealerships now display Swim
Spas in their stores. Check our
Swimming Pool and Swim Spa Buyers Guide page to see the various brands
available, then
to find a Dealer near
you, use our free
Company
Locator Search Engine to help you find a Pool or Spa Dealer in your
town. Search our Database of over 40,000 dealers nationwide. You can
simply search by either your area code, zip code or a specific company
name to locate a dealer in your area.
Swim Spa Videos
We also have many videos right here
on our web site where you can see Swim Spas in action, right from
your own computer screen. Take a look at all the wonderful
videos on our
Poolandspa.TV video page to get a feel for all the
different pools, spas and swim spas on the market today.
Here are some quick links to the most
popular Swim Spa videos:
How do they make
something this big, all in one piece?
Funny you should ask, because we happen to have a video
that Poolandspa.TV produced in 2008 at the Artesian Spas factory in
Las Vegas, NV. The video is actually called "How Do They Build
A Hot Tub Spa?", but the model that they are building in the video
happens to be a large 16' Swim Spa. About 4 minutes into the
video you get to see a huge sheet of acrylic heated up and sucked
into a Swim Spa mold. It is quite interesting to see this
done. Click on the video below to take a look.
Watch a large
Swim Spa being formed out of a single piece of acrylic.
It's amazing!
"How Do They Build A Hot Tub
Spa?" - Part One
Watch this video from PoolAndSpa TV which takes you through every step in the spa
manufacturing process at Artesian Spas. See them actually forming a
large swim spa out of acrylic, plumbing up the spa, water
testing, cabinet making and more. A must-see for
anyone thinking about a new spa or swim spa purchase.
Single Click Image Above To Start Video
"How Do They Build A Hot Tub
Spa?" - Part Two
Watch Part Two of this video from PoolAndSpa TV which takes you through the plumbing, jetting,
insulating and cabinetry necessary for every hot tub spa or
swim spa. A must-see for
anyone thinking about a new spa or swim spa purchase.
