Are swim spas going to be big enough to swim in?

This is a question we get asked regularly from customers looking at purchasing swim spas, and the answer is yes, of course. You don’t need a large area or a deep body of water to be able to swim effectively. If you’ve ever used public swimming pools you probably didn’t need to adjust your swimming stroke when transitioning from the deep end to the shallow end, and the shallow end of a municipal pool will usually measure 0.9 metres in depth (some of the swimspas in our range are deeper than this).

So what is a swim spa and how does it work?

Well, a swim spa is a product that allows you to swim continuously against a current without having to turn or change direction, often referred to as a counter current swimming pool. Whether you're a fitness fanatic training to keep fit and healthy, or looking to endure the extreme demands of competitive swimming, open water swimming, triathlons or iron man competitions, a swim spa can provide you with a tailored, adjustable swim current strength to suit your individual fitness needs. They also have their own integrated heaters so you can adjust the water temperature to suit you. They're a bit like an oversized hot tub swimming machine!

Swim spas work by either using a counter current swim jets to create an adjustable water current to swim against or, in the case of our Endless Pools Fitness Systems, use the unrivalled Endless Pools Fastlane to provide the water current for you. Either counter current pool will work well to help you increase your swimming fitness and choice is usually dependent on your needs and proposed use.

Which counter current swimming machine will be the best for me?

This will depend entirely on your individual needs and how you will be using the swim spa. You will either be considering counter current swim jets or an Endless Pools Fastlane. Don’t worry, our trained sales staff are here to help you make the right choice for you but we can let you know a little bit about each type of system to help you understand how to make the right choice for you. We also have the X500 Swimcross Exercise System and E2000 Endless Pools Fitness System available to view and wet test at our Cardiff showroom, just bring your swimming costume and a towel to try these fabulous swim spas for yourself!

Counter current swim jets are designed for both swim and water workout exercising and are suitable for all ages, body sizes and skill levels. Our SwimCross Exercise Systems feature five swim jets and are driven by two pumps providing a powerful and steady water stream of 1,200 litres per minute. The SwimCross jet design is also unlike many other because they don’t rely on introducing air to the swim current to add extra force, instead they use a boost effect to draw in more water, multiplying the volume and resulting in a stronger resistance for swimming against with less turbulence. This means you will find it easier to stay centered on the swimlane and the unique lift provided by the lower jets gives you added buoyancy when in the water.

The Endless Pools Fitness Systems is a swimming pool counter current system that will appeal to regular swimmers and fitness enthusiasts right through to serious competitive swimmers, triathletes and iron men and women, it offers you the ultimate in swim lane technology. The industry leading Endless Pools Fastlane provides a superior swim-in-place experience, is custom made and the hydraulically powered propulsion system creates a laminar current of up to 19,000 litres per minute that is wider than your body and deeper than your stroke! Featuring multiple conditioning grills help smooth and redirect the water, removing air resulting in a counter current pool that is completely free of turbulence. Even at full power it feels like swimming in a smooth, open water current. The swimming machine flow can also be adjusted from speeds ranging from 5:33 minutes (gentle breaststroke) to 1:14 minutes per 100 metres and can be precisely adjusted for perfect pace control.

These swim spas also have some great optional extras to further enhance your swim training. Choose a swim pace display system to really start measuring your performance efforts or, if you opt for a system without an underwater treadmill, add an underwater floor mirror.

Can I choose a size of swim spa that’s right for me?

Yes you can. The SwimCross and Fitness Systems are available in a number of different sizes and depth to suit your particular needs. The respective swim lane lengths for each swim spa are then determined by the distance from the front of the swim jet to the start of the first step at the rear of the unit. This gives you an indication of the fit you will need to comfortably swim within the swim lane offered by each model.

Swim lane length of the X200 Swimcross Exercise System

Swim lane length of the X500 Swimcross Exercise System

Swim lane length of the Endless Pools Fitness System E500

Swim lane length of the Endless Pools Fitness System E700

Swim lane length of the Endless Pools Fitness System E2000