Swim Spa's worth the investment?

[ratchett]

My parents are nearing retirement and working on building their new dream home on a prime piece of land.    They are thinking about installing a fairly decent size in-ground pool, however given the fact that they are in a Zone6/7 Northeastern climate, the pool seasons are short and the cost of installation/maintenance can be high given how little it will be used (knowing them).  I am aware of heat-exchangers to help extend the pool season, but I am certain they wouldn't be using a pool in the middle of December/January regardless!

However, I see a lot of swim spas on the market by many of the same brands producing regular spas.  I've seen some conflicting reports about these swim spa's.   My father likes to swim laps sometimes, but he's not a peak-physique performance swimming athlete, I don't think he *needs* the high water volume some of these spa's advertise they produce (I don't think he need's the same jet performance Michael Phelps would need haha)

However, the idea of a heated swim spa it seems to make sense that instead of installing a permanent in-ground pool at 3x the price which can only be used 3-4 months of the year to instead spend the money on a quality heated swim-spa so it can be enjoyed year-round (see some spa's include dual-zone functions so the swim side can be run at lower temperature than the Spa side during the summer months). I'm sure a quality Swim Spa isn't cheap, however it has to be cheaper than buying a large pool and spa separately!

Are these tubs worth the investment for a retiree looking to keep life simple?  Or are they simply an overpriced piece of junk which won't last even five years of service without constant headaches and leaking issues?

Knowing my parents, they don't want any additional stress in their lives - they will pay for a quality product if they know it's worth the investment.   Also knowing my mother, she will not keep up with any sort of water maintenance routine and we will likely need to hire someone to help maintain the spa so I am taking that into consideration when shopping.

Any advice or input would be much appreciated while they are still in the planning stages of building their home and landscaping the backyard of the property

[SerjicalStrike]

I was able to get my parents a used swim spa.  My mom has a hard time walking around, but uses the swim spa almost every day to walk around in.  They had a spa prior, but are much happier with the swim spa.

[ratchett]

I was able to get my parents a used swim spa.  My mom has a hard time walking around, but uses the swim spa almost every day to walk around in.  They had a spa prior, but are much happier with the swim spa.

What brand did they go with?

[The Wizard of Spas]

I'll leave it to others to speak on the quality of the various brands and simply comment on the dual-zone aspect of your query...

I'd consider buying two separate spas:  Swim Spa, and Hot Tub.

Dual zone tends to be cool on paper but a deeper dive notes its deficiencies:  More overall cost in terms of electric and unit price all while having less options.  Get a smaller swim spa (12' - 14', say) and find a nice small hot tub for their massage needs.  It'll provide a better massage and give more options while being more cost effective in terms of energy.

Most dual zones have smaller hot tubs that lack in performance.  You'll never use a single zone swim spa for the hot tub portion as it cost a ton to heat to (say) 102F, and the jetting is never awesome.  Ergo - it simply isn't practical to think of it as a hot tub even though it can be sold as one.

I did a ton of research when I was working for a retail store and it always made more sense for the customer (but not the guy on commission selling the spa!) to buy separate units when you really dug in.  This was every time we switched a line that we were carrying or if I was researching my competition.

If you're looking at simply a swim spa, its going to come down to what type of swimming your parents are doing and what unit provides the best flow / basin for it.  Wet test!  Some have benches that run the length of the swim spa that can be a hindrance to the swimming process. Also consider 3 additional expenses:

1.  Spa Base
2.  Delivery
3.  Electric

I hope this helps.  I've been selling swim spas since 2002 and this is always something that comes up. Please let me know how it goes.   

[ratchett]

I'll leave it to others to speak on the quality of the various brands and simply comment on the dual-zone aspect of your query...

I'd consider buying two separate spas:  Swim Spa, and Hot Tub.

Dual zone tends to be cool on paper but a deeper dive notes its deficiencies:  More overall cost in terms of electric and unit price all while having less options.  Get a smaller swim spa (12' - 14', say) and find a nice small hot tub for their massage needs.  It'll provide a better massage and give more options while being more cost effective in terms of energy.

Most dual zones have smaller hot tubs that lack in performance.  You'll never use a single zone swim spa for the hot tub portion as it cost a ton to heat to (say) 102F, and the jetting is never awesome.  Ergo - it simply isn't practical to think of it as a hot tub even though it can be sold as one.

I did a ton of research when I was working for a retail store and it always made more sense for the customer (but not the guy on commission selling the spa!) to buy separate units when you really dug in.  This was every time we switched a line that we were carrying or if I was researching my competition.

If you're looking at simply a swim spa, its going to come down to what type of swimming your parents are doing and what unit provides the best flow / basin for it.  Wet test!  Some have benches that run the length of the swim spa that can be a hindrance to the swimming process. Also consider 3 additional expenses:

1.  Spa Base
2.  Delivery
3.  Electric

I hope this helps.  I've been selling swim spas since 2002 and this is always something that comes up. Please let me know how it goes.   

Jack of all, master of none.   I had a feeling that would be the case, especially the volume of water we're dealing with here.

I'll have to dig deeper and figure out what features they'd like to have in a standard swim spa, and help them with shopping for a smaller traditional spa to keep closer to the house.

Thanks for your input

[The Wizard of Spas]

Ratchett I did send you a message in reference to some other questions you had.  Just a heads-up.

[Sam]

Tidal Fit has a dual temp with a fully featured hot tub that does not sacrifice anything, imo.  And it's nice that you can step from one right into the other. 

[SerjicalStrike]

I was able to get my parents a used swim spa.  My mom has a hard time walking around, but uses the swim spa almost every day to walk around in.  They had a spa prior, but are much happier with the swim spa.

What brand did they go with?

They got a Hydropoool.  I would also second not getting a dual zone swim spa.  Get a swim spa and a reputable spa.