For many years swim spas were relatively unknown and only manufactured by a handful companies worldwide. As swim spas skyrocketed in popularity over the last 10 years or so, however, more and more swim spa manufacturers have begun popping up. Which of these manufacturers make the best swim spas though? Today, we will look at a few of the most popular swim spa brands in Canada – Hydropool, Arctic, and Coast – in depth to see who makes the best swim spa.
To properly compare all three brands we will examine the tree most important components of any swim spa; the quality of their swim current, the level of maintenance required to keep them going, and their running costs.
SWIM CURRENT
One of the biggest differentiators between swim spa manufacturers is in their swim current systems. When comparing current systems, there are four things you should look for:
- Current speed. You shouldn’t be able to easily out swim the current.
The width of the current. If the current is too narrow, any side to side motion on your part will take you out of the current. This makes for a frustrating swimming experience. - Turbulence. A current that is constantly changing in speed and intensity makes for a very difficult and uncomfortable swimming experience.
- The current control system. If you can’t easily control the swim current, you may not be able to dial in a current speed that is comfortable for you to swim in.
Hydropool
Hydropool’s Executive Trainer swim spas offer one of the best swimming experiences in the industry. Their swim pumps are capable of delivering current speeds of up to 18km/h and their industry exclusive V-Twin swim jet system spread this power out into a wide, deep and turbulence-free current.
V-Twin jets are wide-mouth jets that spread the swim current out over a wide area. They also draw extra water in from the back of the jet, “supercharging” the swim current with extra water. The inside of the V-Twin jets also features “swim fins” that smooth out the turbulence caused by the swim pumps. The result is a smooth, wide and powerful swim current.
Hydropool also leads the industry in current control systems. Their AquaPro control system not only allows you to change the strength of the swim current, it also features built-in programs that can automatically change the strength of the swim current at set intervals, like a treadmill. Their exclusive Waterwatch also allows you to analyze and track your performance over time.
Arctic
The weakest point of Arctic swim spas is their current system. Arctic utilize simple rounded hot tub style jets which are only powered by one swim pump (Many manufacturers use 2 pumps in their swim systems). Rounded jets are meant for targeted massage and therefore designed to produce a very narrow current. Since they do not have swim fins, these jets also produce a very turbulent current.
Arctic’s swim control systems are also very basic; simple manual knobs that are typically found in hot tubs. These knobs are only able to adjust the current by about 30%, making it difficult or impossible to adjust the current to your desired speed.
Coast
The swim system in Coast swim spas are much the same as Arctic’s, with one exception. Coast swim spas use wide “river” jets rather than the round jets that Arctic use. While these jets do spread out the current over a wider area than a round jet, they lack swim fins. This means that they still produce a turbulent, frustrating swim.
VERDICT
The V-Twin jets and current control systems mean that Hydropool swim spas produce the best swimming experience of the bunch.
Read More: How To Pick The Right Fitness Pool
MAINTENANCE
Nobody likes to spend a ton of time maintaining their swim spa. Ultimately, most people buy swim spas to relax and enjoy themselves, not to give them another thing to look after and clean. How much maintenance do our three swim spa brands require? Let’s find out.
Arctic and Coast
Arctic and Coast swim spas share a very similar filtration system, known in the industry as a “suction side” filtration system. Commonly used in hot tubs, this system relies on the pumps to slowly suck water through the filters while also drawing in water from “suctions” installed near the bottom of the swim spa. This means that only around 50% of the water that enters the filtration system is actually filtered, the rest just passes through the pump and back out the jets.
While this system works relatively well in hot tubs, there is simply too much water in a swim spa for it all to be properly filtered in this way. The result is that you will likely need to watch your sanitizer levels much more closely. You will also likely need to add clarifying chemicals and regularly vacuum the bottom of the swim spa to keep the water clean and clear.
Hydropool
Hydropool utilizes its industry-leading Self-Cleaning filtration system to filter the water in their swim spas. Rather than using suction-side filtration, the Self-Cleaning system uses the same pressure-side design that is common in inground and large commercial pools. In this system water first enters a pre-filter basket, then goes through t
he pump and is finally forced through the filter. Not only is this faster, it also means that 100% of the water that enters the filtration system actually gets filtered.
VERDICT
With their ultra-efficient Self-Cleaning filtration system, Hydropool swim spas are able to keep their water clean and clear with only a few minutes of maintenance per week. This makes Hydropool the clear winners when it comes to ease of maintenance.
RUNNING COSTS
One of the major benefits of owning a swim spa is that their running costs are significantly lower than other pools. There are two main reasons for this.
Swim spas are compact. This means that they have less water to filter and heat than traditional above ground or inground pools. It also means that they are able to use smaller, more energy efficient pumps and heaters.
Swim spas are insulated. Unlike other pools, swim spas have insulation that protects them from cold weather and helps to maintain their water temperature.
This isn’t to say that all swim spas are equally as energy efficient, however. While most swim spas are similarly sized, their insulation, pumps, and programming can vary quite a bit. How do our three brands stack up against one another? Let’s find out!
Hydropool
Hydropool swim spas come equipped with two layers of insulation; one around the shell of the swim spa to keep heat in the water and another around the outer cabinet and floor of the swim spa to protect the plumbing from harsh winter conditions, and use the waste heat produced by the pumps and heaters to further heat the water and increase energy efficiency.
Hydropool swim spas also use ultra-efficient swim pumps that are 26% more efficient than other swim pumps. They also utilize a much smaller filtration pump to run their Self-Cleaning filtration system, saving you more money.
Since their Self-Cleaning filtration is so efficient, Hydropool swim spas only need to run for 6-8 hours per day to keep the water clean and clear. They are also highly programmable; allowing you to set the filtration to run during off-peak hours to further reduce your costs. If you won’t be using your swim spa for a few days, you can even set it to run in an ultra-efficient “economy” mode while you’re away, then automatically resume normal operation when you plan on using it again.
Arctic and Coast
The suction-side filtration system used by Arctic and Coast also costs them when it comes to energy efficiency. Because this system is not able to clean the water efficiently, it is forced to run 24 hours per day in order to keep the water clear and safe to use. As you can imagine, this significantly increases its running costs.
Both manufacturers also only use one layer of insulation; Arctic only insulating around the cabinet and floor while Coast only insulates the shell of the swim spa.
VERDICT
Hydropool’s 2 layer Hydrowise insulation system and Self-Cleaning filtration system give their swim spas a big edge in terms of their overall energy costs.
SO WHICH SWIM SPA BRAND IS BEST?
It is no secret that we’re Hydropool swim spa dealers and therefore have a bias towards Hydropool. The reality is though that we are an independent retailer that has the choice to sell any number of different swim spa brands. When deciding what products to carry we did extensive research on all the major brands and concluded that Hydropool are simply the best option. From their build quality to their energy efficiency and the quality of their swim, Hydropool swim spas are a cut above other swim spa brands.
Don’t take our word for it though, come in and test one yourself! We keep 2 swim spas filled at all times in our showroom for you to try out. We’re so confident that once you’ve had a chance to try a Hydropool swim spa, you’ll understand just why we chosen to sell them since day one.
