BETTER THAN A POOL

Swim spas offer compact benefits of home swimming and wellness

Why invest in a swimming pool when you can buy a swim spa, a salesman, overheard on a recent pool and spa showroom visit, confidently advised some eager shoppers. After all, as he pointed out, swim spas offer a host of benefits to make them the best choice for fitness, relaxation, and therapy.

They provide a compact solution for swimming enthusiasts with limited space, allowing individuals to swim against a current without the need for a large pool. Swim spas also serve as excellent fitness tools, offering low-impact exercise that improves cardiovascular health, muscle strength, and endurance.

Additionally, the warm water in a swim spa promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and relieves muscle tension. These versatile units can be equipped with hydrotherapy jets, providing therapeutic benefits for those seeking relief from ailments such as arthritis or chronic pain. What is more, if you fail to add the price of the swim spa to a property sale, you have the option of picking it up and taking it with you.

CHOICE MATTERS
“When it comes to swim spas it’s all about choice,” advises Richard Hart MD of Aqua Warehouse Group (AWG). “Purchasing a swim spa is a significant commitment, and it is vital that dealers provide a wide array of options to meet varying requirements and budgets,” Richard says.

As the exclusive UK distributor for three premier swim spa brands, AWG’s retail store in Chelmsford, now boasts the largest indoor swim spa showroom in the South of England. Richard says: “Last year we opened a new swim spa display area to give customers more choice and now incorporates the UK’s first USSPA showroom. “We were searching for a new range of high-end swim spas to complement our existing offerings.

Innovation, style, and technology have always been our focus, and we are thrilled to present this unique range from USSPA, featuring the superb ACS automated cover,” adds Richard. AWG continues to offer swim spas from long-term partner Vita Spa and showcases three models from Reef Spas, including the popular 19ft Cayman with its integral turbine system.

This feature allows greater control of speed and significantly more power than traditional jetted swim spas, making it a favourite among endurance swimmers. “We always encourage potential customers to test-swim the various models we have on display because individual requirements can vary widely.

Whether for family fun or general fitness, swim spas are gaining popularity, and it’s fantastic for the industry,” Richard says. He also noted the increasing customer knowledge about swim spa features, such as river jets and turbines, underscoring the importance of hands-on demonstrations which cannot be replicated through brochures alone. “Most of our customers choose an air source heat pump.

They are getting to understand the benefits in terms of running costs, which makes it a very sensible option.” Having swim spas in-stock or with a very short lead time means customers can be up and running (swimming) in a matter of weeks, another great selling point.

Richard concludes: “AWG strongly encourages all its dealers to invest in putting swim spas on display. Unlike hot tubs people really like to try before they buy.“I see no sign of the swim spa market slowing down, so my advice is to grab a piece of the action otherwise your competitor down the road will!” The demand for swim spas has been steadily increasing by several key sales influences that reflect changing consumer preferences and lifestyles, agree Superior Wellness.

FLAGSHIP BRANDS
Superior Wellness’ flagship brand Platinum Spas offers three swim spa models – the Helios, Zelus and Eros. Swim spas, which combine the features of swimming pools and hot tubs, offer a versatile and space-efficient solution for both fitness and relaxation. This unique combination appeals to a broad demographic, including fitness enthusiasts, families, and individuals seeking therapeutic benefits.

One of the primary drivers of this rising demand is the growing awareness of health and wellness. The trend towards home improvement and outdoor living has surged, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. People are investing more in their homes, creating personal sanctuaries that include features like swim spas.

The convenience of having a private, year-round aquatic exercise facility adds significant value to residential properties. Technological advancements have also played a role in this trend. Modern swim spas come equipped with customizable current systems, advanced filtration, and energy-efficient heating, enhancing their appeal.

As a result, the market for swim spas is expected to continue its upward trajectory, driven by the intersecting trends of health consciousness, home enhancement, and technological innovation. When interested in buying a swim spa, customers often want to know the benefits and features of swim spas compared to traditional pools, including space requirements, maintenance, and functionality, advise Superior.

These questions help customers make informed decisions about whether a swim spa meets their needs and fits their lifestyle. Price is a major concern, so potential buyers frequently ask about the initial purchase cost, installation fees, and ongoing maintenance expenses. Customers need to know the size options to determine if the swim spa will fit in their desired location.

Understanding the maintenance routine, including cleaning, water treatment, and any necessary repairs, is essential for customers. Potential buyers often inquire about how swim spas can be used for exercise, physical therapy, and relaxation. Questions about the installation process, including site preparation, electrical requirements, and whether it can be installed indoors or outdoors, are common.

Customers often want to know about energy efficiency and the impact on their utility bills. Understanding the mechanics of the swim current, its adjustability, and how it simulates swimming in open water is a common inquiry. Enquiries about the systems and products used to keep the water clean and safe are frequent.

Potential buyers often want to know if they can customize their swim spa in terms of design, colour, and additional features. Safety concerns are paramount, so questions about childproofing and pet safety measures are common while many customers ask about financing plans, loan options, and any available promotions or discounts.

LARGE TICKETS
“A lot of our dealers find that for large ticket items like a swim spa it is important to have it on display,” advises Damien Taylor, Director of Operations for Oasis Outdoor Living, formerly known as Sunbeach Spas. “If they have not got the room then we help by offering the opportunity to send customers to our showroom to see the swim spas in action,” adds Damien.

That dealer can bring customers to the Oasis Outdoor Living showroom to see a working model of our inverter system swim spa with a heat pump working alongside a heat pump side by side. “The ‘real time’ display showing the actual energy use on the demo unit has not only reassured customers on energy concerns but has helped clinch many sales,” Damien explains.

“The Inverter series is what makes us different because not only is it obviously more energy-efficient, it gives the customer complete control over their pace of swimming from a comfortable, leisurely swim to elite levels.” The team see many customers choosing swim spas over pools. “We work with a few pool companies that are dropping a swim spa into a disused pool pit, building a floor around it but leaving a void for service access.

MySpa Distribution offer SwimLIFE swim spas through their own stores alongside Sundance Spas. SwimLIFE products are built in the Hydropool factory in Canada and are well refined in delivering a swim current that can be both smooth and powerful, as well as fully adjustable. SwimLIFE is available in four core sizes from the 12ft Swim Fun model, ideal for aquatic exercise and fun for kids, to the 14ft and 17ft models, available in two different swim current systems.

With SwimLIFE dealer opportunities available in key territories in the UK available, the high-performance Swim Expert versions at each size are the most popular due to the additional power and controlled flow. They also have a 19ft dual temperature option in both Swim Expert and Swim Fit specifications.

AQUATIC EXERCISE
Says MySpa’s Andy Wroot: “Manufacturers seem to be focused on understanding motivations behind people wanting a swim spa, with a large proportion of consumers seeking an aquatic exercise pool, not just a swim training device. “Swim current propulsion systems are getting smoother and more advanced delivering better swim experiences for all abilities than swim spas used to, and additional features such as floor matting have allowed them to become much more diverse and suitable for many different forms of exercise.

Andy continues: “People looking to purchase swim spas are generally those who aren’t quite in the budget range for installing a swimming pool or who just don’t have the physical space a swimming pool would require. “Swim spas offer a great alternative and the ability to train and use them all year round also makes them more appealing.

Smaller volumes of water are easy to maintain and much cheaper and easier to keep at a usable temperature even in the winter months,” he adds. Running costs have consistently been a hot topic for buyers over the last 18 months and this is no different for swim spa buyers. Inclusion of an air source heat pump has been a popular offer and help deal with running cost related objections.

Andy again: “Air Source heat pumps are a no brainer with swim spas. the cost saving is fantastic and the return on investment much quicker. “The ability to heat that volume of water quicker and using a fraction of the energy is a game changer for swim spas generally. Andy cannot emphasise enough that knowledge is power when it comes to increasing sales.

“Getting our teams to try them out and understand them for themselves has been invaluable. “The sales team need to be able to help customers get to grips with swimming in a swim spa as it is very different to swimming in a pool or the ocean and there is no better way to learn how to do this than perfecting swimming in one yourself,” emphasises Andy.

COMPANY CONTACTS
Aqua Warehouse Group
Tel. 01245 477 400
E. sales@aquawarehouse.co.uk
www.aquawarehousegroup.co.uk

MySpa Distribution
Tel. 01530 444500
E. info@myspadistribution.co.uk

Oasis Outdoor Living
Tel. 01623 354663
E. sales@oasis-odl.co.uk

Superior Wellness
Tel. 01246 559071
E. info@superiorwellness.co.uk
www.superiorwellness.co.uk