OT: Swim spa/current pool

[Conndog]

Renovating house and deciding about putting in a swim spa/current pool (small pool where you swim against a current). Anyone have one? I wonder how much they cost. We live in southern NH and am also debating whether to have it outside (can't use in long winter but cheaper than building addition) or put one inside a house addition (more expensive but usable year-round). An option is to site it outdoors and erect some kind of greenhouse over it that can be heated, by solar if nothing else, to extend swimming season. I would love the current pool to not look plasticky but like a real pool with stone terrace around it. I've read that manufactured swim spas don't always last so long and that a custom built one is better (but more expensive I'm sure). What kind of maintenance is needed? Thanks!

 

[dogpause]

Join an LA Fitness or the Y instead. This is a purchase that is more likely to produce buyer's remorse than almost any other.

 

[J187Money]

Probably $10-15K to get a good one. Custom could cost you up to 30K or more from what I've read. I'm looking at them myself.

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[Klipper]

Bought a house that had one in the basement. Kids used it for a month. not at all after that. lot of working keeping it mold free and clean. use your money elsewhere.

 

[J187Money]

I would only get one for outside - because I would use it principally as a hot tub, while my wife (who was a swimmer) would use it to swim. Would never put one in the house unless I had a kid that was a competitive swimmer.

 

[DCHuskyFan]

A relative of mine has one. When it’s working, she loves it, but even with proper maintenance, it is constantly breaking down, so more trouble and cost than it’s worth. Go for an outdoor lap pool

 

[Vancat]

That's a lot of moisture in your house. Out of your house, that's a short season.
Sorry.

 

[Improviser]

If you need a pool for deep water exercise, like treading water, some larger hotels have pools where they allow the public to pay for a pool membership.

And, usually those hotels have a jacuzzi and maybe a Sauna too. And, some decent recliner type chairs around the pool, to sit and relax. Too, the hotel probably has a restaurant where you can grab a bite if you want to make an afternoon out of it.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

@Conndog In southern NH, are quality, pool installation companies even available this year?

 

[Conndog]

Pool companies exist but there aren’t many or they aren’t nearby, and who knows how good they are. Moisture could be problem, that’s an advantage of outdoor one. But I was thinking that an attached solarium built over it that vents out might work. If outside, I want it to be an attractive part of the landscape. Compared to regular pool, a smaller swim spa should be cheaper, has less water to heat, and should allow longer swim season, but I won’t be happy if it still is super expensive or isn’t reliable and breaks down a lot.

 

[8893]

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[Conndog]

Likely going to skip the swim spa and instead look at traditional outdoor lap pool. My wife said having something that looks plasticky is bad; her goal apparently isn’t year-round swimming but something for the warmer months that looks good as part of the landscape. She said going end to end in a regular pool is soothing vs swimming in place against a current. Maybe we’ll still get a hot tub or have pool built with hot tub at one end.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Likely going to skip the swim spa and instead look at traditional outdoor lap pool. My wife said having something that looks plasticky is bad; her goal apparently isn’t year-round swimming but something for the warmer months that looks good as part of the landscape. She said going end to end in a regular pool is soothing vs swimming in place against a current. Maybe we’ll still get a hot tub or have pool built with hot tub at one end.

Better choice. The monotony of swimming is a thing on any swim. You are inside your head regardless of where you swim, its like thousands of consecutive, continuous golf swings.
Open water > > outdoor pool > indoor pool > > swimming treadmill
Think of how much more boring running on a treadmill is vs running outdoors and multiply by a lot. I've never used a swim spa but can barely tolerate lap swimming (vs open water which is fun), I guess getting rid of the constant turns is a plus but everything else negative.

 

[Improviser]

I haven't been in a pool for a while at any indoor facility, because of the Covid, but I found trying to jog in the water from one end to the other, and getting the resistance of doing so, broke up the monotony of lap swimming.

If the pool has a deep end, you can tread water there. It's good exercise and adds to the variety of pool exercise.

I would also wrap a noodle around me and bike pedal forward, which not only added to the variety of the workout, but also got the heart rate up.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

one thread grills, another thread spas. why not both at once? amateurs.

warms ur soul while making a mean chicken fried steak, and you don't have to leave the pool to check on it. even has a sun deck.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I haven't been in a pool for a while at any indoor facility, because of the Covid, but I found trying to jog in the water from one end to the other, and getting the resistance of doing so, broke up the monotony of lap swimming.

If the pool has a deep end, you can tread water there. It's good exercise and adds to the variety of pool exercise.

I would also wrap a noodle around me and bike pedal forward, which not only added to the variety of the workout, but also got the heart rate up.

I might try the run thing, new pool I've been swimming at only has an 8' deep end vs my prior pool's 12' that wouldn't quite facilitate running on the bottom. Mostly I mix in intervals, drills on trying to improve stroke, using some props (kickboard, leg buoy, paddles). Regardless its all just varying the torture in the fixed environment.

 

[Conndog]

If most of you are in Connecticut, you have a longer & warmer swim season. I will look at anything we can do to extend the season as I'm in southern New Hampshire. A solar pool cover, actually heating the water- not sure what options I have. How soon do you folks with pools go swimming in the summer- beginning of June maybe?

 

[Dogdeacon]

If most of you are in Connecticut, you have a longer & warmer swim season. I will look at anything we can do to extend the season as I'm in southern New Hampshire. A solar pool cover, actually heating the water- not sure what options I have. How soon do you folks with pools go swimming in the summer- beginning of June maybe?

Wetsuit = May - early October even if you are wimpy about cold water like me, need salt-water if pool though.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

If most of you are in Connecticut, you have a longer & warmer swim season. I will look at anything we can do to extend the season as I'm in southern New Hampshire. A solar pool cover, actually heating the water- not sure what options I have. How soon do you folks with pools go swimming in the summer- beginning of June maybe?

april till october. whether store bought, or do it urself, many solar water heaters, ie, some copper pipes (the best!) or black plastic (good enough) in the sun, are good for a fairly reliable 25+ degrees F. the first one that we made years ago started with some ol timey house radiators bought at a junkyard.