Bathroom Ideas

Reply to: Hi Tom, well I do have some news for you. Since I commented above, I have looked extensively at swim spas and tested one of the acrylic Endless Pools (with current generator, not the swim jets). You're right that it's really hard to find reviews on these things, but with some very hard work and long hours I've been able to sort things into a few categories to compare value, so I'll try to summarize. If you're looking for a smooth current and don't mind being pulled downward on your feet when swimming, the Endless Pool is the pool to beat all pools when it comes to swim spas. They have the smoothest, quietest current in the industry. Now, that is on their new, acrylic, current generator pools. Older EP pools have different technology, but anything made from about 2020 on is going to be amazing. It's true though, that for either their acrylic or their modular pools that the way the current runs is going to pull your feet downward. If you've been a competitive swimmer in the past, this is going to irritate you like it did for me. Some people don't mind it. The only way to know is to try one out. Another problem with EP is that your feet will likely hit the walls if you are doing a breaststroke or sidestroke in most models of EP swim spas, so be cautious of the space if you plan on anything more than freestyle swimming. EP was bought out a few years ago, and customers say the service and parts are now difficult if not impossible to get and very expensive if obtained, so that is a big drawback for EP. SwimEx claims its paddlewheel swim generator is the best in industry, but I can tell you that the current is just not as smooth and quiet as EP at high speeds. You would think that because of the way that the SwimEx paddlewheel machine is made that the current would be better, but it's really not. You can see a lot of turbulence on videos of the SwimEx at speeds a serious swimmer that would train in, and that turbulence is just not there with EP at the same speeds. Remember a prime rule of swim spas: turbulence equals noise. The PDC and Michael Phelps Master Spas swim spas use propeller-generated currents that are claimed by the respective companies to be outstanding, but both these spas deliver high turbulence at higher speeds, and the MP series has issues with placement of the current being too low. Most of the other swim spa products on the market are jetted, either with air-injection or airless jet technology. A strong swimmer can too easily outswim most jetted systems to make this a reliable option for regular swim training, but if you wanted to jog or exercise in a standing position against a jet, that might work for you. The jetted systems create so much turbulence, bubbling, and noise, that it would not be practical to swim for long periods against them regardless of pace. Badu makes both jetted and propeller-driven systems that are installed in existing pools, and some serious swimmers can train with these if they swim far enough back from the current outlet to diffuse the turbulence and noise, but swim spas are too small to allow this same swimming technique. If you want jets for hydrotherapy, a swim spa isn't your best option. The jets there are not the most powerful and targeted like you would get on an Artesian Elite spa (the best hydrotherapy machine in my opinion after much research), Bullfrog, Marquis, or a few others. My conclusion after a lot of research is that the swim spa technology is just not there yet to provide a top "lap swim" type of experience that is quiet enough with low enough turbulence to be pleasant. Even a moderately skilled swimmer needs a strong current in a swim spa to not swim into the wall, so expect to need to run a current at a high speed to get moderate exercise. My conclusion after all my research was just to keep going to my local, public lap pool for laps and look into putting an Artesian Elite spa in my back yard for hydrotherapy (the Artesian Pelican Bay is actually large enough for some exercise activity, just not swimming). If I had the space, I would put in a regular lap swimming pool (no current generator) plus an additional Artesian Elite spa for hydrotherapy, but my yard at present is too small for that. For the sake of brevity I will end here, but I have lots more information if you have any specific questions.

Q