Buying a Swim Spa in Australia: Essential Guide to Choosing the Best Swim Spa

16 February, 2024

Dreaming about a swim spa in your backyard? You’ve come to the right place. Here we talk about all things swim spas: what are swim spas and how they are used, how to choose the right size, why buy Australian made swim spa, and the all-important detail: cost.

We’ll let you know exactly what is involved and guide you in choosing the best swim spa for you. Let’s dive in!

 

What is a swim spa and how do they differ from a pool or spa?

Whether you want to throw the kids in for a cool off, luxuriate in a mid-winter hydromassage, or perform some serious swim training, a swim spa is a great, affordable option.

Truly the best of both worlds, a swim spa is similar to a spa pool as they:

  • have seats
  • are heated easily
  • have therapeutic jets for hydromassage.

However, swim spas also have the benefits of a pool. Swim spas:

  • are longer and deeper than a spa
  • are great for a dip in warm weather
  • have swim jets to create a continuous current for swimming training.

There are many different configurations, sizes, and depths. Let’s take a closer look at the details.

 

Categories of swim spa

As you investigate before buying a swim spa, you may come across terms such as plunge pool or dualzone. These are a particular type of swim spas for different requirements. Below is a snapshot of how we categorise our swim spas to help you choose the best swim spa for you.

 

Swim spas

The classic all-year option. Highly customisable with a range of sizes, features, and swim jet choices. Each swim spa type can come in Classic, Premium, or Extreme, catering for child’s play through to extreme swim training.

 

Swim Spas

Swim Spas

A Sapphire swim spa is a great way to enjoy all the benefits of a spa and a pool in the comfort of your own home. Swim Spas offer many benefits over traditional pools, they are portable and self-contained, so there’s no need for excavation or plumbing work. They can replace a gym membership, with your choice of swim jet configurations to ensure you can walk, run or competitively swim in your own backyard. They also replace your masseuse, make the most of your free time sitting back and enjoying the hydrotherapy massage jets as they wash away your muscle aches and pains. Plus, with their integral heating, a Sapphire Spas swim spa is a true all-seasons swimming pool solution. Make the most of your time with a Sapphire Spas swim spa, the perfect way to work out, relax or play.

Dualzone

A pool and spa combined. Dualzone splits your seated and swimming areas so more people can enjoy the pool, whatever they feel like doing. Dualzone are available in Classic and Premium options.

Spa Pools

Explore our exceptional collection of spa pools

Discover the perfect spa pool to fit your lifestyle and provide you and your family with relaxation and rejuvenation every day. 

We hope you enjoy choosing from our range of exceptional spas with a size, seating arrangement and massage therapy to suit every 'body'.

 

What is a spa pool?

A spa pool, also known as a hot tub or pool spa, is a specially designed structure that holds warm water. A spa pool combines the therapeutic benefits of warm water with powerful jets that provide massaging and soothing effects to the body. Spa pools offer a range of features, such as adjustable jets, seating options, lighting, and temperature control, allowing users to customise their spa pool experience. Whether for relaxation, stress relief, or socialising, spa pools provide a tranquil and luxurious retreat right in the comfort of your backyard.

Plunge pool

These are similar to a small pool with a generous open swim area perfect for families. This smaller pool heats quickly, has fewer seats, and low strength jets, perfect for a little resistance and rehab but not for swim training.

Find detailed specifications on each swim spa’s product page.

 

Plunge Pools

Plunge Pools

Sapphire Spas plunge pools offer a year-round alternative to traditional swimming pools. With efficient heating systems, you can keep the pool warm in winter and cool it down in summer. Additionally, including swim jets allows for light exercise or fun water play for kids.

Buying Australian made Swim Spa

Sapphire Spas are proudly Australian made and manufactured, backed by Australian manufacturer warranty on every spa. Since we make our spas right here in Australia, we know every swim spa is meticulously crafted from premium materials, and we can customise your spa to your exact requirements.

Using quality materials, corrosion-resistant stainless-steel frames, premium-grade acrylic shells, and robust plumbing and electrical systems, means your spa will stand the test of time. Not only that, because we don’t skimp on quality materials, you’re investing in a swim spa with great heating and insulation systems saving you from high heating and other unexpected costs down the track.

 

What are the uses for a swim spa?

As we’ve mentioned, the swim spa is a versatile piece of equipment satisfying a range of uses.

 

Hydromassage

Swim spas provide resistance for use in physiotherapy as well as luxurious seating options for recovery and relaxation.

 

Aquagym and swim training

Our Extreme swim spas include jet settings to challenge even the strongest swimmers. Configure your spa just the way you like it with options to create an aquagym, complete with rehab and fitness benefits, and for simple enjoyment.

 

Family time

A splash with the kids in the heat of summer or a relaxation spot in winter, nothing beats a swim spa!

 

What size swim spa should I choose?

Swim spas typically range from 3m to 6m in length and are 2.3m wide and 1.3m deep. To choose your optimal size, think about the following areas.

 

Positioning

Compared with their larger cousins, the inground pool, swim spas are versatile when it comes to positioning them on your property. As well as the backyard, swim spas sit nicely on a deck or patio, or in the sunroom or garage. Talk to our retailers across Australia for positioning recommendations and inspiration.

Remember! Allow extra space around the swim spa for the floor pad, accessing each side of the spa, external heaters, safety gates etc.

 

Who will be using the swim spa?

We’ve considered if you’ll use the spa primarily for fitness, therapy, or enjoyment. Now you need to think about who and how many people will use the swim spa. Is it the whole family at once where you’ll need space for seating and play? Do you want to maximise the number of people seated at once (we can cater for up to 12 seats)? Are there young tots who can sit in the shallows of a plunge pool while you enjoy the depths?

You can find the recommended maximum people on swim spa range.

 

Budget

Of course, budget plays a part in how big we can go. Think about what you can reasonably spend on a swim spa. Our retailers across Australia are happy to recommend the best swim spa options for your budget. We strongly recommend you choose a quality spa as cheaper materials can end up costing you far more in heating and reduce the lifetime of your swim spa. We talk budget in the next section.

 

How much does a swim spa cost?

Upfront costs

With a wide variety of sizes and features, there’s a swim spa to suit your budget. As a guide, an Australian-made, quality swim spa starts at around $15,000 and ranges up to $40,000 depending on your size, features and equipment. This is a little more than the average spa pool but a fraction of the cost of a traditional pool. And with the versatility to use throughout the year, swim spas offer bang for your buck.

On the less expensive side, you can’t go past our plunge pools. With a single pump, simpler plumbing, and strategically removed jets, we’ve created these to be big on enjoyment for a smaller budget.

If you’re looking for a larger swim spa, powerful jets, numerous pumps, elaborate plumbing, extra features, there are plenty of spas in the range, with optional extras if budget allows.

 

Ongoing costs

You’ll also need to consider the ongoing costs of heating and running the pool.

The quality of your swim spa, its size and features, as well as your climate, the seasons, and electricity prices all affect running costs. Based on an average 6,000 litre swim spa, we estimate the average running cost at $9*per day—a little less in summer and a little more in winter.

To reduce running costs, choose a quality swim spa with an external heat and cool pump; these come as standard in most Sapphire swim spas.

*Disclaimer: The electricity cost may fluctuate; however, the figures provided are as accurate as possible at the time of writing.

 

Making the final choice

Ready to decide and buy your very own swim spa? Read our spa customer reviews, then come and see our spas in action at our retailers across Australia. Get inside, try out the seats, and see how roomy they really are.
Happy exploring for the perfect spa!

 

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