How Big is a Swim Spa?

If you want the option to swim at home, but don’t have enough space for a full sized swimming pool or lap pool, a swim spa can allow you to practice your stroke in a much more compact area. By creating a powerful water current that keeps the swimmer in place while they paddle, swim spas act like a treadmill of water that can support every swimming stroke. As an added bonus, most swim spas also contain water jets similar to those found in a hot tub which allow for a massaging soak even in the coldest of weather. But how big is a swim spa? To answer this question and help you figure out an appropriate size for you, we’ve put together this article.

How Big Is A Swim Spa?

Swim spas are an offshoot of the lap pools that became popular in the 1970s for those who didn’t have enough room for a full sized swimming pool. Laps pools are often constructed to be around 40 feet in length. This was assumed to be a sufficient distance for a swimmer to build up enough momentum before the need to stop, turn around and go back the other way. But for those with a small backyard, even a lap pool might be too big for consideration. Hence the invention of swim spas. Early swim spas were actually quite short – from 10 to 12 feet in length. These early models soon showed their limitations, especially for taller people. Today’s swim spas are generally at least 13 feet in length and can be as long as 19 feet. For those over six feet tall, the smaller swim spas may be awkward to use, so it’s often recommended to get as big a swim spa as your space and pocketbook can afford.

How Big Should A Swim Spa Be?

An even more important question is asking how big a swim spa should be. Asking how big a swim spa is doesn’t take into account who will be using it and how it will be used. When choosing the right size for you, these questions need to be asked so the decision becomes personalized and isn’t simply dependent on what’s available. Let’s look at these a little more closely.

Who Will Be Using The Swim Spa?

Is the swim spa just for you or do you have a family? How often do people come over and visit? If the swim spa is just for you and a partner and you rarely have guests, then a swim spa that’s big enough to accommodate your height should be sufficient. If you’re over six feet tall you might want to look into a swim spa that’s at least 15 feet in length. Any smaller and you might feel cramped or find yourself regularly coming up against the edges. If your budget allows for it, an even longer swim spa will be more comfortable and give you extra swimming space.

How Will You Use The Swim Spa?

Although swim spas were originally created for swimming, it’s been found that more often they’re being used as a relaxation and recreational area. This is especially true for families with children and those who like to invite over friends and extended family. And because swim spas can even be used in the winter, they often get used as a hot tub just as much as they do an exercise venue. If this sounds like you, you might want to invest in a larger seating area that allows multiple people to enjoy the water at the same time. A larger swim spa designed for multiple people is more versatile and will used more than one that’s built for solitary use. To find out more about different sizes of swim spas, download a free buyer’s guide today.