Are Swim Spas Hot or Cold?

Swim spas are the perfect way to get a challenge swim workout every day in the comfort of your own home or backyard. Many models also include a few jetted seats at one end so they can also be used to relax and unwind with a hydrotherapy massage. Because they are used for both exercise and enjoyment, many people ask, “Are swim spas hot or cold water?” There is actually a wide range for their temperature setting, depending on what you prefer, but certain activities have difference recommended water temperatures. In the article below, we will explain how a swim spa can be used with both hot and cold water.

Using Cooler Temperatures

Swim spas are designed to deliver an exceptional swim experience by using a motorized current that keeps the swimmer in place in the ‘swim lane.’ The strength of the current is adjustable to customize the workout difficulty level.

For lap swimming, your swim spa temperature should be kept relatively cool, between 75-80 degrees. If you are a competitive swimmer and performing very vigorous workouts, you may want to reduce the temperature even further to the low, the 70s.

Cooler water temperatures for exercise are used for a reason, it helps you swim for a longer period of time without risking heat-related exhaustion. On the other hand, if you set your temperature too low, or do not turn on your water heater, the water may be too cool and cause you to shiver or in extreme cases lead to hypothermia.

Using Warmer Temperatures

If you want to just float around, relax or enjoy the jetted water in your swim spa, you will want to turn up the temperature and set it to what you would for a hot tub. The recommended temperature is 100 degrees but not to exceed 104 degrees. At this temperature, it is also important to monitor your time spent in the spa. Higher water temperatures can eventually cause your body to overheat and become dehydrated. A good guideline is to spend 20 minutes soaking in the warm water and then exit your spa to have a little break and make sure to rehydrate.

Dual Temperature Swim Spas

If you have a family, chances are that at some point, someone will be wanting to workout and someone else will be wanting to relax in the jetted water at the same time. Since these activities have conflicting water temperature recommendations, what do you do? Thankfully, in today's market, there are now dual temperature swim spas. On these models, the swim tank area can be set at one temperature while the end featuring the hot tub seats can be set to another. They truly are the best of both worlds!

Now that you know that swim spas can be used at both a hot and cold temperature, download a swim spa buyer’s guide to learn more about their models.