A Guide To Swim Spas
April 22, 2025
Before you invest in a swim spa, it’s only natural that you would want to know as much as possible about how they operate. More people across the country are learning how beneficial a swim spa can be for their physical and mental health, no matter their swimming ability.
With this in mind, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide with everything you need to know about swim spas before buying.
Table of Contents
How Do Swim Spas Work?
A core feature of swim spas is that they can act as swimming pools, but are both portable and more efficient in terms of space. They are usually around 3.5 to 4.5 metres in length, with taller users generally preferring more space which allows them to more comfortably swim.
It’s essential you get a size that’s comfortable for you and any household member who will use it; you can typically test it out before buying.
How Big Are Swim Spas?
A core feature of swim spas is that they can act as swimming pools, but are both portable and more efficient in terms of space. They are usually around 3.5 to 4.5 metres in length, with taller users generally preferring more space which allows them to more comfortably swim.
It’s essential you get a size that’s comfortable for you and any household member who will use it; you can typically test it out before buying.
How Wide Are Swim Spas?
Most swim spas are around 2 metres in width as they are for single-use and not much more is necessary for a single person.
This is plenty of space to encompass all the usual swimming techniques – giving enough room to swim without fear of bumping into the spa’s walls.
How Deep Are Swim Spas?
Swim spas tend to be about 1.5 metres in depth, which is enough to permit swimming without having to worry too much about treading water when you only want to relax.
Few swim spas deviate from this depth due to it being a happy medium that allows for comfortable use.
How Much Do Swim Spas Cost To Run?
The exact running costs of a swim spa depend on the model’s efficiency, as well as if you will be needing to heat the water. Running basic filtration costs just a few dollars every week, but needing to repeatedly heat the water before using the swim spa can add up.
Assuming you use it several times each week, it should cost on average between $40-70 monthly; this is higher in winter as you will want to heat the spa more.
How Are Swim Spas Heated?
As swim spas are smaller than swimming pools, they’re more efficient in heat. The ideal temperature depends on if you want to use it to swim or to simply relax like a normal spa pool.
For many models, you can simply turn up the temperature and reap the benefits. However, some people employ a heat pump as a way of generating cheaper heat in their swim spa, also using far less energy in the process.
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Simone and Jeremy Tydd, Lake Cathie
Thanks so much for all your help. We are very happy with the pool. It was a very easy process and we will definitely be recommending Gibson Family Pools to others.
Brendan and Catherine Moylan, Moree
A quick note to say thank you for the great job that you and all of the team did for us. The entire process was very smooth and we were extremely happy with the final product. Jayson's suggestions regarding the positioning of the pool and even his landscaping ideas were very much appreciated. Your team were all very professional and courteous during the construction phase, I've never seen such a tidy construction site! The fact that the boys even filled in the small wheel marks on the lawn with top soil when they left highlights the excellent attention to detail that was evident throughout the project. Thanks again for an excellent job and for all of your help.
Fred and Leilani Garcia,Port Macquarie
We would like to thank Jayson, Katwin and the rest of the team at Gibson Family pools for installing our pool. Jayson listened to what we wanted and his advice and suggestions were to our needs and budget. We had a hassle free experience from day one and the process was made easy as Katwin and Jayson took care of everything from the paperwork, dealing with local council to the installation process. The team were friendly and professional and got the work completed within the time frame given - we praise their efforts given the time of year.
We will be using Gibson Family Pools for our future property and we highly recommend them above any other local pool installation company.
Richard and Sheryl, Tamworth
We are really happy with our new pool. Jayson was able to give us great suggestions on how the pool would work best with our house and yard and the travertine tiling around the pool looks fantastic. The entire team were easy to work with and went out of their way to please us.
A friend suggested that we contact Jayson and Katwin when we were considering a pool and in turn we have had no hesitation in recommending Gibson Family Pools to our friends. Thank you very much for a great result at a much better price than other quotes we received.
Robert Wright, Tamworth
I just wanted to take the opportunity to say a big thank you to Jayson and your company for everything that you have done over the last 12 months in the design and implementation of our pool and surrounds. Jayson has been awesome, I like his casual attitude and approach ability, but professional approach to getting the job done. The time he spent with us was invaluable in getting our ideas into reality. The pool has made a massive difference to our lives already, and it is not even summer yet!
Alan and Annette Bradford, Forster
Thank you Jayson, Katwin and staff of Gibson Family Pools for your totally professional and efficient installation of our new pool. From our first enquiry to the clean up on completion we could not have asked for anything better.
We have previously had three pools installed by big name companies who find extras almost every day and don’t turn up when promised. It has been an absolute pleasure dealing with your company and having your staff on site.
Rod and Naomi Miller, Port Macquarie
We have nothing but praise for Gibson Family Pools. We shopped around and couldn't fault their service from the very first email, very first site visit, install and finally through to the after sales service.
When the pool was finished you couldn't even tell that large machinery had been used to install the pool, so neat was the installation process. We changed our mind a few times regarding the concrete layout, all changes were accommodated without fuss. Our funds were limited so Katwin and Jayson worked to our budget.
Rob and Tane Power, Port Macquarie
Just a quick note of thanks for our fantastic new pool. We found the experience to be painless and trouble free. Jayson went out of his way to source a pool that met our requirements and worked with us throughout the whole design and installation process.
The new pool area looks great, everything is functioning as it should and I would recommend Gibson Family Pools to anyone considering a new pool.
Lindsay and Bree Moller, Port Macquarie
I just wanted to thank you for our amazing new pool and spa. Choosing the Brooklyn design was the best thing we ever did. The kids just love jumping from the spa to the pool, then wading area and back again. It's like having 3 pools in one. They could honestly do it for hours on end. The hard part is getting them out by the end of the day. The Connect 10 setup with heat pump has been fantastic. We can heat the spa to 37 degrees in just 2-3 hours. I never thought it would be so quick. AMAZING!
Thanks again to everyone who worked on it, especially Jayson and his team.
Simone and Jeremy Tydd, Lake Cathie
Thanks so much for all your help. We are very happy with the pool. It was a very easy process and we will definitely be recommending Gibson Family Pools to others.
Brendan and Catherine Moylan, Moree
A quick note to say thank you for the great job that you and all of the team did for us. The entire process was very smooth and we were extremely happy with the final product. Jayson's suggestions regarding the positioning of the pool and even his landscaping ideas were very much appreciated. Your team were all very professional and courteous during the construction phase, I've never seen such a tidy construction site! The fact that the boys even filled in the small wheel marks on the lawn with top soil when they left highlights the excellent attention to detail that was evident throughout the project. Thanks again for an excellent job and for all of your help.











