What is the Best Temperature for Your Swim Spa Water?

Swim spas are the perfect way to get a challenging 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?”

The answer is they are both. Swim spa temperature settings generally range from 59F to 104F.

So what is the best temperature for a swim spa? There is actually a wide range for swim spa temperature settings, depending on what you prefer, but certain activities have difference recommended water temperatures. In general, a good guide is that the more physical the workout is in the swim spa, the cooler the water. 

In the article below, we will explain how a swim spa can be used with both hot and cold water so you can get a sense of what is the right temperature for you.

 

 

Swim Spas: Using Cooler Temperatures

If you’re going to work out in your swim spa, chances are you’re going to want to set it at a cooler temperature. The model shown here is a Hydropool AquaSport 14-foot.

Swim spas are designed to deliver a swim experience by using a motorized current that keeps the swimmer in place in a “swim lane.” The strength of the current is adjustable to customize the workout difficulty level (or should be, whatever model you happen to buy).

• For lap swimming, we would advise that 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 70s.

Cooler water temperatures for exercise are used for a reason. They help 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. That might be good if you’re training for a long-distance cold-water swim, but we bet most of the time it’s just going to get you out of the spa.

Keep in mind that it’s easier to keep a swim spa hot than it is cool. Ambient temperature will play a major role in determining the actual temperature of your swim spa. If it’s hot out, chances are your swim spa will be too.

Swim Spas: Using Warmer Temperatures

If you want to 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.

• We’d suggest you try a recommended temperature of 100 degrees in your swim spa (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.

Multiple Swim Spa Temperatures: Dual Temperature Swim Spas

Swim spas can be built with hot tubs attached, so you can work out in one and relax in another. The model shown here is the 19-foot Hydropool AquaSport.

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 what’s known as 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 are the best of both worlds.

Does Ambient Temperature Have an Affect on My Swim Spa’s Temperature?

Yes. Ambient temperature plays a major role, especially when it comes to lowering the temperature of your swim spa. Although the setting may say it goes down to 59F, if your ambient temperature is higher than that, the swim spa won’t decrease below that temperature.  

Do I Need to Always Be Changing My Temperature Settings on My Swim Spa?

No. What we understand most people do is find a swim spa temperature that suits what they most use it for most often and they keep it at that temperature. So if you’re most often a swimmer, then you’ll set it in the 70s and leave it like that, only cranking the heat for those times when you want to use it as a hot tub. This approach requires forward planning and some waiting time for the temperature to adjust.

Do You Have Any Other Swim Spa Temperature Tips?

We have a handful!

• One tip is that it’s generally easier to help the swim spa heat up than cool down.  
• High-performance heaters and circulation systems in higher-end swim spas can adjust water temperature more easily and swiftly than poorly-made or low-cost systems.
• Energy consumption can be a factor if you play with the temperature dial frequently. It will cost you more to adjust the temperature of your swim spa than if you leave it at one set temperature.

What Temperature Should I Keep My Swim Spa At?

With a swim spa, you have a range of temperatures available to you. There is no official “proper swim spa temperature.” At Hydropool, what we find most people do is pick one temperature for what the swim spa is used for most of the time, then adjust it for special circumstances when they come up.

For example, if most of the time it’s set at 75F for training, but you know the in-laws are coming over for the weekend and you will be using it for lounging and as a large hot tub, you will want to turn up the heat in advance. Then once they pack up and depart, you can return it to 75F.

This approach we find is the most common among swim spa owners. It doesn’t mean they are constantly changing the temperature. Only when the need arises.

In this article, we covered everything we could think of when it comes to swim spa temperatures. We hope we answered your questions, but if we didn’t, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a local retailer by clicking here.