A swim spa gives you an endless current to swim against in about fifteen feet of water. Here is what one is, how it fits a swimmer's training, and a real unit running at night.
A 15-foot Master Spas unit on a deck at night: jets running, the water cycling through its LED colors. Press play.
It is not a lap pool, and it does not try to be. What it gives a swimmer is continuous water to work against, in a footprint that fits a deck or a garage.
An adjustable current lets you swim in place for as long as you want. No flip turns, no counting lengths, no stopping to push off, just continuous stroke work at a pace you set.
Because you stay in one spot, a swim spa is a good place to drill body position, catch and breathing. Add a mirror or a phone on a tripod and you can watch your own stroke.
Set the current higher and practice sighting every few strokes against it, the same skill you need in a lake or the sea. See our open-water guide for the full drill.
Turn the current off and the same tub is a warm soak. Easy mobility work, a cool-down after a hard set, or just heat on tired shoulders.
“The wall is where most pool swimmers rest. A swim spa takes the wall away, so the set is honest.”
The spa in these photos is a 15-foot Master Spas swim spa, set flush into a lodge deck in Cedar Creek, Texas. Tap any photo to enlarge it.
This one lives on the decks at the Spring Lodge near Bastrop, where you can book a stay and swim it. A deck install like this sits the spa flush with the boards, so you step down into it like a pool.