Have you always wanted a swim spa at home or perhaps you would like a swimming pool, but don’t have the space? A swim spa offers a whole host of benefits to you and your family; best of all, ownership is easier than you may think! This guide to buying a swim spa will take you through all 5 steps, from walking into the showroom to swimming every day in your own home.
Table of Contents
1 – The showroom visit
Whilst we have sold a surprising number of swim spas over the phone, the vast majority of sales start with a walk into our showroom in Wimborne, Dorset. It’s here that you can start to appreciate the quality of these fantastic swimming machines. The swim spas we have on display are all made in the USA by Master Spas, the world’s largest and most experienced swim spa manufacturer.
There is never any pressure to do anything, but we will take time to ask you lots of questions to inform our suggestions of what might be the best models for us to look at. Understanding your current ability, preferred stroke, future goals, and if children will be using it are all very handy to know. It may even be that you do not want to swim in it, in which case buying a Michale Phelps swim spa model may be a little overkill and a Therapool may be more in order.
We always have a swim spa on display and up and running, allowing us to demonstrate to you the benefits of ownership and how you can adapt the swim current to your individual needs. You will be surprised at the level of control available to the swimmer and how fast or slow, you can make it. The odds are you will love what you see and want to take a dip, which leads us nicely onto…
2 – The swim spa wet test
Many potential customers have never actually been in a swim spa, so there is a lot of excitement to finally see what all the fuss is about. At Hyperion, we love wet tests too, It’s great to see the enjoyment they bring to customers and their families. We have swim spas that are used for fitness, rehabilitation, stress relief and of course lots of fun! Whatever the use case, this is your chance to see how buying a swim spa is going to benefit your own lifestyle.
You will have as much time as you need to experience the spa and of course, we are on hand to show you all the controls so you can fine-tune it how you see fit.
It’s highly likely you will love the experience, in which case we can dig a little deeper into how you wish to integrate a swim spa into your home.
Integrating a swim spa into your home
At Hyperion, it’s not just about selling you the spa, but about helping you fully understand how best to integrate a spa into your home. So before any big decision, we start off with talking to you about your wishes, the practicalities of making that happen and any upsides or downsides to the proposed plans.
Some of the main considerations are:
- Location – Where will the spa be sited, does it make daily access easy, are you overlooked, are there trees nearby that attract birds, what view will you have when in the spa?
- Height – Will the spa be sunken and by how much? If yes, how will we ensure there is sufficient access for maintenance and how will water be drained from the resulting pit?
- Access – How do you plan to get in and out of the spa, will you have swim spa steps or purpose-built decking? If sunken it’s often easier to get in and out when the spa is not fully flush with the ground but sits proud.
- Cover options – Will you use the standard covers, a roll cover or a Covana automated gazebo? Is there a view you wish to preserve and will the chosen cover spoil this? Are you able-bodied, if not will you be able to remove the chosen cover on your own? This may seem something that can be thought about at the end, but your choice of cover dictates how other parts of the project are tackled. For example, a Covana requires a larger concrete base than would normally be needed, so you wouldn’t want to complete a standard size base before deciding to have one. Learn more about swim spa covers.
It is only when we have a clear picture of exactly what your objectives will be that we can work out exactly what products are going to be right for you and how we might deliver them.
For example, it may be that you wish for the spa to be at the bottom of the garden and to have it semi-sunken. In this scenario, it’s unlikely a crane is going to be able to lift it all the way over and into its final position. So we will need to formulate a plan for the initial lift over the house and then from the top of the garden to the bottom and then how it will be lowered.
Buying a swim spa
Once you are ready to choose your model, buying a swim spa is as simple as choosing a colour and putting down your deposit. We can then place an order at the factory with your name on it! With our Master Spas range made in the USA, there could be a small wait of a few months, so there’s plenty of time to get the next steps in place.
Alternatively, if you are all ready for delivery, we sometimes have models in stock ready to go. From walking through the door to swimming in your own swim spa has been done in as little as two weeks!
An overview of swim spa models and what you can expect to pay.
3 – Swim spa site survey
A site survey is another great opportunity to talk through design ideas and the practicalities of physically getting the spa into its intended location. Whilst a crane may seem the obvious answer, they are not always the solution due to their size, weight and available reach. For instance, a large crane may be required to lift it over your house, but if the access to your house is restricted in any way, it may prevent it from getting into position. We then need to look at alternate solutions and if they are feasible.
At this stage, we may also call upon the expertise of our lifting partners, who will perform their own site survey and quote for the crane operation. Having experienced and professional crane operators is crucial as there are often a lot of considerations far beyond if the crane can reach, such as choosing a lift path that will avoid overhead cables or if the ground can take the weight.
Around this time it would also be ideal to bring in a qualified electrician so that they can work out how they are going to supply a power feed to the spa before any of the groundwork begins.
Communication
With our own site survey complete, its now that we will most likely start talking to your landscapers, builders, garden designers, architects and electricians. That’s not to say all of these are needed, but often there are multiple parties involved and it’s important we all talk.
We can also advise them of the requirements for the spa, such as the base, access needed and electrical supply needed.
Like any project, timing can be key, so we will liaise with these people to decide when the ideal time is for the delivery of the spa.
By now we will have the spa on order and we will be keeping you and anybody else updated with its arrival date from the factory. Once the spa comes into stock within the UK we will ask for the remainder of the balance to be paid and will be looking to arrange a delivery day with you.
4 – Swim spa delivery day!
It’s swim spa delivery day and everyone is excited and perhaps a little stressed too! We understand that and will do our best to explain what’s happening and give you reassurance. Generally, the crane will arrive first, this is so that they can have their pick of the available parking spots and can rig up the equipment as needed.
Next, the swim spa delivery vehicle can be brought into position and lifting straps can be positioned underneath the spa. The crane will position overhead and the straps attached, and then the lift begins!
At this point, it’s best to allow the crane operators some room to work their magic, but we often act as their eyes and ears where needed to ensure the spa and most importantly people are kept safe during the process.
Once closer to the landing position, we become hands-on again, guiding the swim spa into place with inch-perfect precision.
Once on solid ground, we can then lift the spa with our own specialist equipment, to both remove the lift straps from underneath and position it on transport dollys (shown below) if that is necessary.
Commissioning
Most of the time we will start the filling process on delivery day and then return the following day or at an agreed later date to commission the spa. This involves connecting the spa to the pre-prepared electricity supply and then turning on the spa and testing its functions. Depending on how busy the delivery day was, this may also be the time we fit your desired swim spa cover system and items such as air source heat pumps if they have been specified. Learn more about swim spa air source heat pumps and how they save you money.
It’s often the case that a swim spa is part of a much larger project and there may be landscaping, decking or tilling to complete around the spa. In these situations it may be decided that the spa should be delivered, these other jobs completed and then the spa commissioned. This is no problem, we can work with you to find a convenient time to come back, one of the benefits of choosing a local swim spa company is this increased flexibility.
5 – The finished product
With the spa now up and running, we will carry out perhaps one of the most important parts and that is the handover. We have found that carrying out a thorough handover really boosts customers’ enjoyment levels of the spa, because when you feel confident in how to maintain the spa, less time is spent worrying about it and more time enjoying it.
The internet in general and Facebook forums can be littered with people worrying about chemicals, maintenance and how to get the best out of the spa. We avoid this by teaching you exactly how to look after the water, perform maintenance tasks and change settings. We will also show you how to adjust the swim current and jets so that you can get it just right.
Think of buying a luxury car and being shown what every single switch and dial does before you leave the showroom, instead of a quick handover where it takes months to have the ah-ha moment of figuring out the cruise control!
We will also be on hand should you need us for any guidance and will check in with you to see how you are getting on and if we can help with anything. Its our our to make buying a swim spa and owning it as stressfree as possible.
We feel it’s worth pointing out, that throughout the process of buying, taking delivery and owning a swim spa, you will only ever have to deal with us. We will be with you every step of the way and you will not be passed around or have to chase a third party that is carrying out the delivery for us etc. This ensures we meet the standards we have set ourselves and ultimately is leading to us earning a great reputation which we want to maintain.
A happy customer
Can’t recommend Hyperion any more highly. If you are thinking of spending that much money you need people that you can trust and that will do their best for you and that’s exactly what Terry and Eleanor have done for us. I’d also like to add a more personal note. Within 2 weeks of having the swim spa my 3 year old has gone from not swimming to swimming against the jet on low – even trying without any floats. That has made it all so worth it.
Dan. U – Bournemouth – Challenger 15D
We purchased a Challenger 15D Swimspa from Hyperion at the beginning of the year. Prior to this we made several trips to the showroom and requested a considerable amount of information before eventually deciding to wet-test the spa and proceed with the purchase.
At no point during this process was there any pressure from the team at Hyperion and all our queries and concerns were answered and dealt with promptly and professionally. The whole process from the purchase to delivery and installation was very smooth and we were kept fully updated at all stages.
Their after-sales service has proved to be brilliant and they are quick to respond to queries. I can’t imagine life without our swimspa now. If you’re thinking of purchasing one, just do it! Terry and Eleanor are very genuine, approachable and professional and I would fully recommend Hyperion Hot Tubs to anyone.
Jan. I – Christchurch – Challenger 15D
Summary
We hope this guide to buying a swim spa has been helpful! If you would like more information or want to start your journey to ownership, please contact us and we can get started. Alternatively, if you wish to learn more about swim spas and which is best for you, check out our guide.
