We thought we were done with our pool design but the budget has gotten a bit high so I'm asking if anyone has ideas for a spa alternative. I recently saw a video on YouTube of a pool in AZ that had a long bench with spa jets on it. Any thoughts/suggestions?? Our pool build is 20 x 34 free form with shelf entry with bubblers, waterfall and long bench from shallow to deep by patio/conversation area. TIA
Alternative to spa???
- Thread starter Xian
- Start date
Do you actually need a spa? Would you use it enough to justify its cost?
A stand alone hot tub can be useful when the pool is too cold to use or expensive to heat up the spa.
A stand alone hot tub can be useful when the pool is too cold to use or expensive to heat up the spa.
We don't have a ton of deck space for one and we like the look of it in our design. Not sure if anyone has has done the bench/jet thing so thought I'd ask.
"You can't have your cake and eat it too". Not trying to be a smart Alec, but if it were me, I'd get the spa or not get the spa. I wouldn't try to "jimmy rig" my pool to emulate half a spa.
I'm going to parrot what gocubs said and I would either go with a spa or just the pool, not try to 'emulate' a spa within the pool. The pool will never have the intimacy (one thing that really makes it for me) nor the heat that a spa would have.
You need to sit down with all parties involved (family etc.) and think hard about if you would use a spa or not... we personally put in a large spa and made it more of a feature because we know in the coming years, my parents will use the spa more than the pool and will use it year round. The year round thing isn't an issue for you in Florida I'd assume, but, you need to look at all things that go into the long term enjoyment of the pool/spa.
You say you already have a shelf entry with bubblers so you have an area in the pool already that gives a 'water movement' sensation. Personally I think a bench with jets on it would just be that, a bench, with some moving water on it. Now... in your design, if you had a sort of alcove within the pool layout, I could see adding jets into that and making that area of the pool a 'bubbling' corner of the pool, but the more open anything is to the pool, I would think it's just going to be jets shooting out into the open and you'll lose that surface agitation that gives you that 'spa' sensation.
Hope that made sense... hehe.
You need to sit down with all parties involved (family etc.) and think hard about if you would use a spa or not... we personally put in a large spa and made it more of a feature because we know in the coming years, my parents will use the spa more than the pool and will use it year round. The year round thing isn't an issue for you in Florida I'd assume, but, you need to look at all things that go into the long term enjoyment of the pool/spa.
You say you already have a shelf entry with bubblers so you have an area in the pool already that gives a 'water movement' sensation. Personally I think a bench with jets on it would just be that, a bench, with some moving water on it. Now... in your design, if you had a sort of alcove within the pool layout, I could see adding jets into that and making that area of the pool a 'bubbling' corner of the pool, but the more open anything is to the pool, I would think it's just going to be jets shooting out into the open and you'll lose that surface agitation that gives you that 'spa' sensation.
Hope that made sense... hehe.
Geosage, I agree about the possibility of a swim out with jets but make it a bit larger so all our kids can really sit and enjoy it. We weren't certain how much a pool would cost and our original budget has been stretched for the spa. That's pretty normal, huh??? We've never had a spa so I'm not sure we'd miss it but I think we should go for it. We plan to be here for 15-20 years at least so I think we'll get a lot of enjoyment out of it. I'll post our design later. Thanks!
Money is always the fun aspect. We're currently strapped on cash and it is delaying the construction of the pergola and has resulted in our pool equipment going in a less than desirable location. We're focusing on materials instead as we know we'll appreciate them in the long run.
There are competing schools of thoughts about pools with integrated spa's vs stand alone hot tub spas. In my case the pool was built without a spa and I added a stand alone hot tub many years later and if I had to do it over again, I would pick a stand alone hot tub every time. Sure it means having two separate water systems, but when it comes to type of jets, features, placement, contouring shape, etc. the stand alone modern hot tub beats the integrated pool spa every time.