We didn’t like the sound of Versa-Pool, so we called our newest model the Magic Pool
Every year I try to attend at least one industry trade show. Last fall, almost by chance, I was in Orlando on a family vacation at the same time as the International Pool, Spa and Patio Expo was in town. I took a morning to walk the show floor.
I didn’t have a specific goal for my time at the show, but I thought I’d collect the latest brochures from any of the Fiberglass Pool manufacturers that were exhibiting, just to see what they were focused on for the New Year. I also happened to stop and talk to one of our Hot Tub Vendor representatives.
We happened to be standing beside one of their new Swim Spa models when I asked what was coming for 2015. He immediately turned to the swim spa and told me that it was a new model. At 12’ long, he was touting the product as the new alternative to a swimming pool. I listened attentively, nodded politely, said my good-bye and walked away scratching my head.
It didn’t have enough jets to be a contender as a hot tub. It didn’t have a current strong enough to swim against and in fact you would have to use a tether to make it a SWIM-spa. It was only 12 feet long! It was finished with synthetic wood skirting that buckles and fades under a hot sun. It has rounded corners and top rails so that you can’t easily finish it to blend into the landscaping. It was heated with an electric heater which would take hours to heat from swimming temperature to spa temperature. And among my long list of cons, the equipment is mounted on board, under the skirting, making the product difficult to install in the ground.
At this point, because I had no specific objective for the show, I had lots of time to think while I wandered up and down the aisles. What did the manufacturers and buyers of these swim-spas see in the product?
The first conclusion that I made was that people want to have a pool, but don’t have the space and want something larger than a hot tub. Then I concluded that people were also looking for something that had the ease of installation like a self-contained hot tub. In many jurisdictions, a swim spa with folding foam covers qualifies as a hot tub and does not require a building permit or fence. This is due to the fact that it is not permanent, has an ASTM certified cover and is installed above ground. They are definitely very easy to install!
In addition, a swim spa is a fraction of the cost of most in ground swimming pools, which is a common concern I hear from many customers.
That morning I decided that we would manufacture a versatile swimming pool with most of the features of a swim-spa and all of the features of an architecturally styled swimming pool. Further, I decided that it would be affordable and available completely finished and ready to connect, with ASTM cover options, as a completely above ground version, minimizing installation time and cost. It would also be available to be installed partially or fully in the ground. It would have square top ledge and corners allowing deck or stone to be added to the perimeter. In addition, you would be able to add therapy jets and various swim current and stationary swim tether options. And finally, it would have a proper pump and filter that will make it easy to maintain crystal clear water!
This plan resulted in the development of the pool that we have called the Magic Pool. The first version is a 20’ long version and will be quickly followed by a 16’ long version. We had tremendous response to our Magic Pool at the National Home Show in Toronto and are very excited to get see these pools installed.
