SOAKING IT ALL IN
Portable spa pools are as popular as ever, with new technology ensuring they continue to evolve with the times
Humans have been enjoying the healing powers of a leisurely soak in hot water since we first walked the earth — whether that’s in natural geothermal springs, ancient communal bathhouses or, in more recently, in bathtubs in the privacy of our own homes.
Indeed, the first incarnation of the hot tub — or spa pool, as we call them in New Zealand — that we know and still love very much today was invented for relief from the effects of rheumatoid arthritis.
In the 1950s, Candido Jacuzzi, an Italian immigrant to the United States who, along with his six brothers, had carved out a niche in the aviation industry followed by some success in the agriculture field with their clever hydraulic pumps, invented a portable hydromassage pump.
Fifty per cent air and 50 per cent water, it helped to relieve his small son Ken’s debilitating symptoms from the arthritis.
In the 1970s, history was made when Roy Jacuzzi created the first all-in-one communal hot tub, first in a fibreglass shell, then in cast acrylic. And the rest is history.
In 2020, spa pools are as popular as ever, and our leading retailer in the industry, Hot Spring Spas, is about to celebrate its 40th birthday.
The North Shore-based company, founded by Dale Paretovich in 1980, is the largest Hot Spring portable spa outlet in the world and is one of those setting the agenda globally when it comes to trends. Here’s what’s hot this year:
Keep the maintenance low
Top of mind for today’s spa pool owners is easy care, Dale says, so they can spend more time enjoying their pool and less time maintaining it.
And these days that easy care needs to factor in less chemicals to sanitise the spa, which is where Hot Spring Spas’ new automated water care system, FreshWater Salt System, which features in its Highlife Collection, comes into its own.
This self-managing system ensures the correct levels of natural chlorine are used at the right time.
“All the user has to do is replace the disposable titanium cartridge three times a year,” Dale says. Chlorine levels in these pools are only 1 ppm (parts per million) which helps the water feel soft and luxurious, keeping it clean and clear for up to 12 months.
There’s no way to avoid chlorine, he says. “Some spa providers are moving away from chlorine, but the substitutes presented are more harmful or harsher than chlorine, which is a time-proven product.”
Metallics and bold colours are in
When it comes to design, current trends are pointing to more natural but bolder colours, with metallic finishing on panels to match colour preferences.
More room to move
There’s also a focus on ergonomics and functional spacing. Dale cites Hot Spring Spas’ new Limelight Collection as maximising the space inside the tub without compromising on quality or increasing the exterior dimensions. “This is achieved through high quality moulding machines enabling the inside materials to thickly stretch evenly throughout the interior of the tub. “This creates more space and a comfortable recline of 11 to 15 degrees.”
The rise of swim spas
Swim spas — or oversized spa pools with continuous water currents designed to allow users to swim, jog and work out using the power of jets or a current generating machine to keep their motion stationery — are growing in popularity due to their multiple benefits.
Hot Spring Spas’ Endless Pools E-Series can be used for rehabilitation right through to Olympic training.
“They can be used yearround with minimal space requirements and at an affordable cost to run.