Testimonials
Surging against the powerful current, you feel as if you're swimming against the forces of nature in a Dimension One swim spa. But what you're actually trying to outpace is six man-made water jets, in the sure knowledge that sooner or later you will tire and they will not.Even so, it's an exhilarating experience that contributes to the kind of work-out which would otherwise be impossible at home – unless you have a fully-equipped gym, a 20-metre pool and a trained masseuse on the staff, and we can't all afford that kind of pampering.
Myself and partner Mary Hawcock – game girl that she is – stepped gingerly into the swim spa feeling rather like fish out of water. Stripping down to swimming costumes on a beach causes us no embarrassment whatsoever, yet doing the same thing in a spa and hot tub showroom where all around you are fully-clothed feels a little odd. Plus, any reporter feels vulnerable without a notebook or a tape recorder in hand, and you can't take those with you into the bubbling blue waters. While Mary relaxed across the divide in the hot tub, I limbered up for my swim with an introduction to aquacize.
Life Leisure managing director Scott Bower attached elasticated bungees to either side of the spa and I sat amid the bubbles for spot of light rowing. In fact the rowing action seemed so easy that I thought the effort too light at first. Scott assured me that bungees could be varied to increase the loading, but after a just a minute or so I realised that my muscles were already starting to notice they were working.
The buoyancy of the water allows muscles and joints to move more freely and reduces the effect of gravity on the body, so it's easy to put in more effort than you realise. Without theoars, the bungees can be used to provide resistance for walking, running, stretching and aerobics, and with mounting points all round the spa perimeter you can notch up 40 exercises at the multiple circuit training stations. two the piece de resistance is the swim. Two rows of jets, six in all, can be adjusted to suit swimmers of all abilities.
As someone who, up until a couple of years ago, swam one mile three times a week, I was eager to see how swimming in a 19-foot spa could possible compare with 64 lengths of a 20 metre public pool. The fact is that for the cost of a top of the range Dimension One swim spa – around £30,000 installed – you could have a nice little swimming pool built in the garden. But for those of us who like to maintain our fitness through swimming, small pools are frankly useless. Great fun for kids, good for a cooling dip, but too small to get your pulse racing as you try to pile on the laps. Two strokes and you're reached the end of the pool. Hopeless. The D1 spa on the other hand, was totally exhilarating. There's a knack to holding your line against the jets and, probably like most beginners, I needed the extra stability given by a ‘swim tether', a belt tethered to a mast, to keep me in position, particularly on front crawl. But after just a few minutes of breast-stroke I was really starting to enjoy myself, and on the crawl you could get your heart pumping in a way no small swimming pool would allow.
Pausing for breath to sample Mary's side of the bargain, I joined her to luxuriate in the warmer waters of the hot tub – 30 degrees is perfect for a work-out but on the leisurely side of the pool you need a little more warmth. Here the adjustable HydroFlex jets stimulate your circulation, pushing oxygen into your muscles and leaving you feeling invigorated and rejuvenated.
An option available on the Aquafit 19 Dual Temperature is D1's patented NeckFlex Jet Pillow, with multiple massage patterns travelling up and down your back, and jets that can pummel you like a professional.** We ended our session absolutely tingling. I felt the kind of buzz I I used to get when I'd done a mile in double-quick time, yet I'd spent far less time in the spa than I ever did in the pool, and expended far less effort. Scott Bower, who is also in charge of dealer training for Dimension One distributors Xscape, says the versatility of Dimension One spas has not come about by accident:“They're not the biggest spa and hot tub company but they are certainly the leaders when it comes to innovation. They hold more than 30 patents on their designs – more than any other spa manufacturer.”
Scott will be going over to Dimension One's San Diego HQ in January, when the company celebrates its 30th anniversary, and he sees a booming market for their products in the UK, especially after this year's sizzling summer:
“The build quality of the Dimension One spas is absolutely tremendous, but they come out of America, not China or somewhere like that, where the rule seems to be pile them high and sell them cheap. “They are tremendously well-insulated, and they come with a very good warranty – a two-year labour warranty, three years on parts and seven years on the structure.”
The message seems to be getting across. Scott had had an early start that day, motoring up from his Newark base to the North East to install a D1 spa for a rising young Premiership footballer. Unfortunately the soccer star had put an X in the box for ‘no publicity'. At the other end of the age scale, Scott's satisfied customers include a 66-year-old smallholder who dissolves away his aches and pains at the end of a long hard day tending his crops. “He says it's changed his life,” says Scott. After our delightful dabble, I'm not a bit surprised.
