15. Mar. 2021 / by /   Health, This And That / 0 comments

Aquatic Exercises Great For A Swim Spa

A swim spa combines the best features of pools and hot tubs. You can alternate between swimming in place and taking a long, relaxing soak. But you can also turn your swim spa into a home gym! There are multiple aquatic exercises that are perfect to do surrounded by warm water and jets found in a swim spa. These low-impact activities provide great training while being gentle on your bones and joints.

1) Resistance Training

If you’ve ever used resistance bands, you know the burn! Even though they are lightweight, they work your muscles in a different way. They are also more versatile than heavy weights or kettlebells. Use resistance bands in a swim spa and now you have a whole new experience! Improve your core and upper body strength while comfortably pushing your range of motion. Add cords with ankle straps and you can target leg muscles as well as balance.

2) Rowing

Rowing is another great aquatic exercise for your swim spa. Pair with swimming or as a standalone exercise. It’s a full-body activity that engages your shoulders, arms, torso, and even legs. Plus you control the speed and intensity!

The Marquis aquatic training vessels (ATVs) include a rowing kit with both stretch cords and oar bars. The bars provide a similar workout as a rowing machine in a gym. The cords provide more options to vary between rowing movements and arm extensions.

3) Biking

Too cold or rainy to bike outside? Hop into your swim spa! With an aquabike, you can transform your cycling. The water offers resistance from hydrostatic pressure, which is the weight of the water against your submerged body. The water also cushions your muscles and joints – no hard bumps to jostle you around!

4) Aerobics

Love water aerobics but not taking classes? Enjoy moving and grooving in the privacy of your own home. You can easily walk back and forth or jog in place. You can dance, kick, punch, and high step – all without the crushing force of gravity and a hard floor beneath you. Let the grab bar double as a ballet barre to perform graceful movements. You can also add foam weights or a step stool.

5) Muscle Recovery

Even the more hardcore athletes need to take time off for muscle recovery. What better way to soothe sore muscles than to soak? Hot water promotes circulation, which is one of the ways our bodies repair after a workout. Plus a swim spa is a relaxing environment for stretching, which is a crucial part of any fitness routine.

Read more about why swim spas are amazing here. Splash Pool & Spa is a proud dealer of Marquis Spas, which offers a fantastic range of aquatic training vessels (ATVs) from sports models to a party version.

We’d love to talk you through your options! Please call the store at 319-200-7665 or send us a message for more info.

28. Feb. 2021 / by /   Swimming Pool Construction / 0 comments

6 Questions To Ask Your Pool Builder

Are you unsure how to vet a swimming pool builder? We get it! Building a pool isn’t a common experience, so many people are new to the process. Finding the right pool builder is like hiring any other contractor – you want to do your homework first.

We absolutely love when prospective customers come to us with a long list of questions! We want you to feel absolutely confident that we are the right team to build your dream FUN hub. Here are six questions we encourage you to ask any swimming pool builder before signing on the dotted line.

1) Do you have an in-house construction department or do you sub that out?

It’s generally less expensive if a pool builder handles construction rather than adding the costs of a subcontractor. It also provides better quality control. When we are familiar with a project’s ins and outs, we can handle repairs more efficiently. We have all the plans, system manufacturers, and product names on file. If something needs to be corrected, there’s no chasing down a construction subcontractor who may or may not still be in business.

Also ask for a list of the other subcontractors common on a pool project: excavation, electrical, plumbing, concrete, and landscaping (read more about them in this post). Your builder should be partnering with other professionals who are equally experienced.

2) How many crews do you have?

A project’s timeline is affected by how many people are working on it. Imagine the difference to the schedule if your house was constructed by a full crew or just two people. It’s the same with a pool – the more people involved, the better.

At Splash Pool & Spa, we have four crews (and counting) building pools during construction months. Each team has 4-5 people, including a superintendent, foreman, assistant foreman, and laborers. Having multiple crews running at the same time means that each project has our full attention.

3) Can you provide references?

Don’t be shy about asking for testimonials! We have happy customers who would be happy to have you see their pool in person and ask them about their experience. We have tons of pictures from past projects we can gladly share as well.

4) Are you a member of any trade associations?

This is an important distinction. Not only do you want to make sure any pool builder is licensed and insured, but check for other professional credentials. Ask about their status with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), membership in the local chamber of commerce, and even if they participate in continuing education.

For example, Splash Pool & Spa is the only Master Pools Guild member in Iowa. This organization selects builders based on “skills, reputation, and outstanding ability in pool design and construction.” We love being part of an elite group of around 100 builders that receives “the encouragement to continuously improve their skills and achieve their aim of building the world’s finest pools.”

5) Do you offer a warranty and what is covered?

Every warranty is unique, which is why you should ask your pool builder what theirs covers. Some include equipment, structural, and workmanship, though products are often covered by a manufacturer’s warranty when installed by an authorized dealer. Sometimes the shell has a separate warranty. Keep in mind that damages from a storm, like the Derecho, would fall under your homeowner’s insurance.

Also be sure to double check the warranty’s length. Exactly how long will the work be covered? There’s a huge difference between one year and two years!

6) Do you provide design services?

You probably have a Pinterest board full of fantasy pools (it’s ok, we do too!). But someone needs to turn those luscious ideas into actual plans. Ask your pool builder if they offer this service or if they work with a separate designer. In either case, you will likely be charged for someone’s time and experience to draft plans.

But we provide FREE design services. We love working with clients to turn their vision into an amazing pool area. Your project with Splash Pool & Spa includes all the design drawings at no charge.

Ready to start checking us out? Snoop away! You can read our customer reviews on Facebook and Google. You can also call us at 319-200- 7665 to schedule a pool consultation.

15. Feb. 2021 / by /   Pool Maintenance, Splash Pool & Spa Products / 0 comments

3 Reasons to Buy Your Pool Supplies at Our Store

We love online shopping just as much as the next person, but not everything is convenient to order from Amazon. Your pool supplies are one of those purchases that’s easier handled by our expert staff. We have the training to calculate how many chemicals you need and only sell brands that we 100% trust. See how we can help you stock up for pool season.

1) We Do The Math

Would you rather be crunching numbers or enjoying your pool? Unless you really love math, let us calculate your pool chemicals for the year. We start with the number of gallons your pool holds. We’ll already have that on file if we built your pool or if you are a return customer. But if you are a new customer, we can also figure out the gallonage based on your pool dimensions.

Then we use gallons to determine what you need for:

  • Balancers
  • Algicides
  • Sanitizers
  • Weekly maintenance

Because each pool has its own chemical profile, orders are customized for each homeowner. This is especially true for sanitizers. For example, a pool with a salt generator has different chemical needs than one using chlorine, bromine, or BAQUACIL® (a hydrogen peroxide formula).

By letting us do the legwork, you’ll automatically know how many 40-pound bags of salt or how many quart bottles of filter cleaner you might use in a season. Plus it’s easy to overlook things on your own! Will you remember to get enough stabilizer or clarifier? What about calcium, muriatic acid, or phosphate remover?

And because we keep your order history on file, we can make adjustments for the next year. For instance, we might notice that you bought extra shock treatment in the middle of the summer. We can simply add that to next year’s Early Buy and save you an additional trip! A box store or online retailer won’t have those kinds of records or customer service.

2) We Research Quality

Have you ever stood in the grocery aisle trying to compare brands? Rating differences in pool chemicals can be just as hard! There’s a lot of varying quality. Plus it’s difficult to know exactly how to judge a product if you are newer to pool maintenance.

For example, you need to pay close attention to the percentage of active ingredients vs. other ingredients. Generally, it’s better to have more active ingredients. But you need to double check what the ratio is for every brand.

Another example, we recommend Poolife® TurboShock. It has a ratio of 75% calcium hypochlorite to 25% other ingredients. That means 75% minimum available chlorine.

But the brand Utikem One Shot Pool Shock Treatment, which is carried in stores like Menards, only has a 50% calcium hypochlorite to 50% other ingredients. That means it only has 50% minimum available chlorine. Why pay for a less effective product? We only carry products that we stand by.

3) We Stock Your Favorites

As online ordering becomes more popular, shipping delays have also become more common. That’s not a big deal if you’re waiting for home decoration, but pool chemicals are another story. If you are out of an item, you might be in a situation where you need an emergency treatment. Or a treatment delay, even by a few days, could cause an even bigger issue. Because we order in bulk, it’s easier for our store to get products consistently.

Beyond chemicals, we also stock your favorite pool supplies. Don’t fuss with having a bulky pool pole sent to you – just swing by and pick one up! Or if you need a pool vacuum in a hurry, like many people did after the Derecho, there’s no waiting for it to be mailed.

Have we convinced you to let us make your life easier? If not, here are five more reasons we recommend stocking up on your pool chemicals now!

Our Stock Up & Save Early Buy special runs through the end of March. Deals including 25% off all pool chemicals and supplies (plus spa too!), 15% off in-store purchases for the rest of the year, and no shipping fees. Visit our promotions page for more details about minimum purchases and other benefits.

31. Jan. 2021 / by /   Splash Pool & Spa Brands / 0 comments

2021 Updates for Marquis Spas Hot Tubs

New year, new changes! Marquis Spas is kicking off 2021 with some major announcements and we couldn’t be more excited. They launched a brand-new collection as well as discontinued several models. Plus one debut tub has a unique layout that we’re over the moon about! Here’s everything you need to know about the 2021 updates to Marquis Spas.

1) Say Hello to the Crown Collection

Crown is now the glittering jewel of the Marquis family. This all-new collection has five tubs that provide an amazing hydrotherapy experience. It borrows tried-and-true features such as H.O.T. Zones (high output therapy) and Microsilk – exclusive options you already know and love. But then Crown is elevated further with additional therapies.

The Regal Hydrokinetic Jets have a wonderful laminar flow with three massage styles. You can also choose which combination of jets are running and their flow rate with the Dynamic Flow Control. Read our post about Crown’s special jets and other features.

Crown comes with a great selection of accessories: multicolored LED lights, a Bluetooth audio system, and the ControlMySpa app for wireless operation. There are also a variety of Environments steps and storage benches that perfectly match Crown’s timber or granite cabinet exterior.

2) Please Welcome Summit

Summit was specifically designed for the Crown collection. It has a distinctive layout that we haven’t seen before – triple Adirondack chairs across from four therapy seats. It’s like sitting at a picnic table but surrounded by water!

Its intimate arrangement offers the best in relaxation and entertainment. We hear from families that it’s great for parents who want to chill out while kids have room to play. It’s also great for friends – there’s truly a massage seat for every guest!

3) Say Goodbye to the Signature Collection

When one dynasty begins, another ends. To make room for Crown, Marquis is discontinuing its Signature Collection. But it’s not going away completely! Instead, select tubs have been moved over to Crown and transformed in the process.

The makeover focuses on capacity and jet improvements. For example, the Signature Epic had 5 seats and 3 H.O.T. Zones, but the enhanced Crown Epic has 6 seats and 5 H.O.T. Zones. You’ll see similar upgrades across Euphoria, Resort, and Spirit.

We have Marquis Spas in stock and ready to try out to help you decide which model is right for you. Stop by our showroom M-F 10am-6pm or Saturdays 10am-4pm.

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