Coast versus Hydropool: Which Brand has the Better Swim Spa?

Looking for a Canadian-made swim spa? Then it’s little surprise you’ve ended up considering Coast Spas and Hydropool, which have both been making swim spas for decades now. 

While it’s fair to say both Coast and Hydropool make swim spas, the swim spas each company does make are completely different. The swim spa market is made up of a wide variety of styles – some are pool replacements, some are elite swimming machines, some are made for families and kids to play in. 

Any comparison of Hydropool versus Coast's swim spas has a range of swim spas to cover. So in this article, we’ll go over: 

• A model-by-model comparison, so you know which swim spas to compare 
• The swimming capability of each brand 
• Which brand looks better 
• Which brand is easier to maintain 
• Which brand is better built 
• Which is better on price 

We know it’s rare for one company to compare products to another company, and we know we can be accused of bias. But we have been a spa manufacturer for years, and we know people will buy Hydropool and others want to shop around. 

We’re trying to make that process easier for you by telling you what we think here. As best as possible, this is our unbiased review of Coast and Hydropool swim spas. 

 

 

Coast and Hydropool: Which Models Does Each Brand Feature? 

Coast has a Recreation Collection and a Performance Collection: 

The Recreation Collection 

Features a 1300 Plunge, which is like an open pool, but without swim jets. 

It has a Lifestyle series, which includes the 1302 Bench series, which has a bench on either side of the swim spa and the 1400VE, which offers more seating. 

The Performance Collection has the Sport Series and the Sport Pro Series, which come in 16 foot, 17 foot and 21-foot sizes 

Hydropool has its own approach, with AquaPlay, Aquatic and Executive collections: 

The AquaPlay is a swim spa built primarily as a large hot tub, but with some swimming capability. 

The Aquatic Series comes in Sport or Trainer, is designed as an all-round aquatic gym, at 14, 17 and 19 feet long 

The Executive Series also comes in Sport or Trainer trims, and is designed to offer an elite swimming experience, at 16 and 19 feet long. 

It’s worth pointing out that Hydropool’s 19 foot swim spas hold both a hot tub and a swim spa, while Coast has created a 21-foot pool in the 2100. 

Coast versus Hydropool: Which is Better at Swimming? 

Both Coast and Hydropool put a priority on creating a good swim experience in their swim spas. They do go about it in different ways. 

There are generally three types of swim spas:  

• Spas that are primarily for another purpose, such as acting as a family fun pool like Hydropool’s 13FFP or Coast’s 1300 Plunge or 1302 Bench, which offers bench seating down the sides of the swim spa. 
• Spas that function as an all-round aquatic exercise area while offering swimming, such as the Aquatic Sport series at Hydropool and the Performance collection at Coast. 
• Spas are designed expressly with swimming in mind. We don’t see a lineup at Coast that features models expressly built for swimming, as the Performance series stresses versatility, like Hydropool’s Aquatic line. Hydropool has the Trainer series, including the Executive Trainer and the Aquatic Trainer, and both of these are designed as elite-level swimming machines, with powerful (and patented) V-Twin jets engineered to create a calm swim surface but a strong wide current. Both swim spas are also designed to control the natural waves generated by the current you swim against. 

Coast does offer unique features such as a stand-up massage area, where you can stand and get jets massaging your entire body. It also has a whopping 21-foot swim spa, which is larger than anything Hydropool offers in a swim spa and one of the largest available to buy. 

Both companies feature powerful jets which will create a strong swim current in each. We think the biggest difference will be in the surface of the water and how comfortable and controllable the swim is. If swimming is what matters to you most, we’d strongly encourage you to test each swim spa before you buy. 

 

Coast vs Hydropool: Which Looks Best? 

The two swim spa brands have similar, classic approaches to swim spa design, ensuring that the swim spa doesn’t stand out, but blends into your backyard. Coast has a few extra details such as the Infinity Edge, which makes it appear as if there is no end to the swim spa, as the water simply spills over the sides to be caught by an edge below. Hydropool’s purpose is more all-business, creating a comfortable place to swim, work out in and have fun in. 

Coast vs Hydropool: Which is has Better Ease of Maintenance? 

Hydropool began as a commercial or public pool company. They are regulated far more intensely than private pools, spas and hot tubs but when Hydropool began making swim spas, it held itself to the same standard. Like public pools, Hydropool’s swim spas feature a top skimmer and a vacuum at the bottom to ensure the top and bottom of the water is always clean. The spas come with ozone and UVC protection, cleaning your water in a similar way to how our drinking water is cleaned, which also reduces the need for chemicals in your spa. 

The main difference with Coast is that it uses a sweeper jet instead of a vacuum on the floor. It also employs what the company calls Cyclonic filtration, which is essentially a large cylinder that your water is pushed into for cleaning. The water comes in at the bottom, is forced up and coils around the tall filter to come out cleaner on the other side. The main issue with this type of system that we frequently see is that the water doesn’t get all the way through to the top of the filter, which we have found limits how clean the water actually gets. It’s why we have developed our patented self-cleaning system (which you can read more about here). 

Coast vs Hydropool: Which is Built Better? 

Hydropool uses steel frames and has a combination of full foam and thermal blanket insulation on its swim spas. We have found this combination stands up well to Canadian winters, and as a result can be used pretty much anywhere in the world. The heating system traps warm air from the pumps into the swim spa cabinet and uses it to heat the water. It’s an extremely efficient system that wastes nothing as a result and can be easily accessed for servicing. 

We couldn’t tell online or in the company brochures what Coast uses in its frames. We do see that Coast uses what it calls foam core insulation, with full foam optional, as well as employing an optional auxiliary heater. Full foam is an excellent insulation method for warmth, but it can be hard to repair, as you have to cut out the foam to get to any leaks, for example. That’s why we use thermal blankets at each end, which provide heat retention while allowing good access. 

Coast vs Hydropool: Which is Better on Price? 

Shipping comes into play here, as in North America it is generally easier to ship west to east, as more goods come in on that side of the country. We couldn’t find Coast’s pricing on its website (Hydropool publishes pricing for all its model online) but we believe Coast is a little less than Hydropool on the West Coast of North America and we are generally even on the eastern side. Coast’s swim spas have several items such as more jets and water features like waterfalls come standard, while Hydropool has put a priority on you being able to order only the options you want on your swim spa. 

Coast vs Hydropool: Which Swim Spa is Right for You? 

Comparing Coast's versus Hydropool's swim spas has gone on for years. Both are long-time hot tub and swim spa builders who are on opposite sides of Canada: Coast is in British Columbia, while Hydropool is out of Mississauga, Ontario. 

Each has been making swim spas for some time, and you can see that in the development of the spas of each brand. 

Hydropool has committed to producing the best possible swims, as well as a complete lineup of swim spas for aquatic fitness or family fun, in a classic design, including combined hot tub and swim spa options. 

Coast has produced a wide variety of swim spas with many included options, and some dynamic acrylic designs, and one very large swim spa. 

Each swim spa company has its pros and cons and own way of doing things. We hope this article has crystalized the differences between the brands and helped you decide which is the right swim spa for you. You may have further questions, which we totally understand, and if so, don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our online retailers, which you can find here.