Hi Thank you all so very much for sharing your opinions. It looks like it's a consensus which makes it so much easier for me!!!! Rusty, sorry I'm replying so late but all your messages went to my junk folder. We are going to use solar and/or geothermal to heat the pool (and the house) because I want to use it year round without the guilt. So I think that will satisfy the reason to have the swim spa indoors. It was helpful to know that other than year round use that you'd chose a lap pool EJR 21.. I'm so glad you mentioned that. I forgot how much I enjoy just floating! Atxguy.. I didn't know about BADU, so thanks. I imagine with the lap pool we won't go to the expense of the jets, however it makes it easier to go down that path knowing there is flexibility.

Hey Anthemguy, sounds like you may be moving to Vegas by your name. Both kim-in-LV and I are here to help a bit. I'm not a plumber but have had a pool here for 15 years. Spas integrated with the pool are expected here. Make sure you can heat the spa separately for winter, you will not be doing any winter swimming. We swim til late Sep only. I have a heater for the pool, but don't really need it. I put a solar cover on in the spring when air temps are 80's and can warm the pool in about a week from 60's to mid 80"s. I use the solar cover all summer at night to stop water loss, we can lose an inch overnight with wind. If the pool gets too warm I just leave the cover off for a night, it will cool the pool at least 5 degrees. If you are going to some other desert location than Vegas, we need some of those Phoenix/Tuscon folks to advise. My girlfriend came from Phoenix and they used to throw ice blocks in the pool in summer. Hope this helps, Barb

My take on spas.... I'm a stunt woman and my husband is a stunt man.....we do physical stuff like falling, fights and car stunts so we pretty much require a spa to take care of my sore muscles. We have thoroughly enjoyed our spa and even if I wasn't a stunt woman I would still have a spa. It's kind of funny when we have a party and they're are a few stunt people here, they always seem to be in the spa instead of the pool, lol. Our spa has 6 jets but, 10 people can comfortably sit in the spa. It's a large spa but, didn't cost me anymore than having a regular sized round spa. Had we put in more jets, that would have been a different deal. One side of the spa doesn't have jets which is great because sometimes I just want to feel the heat. I use my spa daily and if not in the day it's used at night. During the summer it takes 10 minutes to heat and during the winter about 30 minutes even if the temp. is at 55 - 60 degrees. Although I'm in So. Cal. and the winters are mild here, our pool water will still go down into the mid 50s. You don't have to heat the spa to enjoy it during the summer or during the day. I use it for the jets. I'll warm it up to whatever desired temperature I feel I need, if I heat it at all. It's nice because it's above the pool with a nice spill over so when the pool starts cooling down, we'll get a little heat spilling over into the pool. I have an above ground Cal Spa which was great when I was using it but, I personally don't like the smell of the chemicals which caused me to not want to even go in it. My bathing suit smelled and so did my skin. I even put fragrance in the spa and it would temporarily help hide the smell of the bromine chemicals. I basically lost interest in that spa. I've tried to sell it...and I can't even give that spa away. I've offered it to several of my friends to come get it. My pool spa doesn't smell of any chemicals what so ever but, I do have a SWG which helps. So with that being said.....If I were to build another pool someday (and I'LL BE THE BUILDER!) I wouldn't go without a spa.

I would just close the pool. The up and over with wedge bolsters to fill the spaces next to the spa. The Smart Mesh is worth the extra money. Dura-Mesh lets in too much light. Smart Mesh does not stretch and relies on the springs for give when a snow load comes calling but it keeps the light out. Put an automatic pump on the swim out step, if you have a swim out. It's usually an inch or two lower than the 1st step at the shallow end. With a two cover system, the spa cover winds up looking like a mess. The wall treatments are just noodles, very lame. They blow away. One other thing I don't like about Merlin is they don't like to listen to special instructions. When I measure a pool with a dive stand, one of my marks is typically centered at the edge of the pool, centered under the dive stand. When I tell Loop Loc no straps within 12" either side, they listen and Merlin doesn't. Merlin sends a dive stand kit which is a PITA. Merlin does make a very good cover. I prefer Loop Loc's offering and service level. Scott