Cal Spas are another of the big names in swim spa manufacturers. The Ultimate Fitness Select F1239 is the entry level offering from Cal Spas – we gave it a review as soon as we heard one of our friends was getting one. This is what we thought.
Size
At 11.5 feet long and 7.5 feet wide the Fitness Select F1239 is small. When combined with a depth of just 4.25 feet it is certainly not designed for use by larger people when fully loaded. As a man over 6ft tall I was able to have a comfortable and usable workout in the spa swimming against the current. But when fully laden with people it was a little too close for comfort for my liking.
Jets And Current
The Fitness Select F1239 has only 4 main jets that provide current to swim against. The current was quite weak to be totally honest. Certainly enough to swim against but not enough for an intense workout. To be totally fair however Cal Spas do mention in their brochure that this is only designed for leisurely swimming – and it is perfectly fine for that in our opinion. If you are looking for a swim spa that will give you some current to fight against this is not for you.
Aesthetics
The moulding of the acrylic inside the Fitness Select F1239 is very attractive. With its many curved sweeping edges and stainless steel jets glinting against the led backdrop it has clearly been designed with beauty in mind. The model we used had their smoke colour cladding on the exterior which just polished off the already attractive unit. In this price range it is without doubt one of the most attractive spas we have ever seen.
Spa
There has clearly been a lot of research done into the ergonomics of the interior of the Fitness Select F1239. They manage to fit 5 seats inside the spa. 3 with jets. 1seat has 5 jets, 2 seats have no jets, and 2 seats have a whopping 10 jets each. The 10 jet seats are very enjoyable and the variation in jet size within those 10 jets seems to be perfectly balanced with the excellent massage they provide. The seats themselves are very comfy to sit in for prolonged periods of time. A very very impressive performance from the F1239’s spa section.
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Accessories
This spa came with an inbuilt iSound stereo system which allows iPod docking. The sound system was much better quality than expected and really enhanced the experience of using the swim spa. (Although I am a sucker for inbuilt technology – you might not find this as great as I did). This model also came with Cal Spas fitness kit which included a tether. This was a great addition as it provided more resistance to swim against.
Maintenance
The owners had not had it long enough for us to make any comment of use in this section.
Conclusion
In conclusion the select F1239 is a great little swim spa. If you are looking for a hard core exercise machine this is probably not for you. But if you just want to be able to have a leisurely swim it is more than capable. The best part about this swim spa is the spa section, without a doubt. So if your needs are more suited towards a spa that doubles as a swim spa – this may be the perfect spa for you.
We would love to know what you think about the Cal Spas Select F1239, leave a comment below!