iGarden Swim Jet

The second piece of the kit is a massive battery that houses a few simple controls. Three different battery sizes are available, each offering more wattage and more power than the last. I received the top-tier battery, the X Pro 10, which weighs 26 pounds on its own and is rated at a whopping 60 amp-hours. This provides a maximum playback time of 10 hours, albeit on the device’s slowest settings. (Two lower capacity models are available at 30A and 15A, respectively; note that these models also have lower GPM output as well as shorter maximum run times.)

Photo: Chris Noll

Photo: Chris Noll

The two components are connected via a thick cable. When not in use, this wraps around the handle of the jet unit for storage. The only other item to note is the inclusion of a metal tie-down cable on the jet unit, designed to be wrapped around a pool ladder or other anchor attached to the topside to prevent the jet from falling into the water (and taking the battery into the drink with it). In practice, I doubt many pools have a proper anchor point. I’ve never been able to use the tether cable, and I’ve never had any worry about the plane slipping and falling.

Aside from charging the device (which can take up to seven hours), the only real setup required is adjusting the plane’s altitude in the water. iGarden suggests one of two settings: If the top of the jet is 2 to 4 inches below the water’s surface, the current is smoother and more stable, which is best for swimming. Alternatively, you can set the top edge of the jet at or slightly above the waterline, creating a bolder, shallower spray but a lower stream – perfect for splashy playtime. Height is adjusted via a somewhat crude system of knobs and brackets attached to a movable frame on the back of the device. The design is awkward but in the end it works well enough.

Ask to swim

Operationally, the Swim Jet is simple – your main decision is the power level you want the device to operate at. Four standard power levels are available through a button on top of the power pack, plus a turbo mode that runs the plane at full speed – but only for five minutes. The final mode, symbolized as “PF” on the battery pack display, is designed to mimic open water, cycling through different speeds to evoke the ebb and flow of the ocean. The only other real option is a timer that turns off the jets after anywhere from 15 to 90 minutes. (In the iGarden app, which pairs over a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection, the same but easier options are available to choose from.)

I conducted most of my testing with the Swim Jet in underwater swimming mode rather than abovewater play mode, largely because it’s easier to gauge its performance that way. Also, my wife is an experienced swimmer, which gave me the perfect guinea pig to determine how effective jet swimming is for waterborne exercise.

I quickly found that Power Level 3 was the sweet spot for creating the perfect amount of resistance for vigorous swimming, although calmer swimmers might be able to get away with Level 2. In the water, you quickly discover how the current level drops the further you get away from the plane. At point blank, next to the wall, the current is too strong to swim in place, but at the other end of the pool, more than 30 feet away, the flow is not noticeable. At 5 to 10 feet, you’re in the right place, able to swim in the current while staying in roughly the same place. This could get a little boring over time, so my wife eventually decided to swim back and forth, let the current push her to the far wall, and then swim against the current until she reached a slack position.

While the unit can theoretically run for 10 hours on its slowest mode, it quickly becomes apparent that the more powerful (and worthwhile) modes consume much more battery life. At Level 3, the system only ran for two hours in my testing, and higher power levels have a shorter lifespan.

As for exercise, it is legitimate. Swimming against the current is hard work, and you can quickly see whether you can keep up or not based on your body position in the pool. I discussed with my wife how this compared to real swimming, and in her estimation, a full workout with the jet was equivalent to about 80 percent of the workout on track, but not ideal, although she said she felt like she was swimming at the same relative speed. However, the jet swim workout was a little easier. I assumed that the difference was that in a pool you are not just swimming fast, but you are moving your body through space, pulling it through the water. With the Swim Jet, you don’t have to travel any distance, which makes things a little easier. Of course, you can always swim longer, at a higher power level, or closer to the plane if you want to close some of that gap.