Frequently Asked Questions

Swimming

We have many customers that are training for a triathlon or are competitive swimmers that love Slipstream.

We refer to the speed of your swim in terms of swim pace. At full speed a Slipstream Sport provides a one minute and forty five second (1:45) hundred yard pace.

For faster swimmers our Slipstream Performance provides a one minute and twenty second (1:20) hundred yard pace.

Experienced swimmers will recognize this as equivalent to four lengths of a 25 yard pool in 80 seconds. Many can swim faster than this for a lap or two but not for long. To get a sense of how fast this is try swimming laps at a 25 yard pool to get a sense of how fast you swim.

The swim current is fully adjustable in speed from top speed all the way down to zero.  Speed adjustment is made with a simple rotary knob.

Another way to swim slower is to swim further away from your Slipstream. Ten feet back is substantially slower than two feet back which allows you to make adjustments in the pool easily.

Installation

Your Slipstream™ installs in seconds. Simply wheel it into
position where you have located your anchor point and drop it into the water. Connect up the quick release pin tethering the unit to the wall and hook up the DC Power Supply. The swim unit weighs only 34 pounds so it’s easy for most
people. The power supply weighs even less.

When you have finished swimming, it takes only seconds to disconnect the power supply, remove the quick release pin from the anchor point
and pull the 34 pound Slipstream out of the pool where it can be easily wheeled away. The Power Supply weighs 22 pounds and can be carried to a sheltered location for charging using the 24V charger provided.

Some of our customers take their Slipstream to more than one
pool. The wheeled Slipstream (34 pounds) fits in the trunk or backseat of any car as does the Power Supply (22 pounds).

The Slipstream swim unit extends 35” below the water line. This allows it to fit in almost any inground or above ground pool. The stainless steel rail that hangs on the coping of your pool is adjustable to accommodate a range of water levels. 

Yes, the Slipstream can be used in concrete, plaster, fiberglass or vinyl pools. There are no sharp edges to damage the liner.

The Slipstream can fit in virtually any in-ground, partially in-ground, or above-ground pool. It is compatible with vinyl, concrete, and fiberglass pools. The Slipstream can be located almost anywhere in your pool.  It should be mounted on a wall at least 10 feet from the opposite wall. This allows adequate space to swim in place.  We recommend the shallow end where the unit and swimmers can be closely monitored, and you can easily stand up. The shallow end is also more likely to have a flat bottom which is best for the swim mirror.

Batteries

For most users the effective battery life includes hours of swimming
before needing recharging.

It depends on how fast you swim.  The 24 volt, Lithium Ion battery system provides 1240 Watt-hours of power from a full charge. Top speed with the Slipstream Performance uses about 1200 watts so you can swim at top speed for about an hour.  At lower speeds you can swim for much longer. 

We provide a special 240 watt charger which can charge fully
depleted batteries in about 5 hours. This is typically done overnight.
 For most users the batteries will only need to be topped up, which takes less time. Higher capacity chargers are available.

Charging time is dependent on the size of the array installed and the solar radiation available. Contact us to learn more about solar recharging options.

Some of our commercial customers or those customers who want to
have a swim current available for multiple swimmers over the course of a day purchase a second battery set. This, in conjunction with higher capacity chargers up to 800 watts, allows for near continuous operation.

No.  For safety it is critically important that the batteries not be connected to 110 volt AC power while connected to a Slipstream in your pool.  Double isolated chargers are available but the danger of
having a 110 volt AC power source near the water remain. For this reason, do not charge batteries or connect the AC power source when Slipstream is in your pool. The batteries should be brought to
a sheltered location away from the pool for recharging.

We only use batteries that have been safety certified for use in
the US. They are made from conflict free minerals and are designed to last for up to 4,000 discharge cycles. The batteries should not be left outside in the weather out by the pool. They should be charged in a dry, sheltered location away from the pool.

22 pounds

Fully charged, the 24 volt, 1240 watt-hour Slipstream power
supply can provide you with many hours of clean reliable electricity in the event of a power outage. Use the power for lighting, device recharging, or any number of household appliances with use of our DC to AC inverter.  Please contact us for more information on DC to AC inverter options.

The batteries themselves are IP67 rated and are designed for a
harsh marine environment. Still, we recommend that the batteries be brought inside for charging after each use. If the battery pack is dropped into the pull or inadvertently falls into the pool, it should be fished out immediately without getting into the pool.

The Lithium Ion Batteries in our 24V power supply are CE listed and IP67 rated but we would certainly prefer they not fall into the pool. DC is certainly much better than AC current and the US Electric code allows up to 30V DC around a pool but again we want people to take special care. The batteries are inside a marine battery box so the user, when fishing batteries out of the water wouldn’t, directly contact the batteries but if left in the water the batteries eventually will fail.

No. The Slipstream power supply uses a 24V 50A for the Sport and a 24V 60A for the Performance battery connected within the integrated battery box which includes speed control and convenience outlets for additional electric loads. The system is designed with safety in mind which is why we use batteries and low DC voltage. While 110V AC power supplies providing 24V DC are available they pose a safety hazard and shouldn’t be used.

For safety reasons the National Electric Code allows submerged pool equipment of up to 30 Volts DC. Our 24 Volt DC Slipstream is designed with pool safety in mind. Your Power Supply utilizes two 12V high-quality Lithium Ion Batteries (LiFePO). We only use batteries that are safety certified (UL, CE). These batteries have an IP67 rating which means that for a short time they may be submerged. That said, we want very much to avoid submersion in water. If the Power Supply accidentally falls in the pool it should be fished out immediately and laid on its side to drain. The power supply has both a strap and 4 screws preventing the user from touching the batteries or the battery terminals. The UL listed manual on/off switch on the Power Supply lid should be turned off as soon as possible.

Equipment

The Slipstream can be located almost anywhere in your pool.
 It should be mounted on a wall at least 10 feet from the opposite wall. This allows adequate space to swim in place.  We recommend the shallow end where the unit and swimmers can be closely monitored, and you can easily stand up. Wherever you mount your Slipstream the anchoring tether should be used to secure the unit and keep someone from pushing it into the pool.  

Your Slipstream in manufactured in Pennsylvania. The three boxes
from us arrive by FedEx ground and contain The Power Supply, the Propulsion Base, and the Slipstream Housing. The two Lithium Ion Batteries used in the Power Supply are shipped directly from the manufacturer in California and should arrive at about the same time.

Installing the batteries and securing the three connections using our screwdriver takes only a minute or two. Your power supply is ready to
charge using the 240 Watt charger provided.

The Housing fits onto the Propulsion Base and is secured with 5 stainless steel screws. Again, this only takes a minute or two.

Since every pool is different and the water level varies, you will need to adjust the height of the machine so that the top of the outlet grill is right at the water line insuring the smoothest swim. The channel on
the back of Housing is adjustable in height using 4 screws.

Finally, and importantly, the anchor point and lanyard connection needs to be established to prevent someone from pushing the Slipstream into the pool when not in use. This is typically done after a use or two when you are sure of where you will locate your Slipstream. We recommend in
the shallow end at least ten feet from the opposite wall.

Your Slipstream hangs from your pool coping (pool cap/edging)
and pushes itself securely against the wall when in use. For safety reasons, we include an anchoring tether.  Installing an anchor point prevents someone from pushing the unit into the water when it isn’t
on. A lanyard is provided with a 1/4” stainless-steel quick-release pin. The lanyard is attached to the Slipstream stainless steel top rail. The anchor point is a 1/4” close-tolerance, stainless-steel tube that can be mounted in your deck. We provide a 5/16” masonry bit allowing you to drill a simple hole in your deck a foot or so back from the pool edge. The hole accommodates the
tube which in turn accepts the quick-release pin. To remove the Slipstream from your pool you simply disconnect the Power Supply and remove the quick-release
pin enabling you to lift the unit out of the pool for easy storage when not in use.

The swim unit weighs only 34 pounds. It is easy to drop in and
pull out - after every swim if you wish. While the separate battery pack is carried, the swim unit rolls on wheels across your pool deck. We recommend removing the swim unit if it isn’t going to be used every day but it certainly may be left in the pool secured by the lanyard while the battery pack is taken in for
charging.

The smoothest swim current is obtained when the top of the
Slipstream outlet grill is at the water surface. Since the freeboard - the
distance from the deck to the waterline - is different for every pool, we allow the user to attach the hanger to the unit to accommodate any freeboard from 3” to 12”.  This is done upon initial installation using 4 screws. The other dimension unique to your pool is the coping overhang (pool cap/edging). Your Slipstream can also be adjusted to accommodate overhangs up to 2”.

Salt water is never good for pool equipment.  Your Slipstream swim unit is equipped with a sacrificial anode to protect against corrosion. A salt water environment only encourages that corrosion. With salt
water pools especially we recommend removing the unit when not in use. 

The Battery Pack should be stored above freezing. Your battery
life will be adversely impacted if kept in freezing conditions. The Swim Unit can be stored anywhere.