For more than 25 years, Wayne Zwar has worked in the pool industry, spending the past 15 years specialising in natural, chemical-free swimming pools.
As the founder of Natural Swimming Pools Australia, Wayne has seen a growing shift in what homeowners want from their pools. While design and aesthetics remain important, more people are looking for a better swimming experience, with naturally filtered water, greater sustainability and systems that make their pools easier to enjoy. A strong advocate for protecting pool water and reducing evaporation, Wayne insists on a pool cover for every project and regularly recommends Remco to his clients.
A recent project in Malvern brought all these elements together, transforming an existing chlorine pool into a natural swimming pool, complete with a Remco retrofitted in-pool Swimroll cover and a retrofit twin-turbine SwimJet.
Watch the full interview
Wayne shares the story behind the Malvern transformation, explains how natural swimming pools work and why he considers an automatic pool cover essential to every project.
A pool the homeowner wasn't using
The Malvern project began with a conversation between Wayne and a long-standing client.
Around 12 years earlier, Wayne had built one of his first natural swimming pools for the client's holiday property near Yandoit, west of Melbourne. The homeowner loved the experience of swimming in naturally filtered water so much that when he purchased a home in Malvern with an existing chlorine pool, he found himself reluctant to use it.
A casual conversation revealed that the homeowner hadn't realised his existing pool could be converted to a natural system.
What followed was a complete transformation.
The existing pool was retiled, the chlorine filtration and sanitising equipment removed, and a new biological filtration system installed. With limited access to the site, creating space for the filtration system required careful planning, concrete removal and excavation by hand.
The result was an entirely different swimming experience, without the need to build a new pool.
Making more of the existing pool
With the natural swimming conversion underway, the homeowner also saw an opportunity to make the pool more useful for his active lifestyle. A keen cyclist and swimmer, he wanted to be able to swim for exercise at home, without needing a larger pool.
Remco's twin-turbine SwimJet provided the solution, retrofitted into the existing pool to create a continuous swimming current for exercise, recreation and family enjoyment.
As Wayne explains in the interview, it's a feature the homeowner loves, and one the children enjoy too.
The project demonstrates how an existing pool can be adapted to suit changing lifestyles, introducing new functionality without starting again.
Why a pool cover is non-negotiable
For Wayne, a pool cover isn't an optional extra. It's one of the first things he discusses with every client.
Working with natural swimming systems has reinforced just how important it is to protect the water and manage the pool environment.
While biological filtration delivers exceptional water quality, Wayne explains that reducing exposure to strong UV light helps support the natural system. A cover also plays an important role in reducing evaporation and retaining heat, particularly during cooler evenings.
His approach is simple.
"I won't build a pool unless it's got a cover."
At Malvern, an in-pool Remco Swimroll featuring Pebblestone PVC slats was integrated into the existing pool as part of the renovation.
The automatic cover provides the practical benefits Wayne considers essential, with simple operation that makes everyday use easier for the homeowner. Its discreet in-pool integration also maintains the clean, considered aesthetic of the newly renovated space.
For Wayne, that ease of operation is an important part of the equation. A cover only delivers its full benefits when homeowners use it consistently.
Better water, better swimming
Natural swimming pools have evolved considerably from the traditional planted pools many people associate with the concept. Wayne explains that modern biological filtration systems can deliver naturally filtered swimming water without the need for gravel beds or aquatic plants.
For many of his clients, it's the quality and feel of the water that draws them to natural swimming.
The Malvern project brings that philosophy together with practical pool technology. The biological filtration system delivers the natural swimming experience, the SwimJet creates new opportunities for fitness and family enjoyment, and the automatic Swimroll helps protect the water while reducing evaporation and heat loss.
It's a thoughtful transformation that gives the homeowner more reasons to enjoy the pool he already has.
Bringing the right solutions together
The Malvern project is a great example of what can be achieved when builders and specialist suppliers collaborate to find solutions for existing pools.
From integrating a cover into a renovated pool to retrofitting a SwimJet for exercise, thoughtful planning can unlock new possibilities without compromising the overall design.
For pool builders considering similar projects, involving Remco early in the planning process provides an opportunity to explore installation options, integration requirements and the right solutions for the pool.
Planning a new pool or renovation?
Talk to the Remco team about integrating Swimroll or SwimJet into your next project.
You can find Wayne and the Natural Swimming Pools Australia team here: https://naturalswimpools.com.au