diff --git a/echopype/convert/api.py b/echopype/convert/api.py
index 33e04f0ef..0a9d81b4e 100644
--- a/echopype/convert/api.py
+++ b/echopype/convert/api.py
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ def open_raw(
     xml_path: Optional["PathHint"] = None,
     convert_params: Optional[Dict[str, str]] = None,
     storage_options: Optional[Dict[str, str]] = None,
-    destination_path: Optional[str] = None,
+    destination_path: Optional[str] = "auto",
     destination_storage_options: Optional[Dict[str, str]] = None,
     max_chunk_size: str = "100MB",
 ) -> Optional[EchoData]:
@@ -384,11 +384,6 @@ def open_raw(
     echosounders: EK60, ES70, EK80, ES80, EA640. Additionally, this feature
     is currently in beta.
     """
-
-    # Set initial destination_path of "no_swap"
-    if destination_path is None:
-        destination_path = "no_swap"
-
     if raw_file is None:
         raise FileNotFoundError("The path to the raw data file must be specified.")
 
diff --git a/echopype/convert/parse_base.py b/echopype/convert/parse_base.py
index 13dc90357..6c7628bcb 100644
--- a/echopype/convert/parse_base.py
+++ b/echopype/convert/parse_base.py
@@ -10,9 +10,10 @@
 import zarr
 from dask.array.core import auto_chunks
 
+from ..utils.io import create_temp_zarr_store
 from ..utils.log import _init_logger
 from .utils.ek_raw_io import RawSimradFile, SimradEOF
-from .utils.ek_swap import calc_final_shapes, create_temp_store
+from .utils.ek_swap import calc_final_shapes
 
 FILENAME_DATETIME_EK60 = (
     "(?P<survey>.+)?-?D(?P<date>\\w{1,8})-T(?P<time>\\w{1,6})-?(?P<postfix>\\w+)?.raw"
@@ -162,7 +163,7 @@ def rectangularize_data(
             if dest_path in ["swap", "auto"]:
                 dest_path = None
             # Setup temp store
-            zarr_store = create_temp_store(dest_path, dest_storage_options)
+            zarr_store = create_temp_zarr_store(dest_path, dest_storage_options)
             # Setup zarr store
             zarr_root = zarr.group(
                 store=zarr_store, overwrite=True, synchronizer=zarr.ThreadSynchronizer()
diff --git a/echopype/convert/utils/ek_swap.py b/echopype/convert/utils/ek_swap.py
index 3c591fd8a..978eb66c7 100644
--- a/echopype/convert/utils/ek_swap.py
+++ b/echopype/convert/utils/ek_swap.py
@@ -1,94 +1,7 @@
-import secrets
 from operator import itemgetter
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Tuple
 
-import fsspec
 import numpy as np
-from fsspec import AbstractFileSystem
-from zarr.storage import FSStore
-
-from ...utils.io import ECHOPYPE_DIR, check_file_permissions, validate_output_path
-
-DEFAULT_ZARR_TEMP_DIR = ECHOPYPE_DIR / "temp_output" / "swap_files"
-
-
-def _create_zarr_store_map(path, storage_options):
-    file_path = validate_output_path(
-        source_file=secrets.token_hex(16),
-        engine="zarr",
-        save_path=path,
-        output_storage_options=storage_options,
-    )
-    return fsspec.get_mapper(file_path, **storage_options)
-
-
-def delete_store(store: "FSStore | str", fs: Optional[AbstractFileSystem] = None) -> None:
-    """
-    Delete the store and all its contents.
-
-    Parameters
-    ----------
-    store : FSStore or str
-        The store or store path to delete.
-    fs : AbstractFileSystem, optional
-        The fsspec file system to use
-
-    Returns
-    -------
-    None
-    """
-    if isinstance(store, str):
-        if fs is None:
-            raise ValueError("Must provide fs if store is a path string")
-        store_path = store
-    else:
-        # Get the file system, this should already have the
-        # correct storage options
-        fs = store.fs
-
-        # Get the string path to the store
-        store_path: str = store.dir_path()
-
-    if fs.exists(store_path):
-        print(f"Deleting store: {store_path}")
-        # Delete the store when it exists
-        fs.rm(store_path, recursive=True)
-
-
-def create_temp_store(dest_path, dest_storage_options=None, retries: int = 10):
-    if dest_path is None:
-        # Check permission of cwd, raise exception if no permission
-        check_file_permissions(ECHOPYPE_DIR)
-
-        # construct temporary directory that will hold the zarr file
-        dest_path = DEFAULT_ZARR_TEMP_DIR
-        if not dest_path.exists():
-            dest_path.mkdir(parents=True)
-
-    temp_zarr_dir = str(dest_path)
-
-    # Set default storage options if None
-    if dest_storage_options is None:
-        dest_storage_options = {}
-
-    # attempt to find different zarr_file_name
-    attempt = 0
-    exists = True
-    while exists:
-        zarr_store = _create_zarr_store_map(
-            path=temp_zarr_dir, storage_options=dest_storage_options
-        )
-        exists = zarr_store.fs.exists(zarr_store.root)
-        attempt += 1
-
-        if attempt == retries and exists:
-            raise RuntimeError(
-                (
-                    "Unable to construct an unused zarr file name for swap ",
-                    f"after {retries} retries!",
-                )
-            )
-    return zarr_store
 
 
 def _get_datagram_max_shape(datagram_dict: Dict[Any, List[np.ndarray]]) -> Optional[Tuple[int]]:
diff --git a/echopype/echodata/echodata.py b/echopype/echodata/echodata.py
index 3f6dccc7d..2fb24b46f 100644
--- a/echopype/echodata/echodata.py
+++ b/echopype/echodata/echodata.py
@@ -14,9 +14,8 @@
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from ..core import EngineHint, FileFormatHint, PathHint, SonarModelsHint
 
-from ..convert.utils.ek_swap import delete_store
 from ..utils.coding import sanitize_dtypes, set_time_encodings
-from ..utils.io import check_file_existence, sanitize_file_path
+from ..utils.io import check_file_existence, delete_zarr_store, sanitize_file_path
 from ..utils.log import _init_logger
 from ..utils.prov import add_processing_level
 from .convention import sonarnetcdf_1
@@ -94,7 +93,7 @@ def cleanup_swap_files(self):
                     ]
                     fs = zarr_stores[0].fs
                     for store in zarr_stores:
-                        delete_store(store, fs)
+                        delete_zarr_store(store, fs)
 
     def __del__(self):
         # TODO: this destructor seems to not work in Jupyter Lab if restart or
diff --git a/echopype/utils/io.py b/echopype/utils/io.py
index 3b93ee91e..d738df7ca 100644
--- a/echopype/utils/io.py
+++ b/echopype/utils/io.py
@@ -4,15 +4,18 @@
 import os
 import pathlib
 import platform
+import secrets
 import sys
+import tempfile
 import uuid
 from pathlib import Path, WindowsPath
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Dict, Optional, Tuple, Union
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Dict, Optional, Tuple, Union
 
 import fsspec
 import xarray as xr
-from fsspec import FSMap
+from fsspec import AbstractFileSystem, FSMap
 from fsspec.implementations.local import LocalFileSystem
+from zarr.storage import FSStore
 
 from ..utils.coding import set_storage_encodings
 from ..utils.log import _init_logger
@@ -30,8 +33,11 @@
 
 logger = _init_logger(__name__)
 
-
-ECHOPYPE_DIR = Path(os.path.expanduser("~")) / ".echopype"
+# Get root echopype package name
+ECHOPYPE = __name__.split(".")[0]
+ECHOPYPE_DIR = Path(os.path.expanduser("~")) / ".{ECHOPYPE}"
+ECHOPYPE_TEMP_DIR = Path(tempfile.tempdir) / ECHOPYPE
+_SWAP_PREFIX = "ep-swap"
 
 
 def init_ep_dir():
@@ -39,6 +45,9 @@ def init_ep_dir():
     if not ECHOPYPE_DIR.exists():
         ECHOPYPE_DIR.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
 
+    if not ECHOPYPE_TEMP_DIR.exists():
+        ECHOPYPE_TEMP_DIR.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+
 
 def get_files_from_dir(folder):
     """Retrieves all Netcdf and Zarr files from a given folder"""
@@ -422,3 +431,117 @@ def validate_source_ds_da(
         check_file_existence(file_path=source_ds_da, storage_options=storage_options)
 
     return source_ds_da, file_type
+
+
+# Utilities for creating temporary swap zarr files -------------------------------------
+def _create_zarr_store_map(path: str, storage_options: dict) -> FSMap:
+    """Create a zarr store map"""
+    file_path = validate_output_path(
+        # Use same swap prefix for swap zarr files
+        source_file=f"{_SWAP_PREFIX}--{secrets.token_hex(16)[:8]}",
+        engine="zarr",
+        save_path=path,
+        output_storage_options=storage_options,
+    )
+    return fsspec.get_mapper(file_path, **storage_options)
+
+
+def create_temp_zarr_store(
+    dest_path: Optional[str] = None, dest_storage_options: Dict[Any, Any] = {}, retries: int = 10
+) -> FSMap:
+    """Create a temporary zarr store for swapping data.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    dest_path : str, optional
+        The destination path to create the swap file, by default None.
+        If None, then use system temp directory.
+    dest_storage_options : dict, optional
+        The storage options for the destination path
+    retries : int, default 10
+        The number of retries to attempt to create a unique swap file
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    FSMap
+        The zarr store for swapping data
+
+    Raises
+    ------
+    RuntimeError
+        If unable to construct an unused zarr file name for swap after retries
+    """
+    if dest_path is None:
+        # Use system temp directory to create swap file by default
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(
+            suffix=".zarr",
+            prefix=f"{_SWAP_PREFIX}--",
+            dir=ECHOPYPE_TEMP_DIR,
+        ) as zarr_path:
+            return fsspec.get_mapper(zarr_path)
+
+    # User is able to specify a path to create the swap file
+    temp_zarr_dir = str(dest_path)
+
+    # Set default storage options if None
+    if dest_storage_options is None:
+        dest_storage_options = {}
+
+    # attempt to find different zarr_file_name
+    attempt = 0
+    exists = True
+    while exists:
+        zarr_store = _create_zarr_store_map(
+            path=temp_zarr_dir, storage_options=dest_storage_options
+        )
+        exists = zarr_store.fs.exists(zarr_store.root)
+        attempt += 1
+
+        if attempt == retries and exists:
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                (
+                    "Unable to construct an unused zarr file name for swap ",
+                    f"after {retries} retries!",
+                )
+            )
+    return zarr_store
+
+
+def delete_zarr_store(store: "FSStore | str", fs: Optional[AbstractFileSystem] = None) -> None:
+    """
+    Delete the zarr store and all its contents.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    store : FSStore or str
+        The store or store path to delete.
+    fs : AbstractFileSystem, optional
+        The fsspec file system to use
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    None
+
+    Raises
+    ------
+    ValueError
+        If store is a string path and fs is not provided
+    """
+    if isinstance(store, str):
+        if fs is None:
+            raise ValueError("Must provide fs if store is a path string")
+        store_path = store
+    else:
+        # Get the file system, this should already have the
+        # correct storage options
+        fs = store.fs
+
+        # Get the string path to the store
+        store_path: str = store.dir_path()
+
+    if fs.exists(store_path):
+        # Delete the store when it exists
+        fs.rm(store_path, recursive=True)
+
+
+# End of utilities for creating temporary swap zarr files ------------------------------