That's not what I'm saying at all. I have never seen a motor mounted below the pump in a vertical position, only above the pump. Mounting the motor below the pump would make no sense at all for the exact reason you stated, the risk of water leaking into the motor. It's not so much about the bearings causing you concern it's more about the motor windings and a dead short. What hot tub has a pump with a motor mounted below the pump?