3 to Choose From

[hammer300]

I am looking for my first spa: started going crazy looking on the net for info...
everyone's is the best and everyone else's sucks...

I want a smaller tub just my family and mostly my wife and children.

went to most of the dealers around here (Binghamton NY)
and they all just said there's is better then the next,
you know... were are #1 seller in the world blah, blah, blah
but I have gotten it down to 3 I like

Beachcomber 538BLE
Sundance Camden
Artersian Island Captiva (little bigger) but slightly cheaper, have not heard of as much
Did like the cool down seats in the beachcomber and artesian
does anyone find that they use them alot ..who have them??

anyhow looking for anyone that has had any of these models or at least brands to see how well liked...

Dry tested all ...Liked the comfort of the beachcomber the best, but most boring?
Sundance nice more bells and whistles, waterfall, morelighting
Artesian more jets little better price 400-500 diff seemed nice not as good warranty

All the dealers seemed decent they have all been around for years.

If anyone has any views on these I would appreciate it cause I can't decide
obviously all three mfg's are pretty good , so any would be fine but seems like what ever I do will be the wrong choice..

thanks..
Lost in NY

[drewstar]

I am a fan of cool down seats.   Its nice in the cold winter to have a seat that lets you cool off  a bit without getting fully out of the tub.  You can sit on the edge of a tub, but a cool off seat is a nice feature.

The 3 brands you mention are all well known, and I believe we have posters here that own each one here.

Dry testing is virtually useless.  It may help you get a sense of the tub, but in reality, the only way to tell is wet test. A tub with water in it is completely different than a dry one.  bounency makes a huge difference, as well as actually feeling where the jets hit you, and how they feel. (this is the bread and butter of the therapy).  Wet test.  Get a tub with a variety of seating and jetting options. buy quality from a quality dealer. and wet test. Wet test. Wet test.   (and not just one tub, but several, you need to compare how the differernt depths, seat layouts, jets and water pressure feel.

Don't let lights and waterfalls be a big deciding factor.  In a couple of months you won't care that much.  Go for quality and wet testing.   As far as a smaller tub, that's fine, but I wil tell you a 6x 6 tub can get pretty full very quickly and the foot well gets cramped when you get more thean a few folks in there.    Jsut because a tub has 5 seats, doens't mean it can sit 5 adults comfortably at the same time.   I'm not saying you need a big tub, I'm saying don't think a big tub is over kill. It's not.

anyhow, Wet test these three tubs, then let us know what you think.  

[wmccall]

Cool down seat(s) are one feature I didn't consider (have none) and 5 years later wish I had.

[Cyn]

Wish I had a cool down seat.

[IL Parrothead]

I love my cooldown seat!  It extends the length of time I can stay in the tub significantly.  When I get a little overheated, I move to the cooldown seat for 5 minutes or so.  Then I move back to a deeper seat.

[Tailhooker]

I love my cooldown seat!  It extends the length of time I can stay in the tub significantly.  When I get a little overheated, I move to the cooldown seat for 5 minutes or so.  Then I move back to a deeper seat.

Do the J-400 series have cooldown seats?

[Swell-Tub]

Do the J-400 series have cooldown seats?

Yes, one at the front of the spa. You use it as a step into the spa as well.

[Vinny]

The Artesian tub wasn't sold to me with a "cool down seat" but does have seats of varing heights. It is nice if smaller people go in and yes it works for us larger people to cool down.

When making your final decision, if you like the Artesian I wold say go for it and don't worry about not hearing much about it. The other 2 brands are good as well but a $500 diference over the life of the spa is not a big deal.

[Zep]

Yes, one at the front of the spa. You use it as a step into the spa as well.

thats how mine works too
i use it often