Divine / Clear Water Hot tubs at COSTCO

[marky mark]

Well, here is another to ask about. COSTCO now has "Divine Spa's", made by Clear Water Spa's. From everything I can find on Clear Water Spa's, they seem to be a very good tub. They are not as inexpensive as the others offered at COSTCO, other than the obvious shorter warranty you will give up (like all COSTCO tubs) How are these tubs? Anyone with any experience with them? I like the fact they have a circulation pump and I like the fact they are not a full foam tub. I do not want a full foam tub, that's just me. Anyway, all comments will be welcomed by me. Every time I get close to purchasing a tub, something comes up. I will have one before fall, that's all I know for sure. Thanks all.

[VTXMAN]

You get what you pay for; there are all kinds ways to shave cost and build a cheaper hot tub and those cost savings usually equate to quality.

It is nothing you will see at first but it will not take long and you will see it.


Not sure what your hang up is on full foam but I would prefer a spa with insulation rather than none. It also serves other purposes, binds the hot tub so it is a solid unit, supports the pluming... There are a couple of companies that do thermal air gap that are decent but you will not find that at Costco.

[ejf The Spa Guy]

MarkyMark,
 are you in the market for a tub, or are you a servicetech or salesman, on the other thread you said you did not like full foam,,,,then you are this one about the COstco tub be Clearwater,, not sure of this model, but i also sell Clearwater, as well as D1, i can tell you the ins and outs of both....,, i like both but lean toward the foam side... but on a thermal chamber i will only sell with the 24/7 circ pump, I know that Clearwater offers a Costco road show, but did not know they are supplying them to Costco. i will have to check that out...But curious on how you came to the decision of the insulating of the tub to make your purchase...

[marky mark]

MarkyMark,
 are you in the market for a tub, or are you a servicetech or salesman, on the other thread you said you did not like full foam,,,,then you are this one about the COstco tub be Clearwater,, not sure of this model, but i also sell Clearwater, as well as D1, i can tell you the ins and outs of both....,, i like both but lean toward the foam side... but on a thermal chamber i will only sell with the 24/7 circ pump, I know that Clearwater offers a Costco road show, but did not know they are supplying them to Costco. i will have to check that out...But curious on how you came to the decision of the insulating of the tub to make your purchase...

ELF: LOL! I am far from a spa salesman or a spa tech. In fact, I have never owned a spa or worked on one. I have only been in one a few times, hardly a expert. I don't know where you get I am a full foam fan, on this thread as on others, I state I do not want one. So there is some confusion there, but no harm on this end. I have a bad back I have lived with most of my life, and hot showers and such help out quite a bit. I also have a perfect spot in my new home for a spa, so I have decided to get one.  No troll here, I promise. Trouble is getting a honest opinion anywhere on the net. Full of trolls and dealers.  I base my opinion on full foam VS not only as a result of my own reading and learning, picking through the biased replies. No doubt I believe they are superior in making a tub more solid, especially if you plan on moving it, which I do not. I am also convinced, that if you live in a warmer climate, which I do, the thermal panes are much better than they used to be. In fact, the newer ones claim better R value than full foam. True or not, I like the fact they are efficient enough with today's technology and I really don't like the idea of ripping and respraying foam if not needed. Also, I am what I consider to be at least decently mechanically inclined, and if I need to repair a pump or leak 5 years down the road, I want EZ access. But that is a matter of opinion, no right answer, just a personal preference. Back to the topic, I know Costco has had a terrible reputation, but I am also willing to admit that they have done much better over the past 2-3 years. People still hammer them from previous mistakes. The owners of the Evolution Spas are for the most part quite happy from what I can find. As you know Evolution is made by Strong. Divine is made by Clear Water, which is what this thread is about. I think they are a decent spa, again based only on what I read. A 5 years ago the things I read were not so good about Clear Water, but they have made big improvements on their products. Anyway, I know Hot Springs and Sundance and so on make good spas, but it seems everybody is convinced that if you don't pay 6-10K on a spa they have to be junk. I don't believe it anymore. I think it has become very competitive. So tell me your honest opinion on Clear Water Spa's? Decent for the money or not?  Thanks Elf. I am being totally honest, I want a tub but want a non foamed decent Spa at the best price. I will be a first time ever spa owner.  Looking for non biased advice.
 PS: This does have a 24 hr circ pump.

[ejf The Spa Guy]

MarkyMark,
 thanks for the reply. as i read your reply , on the full foam, if you reread my response, i didn't say you liked full foam, i acknowledged you wanted thermal chamber... As i stated I sell Clearwater, it is my second line, D1 is my main line, as efficiency ratings,, you have to watch each manufacturer does( or even the dealer, there is a dealer that sells a thermal chamber spa, foam spray arounsd the perimeter, its uneven, no standard depth, they claim r42 value,,,and i say no way,, i know Clearwater states a r20 , If you look at other spas insulated, there are a couple that use Roxul insulation, r22 value,, i believe the foam is r3 per inch of foam, If you buy a thermal chamber make sure the main pipes are on the insulated bed not supported under the bartop by glue joints, that generally were you will see the leak, the other place is the manifold,if they are on the bed and the jets flex going up does not need to be supported, but there are several that the manifold is vertical then the jet flex pipes are horozontal, a lot of water wet. Clearwater has been a pretty good brand have not had many issues,, had some Balboa pack problems( a fuse link left out for 2 pump systems.. The divine spa looks fine,, it has a lot of looks from the Resort series,, and with the 24/7 circ pump which i believe is a must for thermal chamber, But in warmer climates you do have to watch for the thermal creep, higher temp of the water .The warranty is very low which is common with any tub purchased off the net..
I can tell you you will have less leaks on a full foam the thermal chamber, and i can fix just as fast on a foam,, so i would not let that factor in...But if your set on a thermal chamber . they do it right in my opinion.And on if your not spending 6-10k then the spas are junk, I don't think that is 100 persent right, there is some validity to that though. what i mean is this, and i see it all the time,,, You buy the spa off the internet, they deliver it,most people do not know or have the equipment to move the spa.thats the first problem, then once you get it back there, you are on your own to fill it figure out the operation, figure out the chemical usage, how often to maintain.etc...there are some fine spas in the 4-6 k range,,, but the problem is the support after the sale, When you buy from a local dealer this is what happens, you are supported local jobs.....delar brings you the spa, sets in place, electrician hooks up, delaer fills and fires off the spa, makes sure all is good, then goes over the chemical usage and operation, also if lifter installs that as well. everything good .. 1 month to 2 months later you have a problem, you have local support to fall back on, wether it be a chemistry issue of a question on the operation of the spa. if need be they come out, they know the product. On the net you have to order the parts change out yourself...etc....do you see were ia m going with this... is this honest enough for you.i have nothing to hide...Clearwater is a good brand if they were garbage there would be no way i would sell them,,, and the reason i sell both brands I got sick of the guys that only sell the thermal chamber and say youdo not want the full foam spa because they are a nightmare to work on....i disagree, yes there is the occasion that that some take longer to repair, especially if you are not familiar with a particular brand, then i got sick of the guys that only sell the full foam saying that the do not buy the thermal chamber because the always leak.... i also sell a spa with fiberglass insulation and a brand with Roxul insulation, so i can tell you the ins and out of the characteristics of each....good luck on the search

[marky mark]

ejf: Thanks for the reply.  That is exactly what I was looking for.... An honest answer and very good points to consider while making a decision. I very much appreciate your explanation and detailed points to consider.  I have till fall and this makes me a bit more educated while shopping. Thanks again.

[VTXMAN]

1/2LB foam is 7.7 per inch but the all those numbers do not mean squat without a good cover. It is not even ethical in my opinion to advertise R Value and have no mention of the cover. What good is it to say you have a R Value of 20, 30, 40... or whatever if the cover is only 10-15? Oh I know the value, it is know fooling the potential buyer that yours is better. 

[ejf The Spa Guy]

VTXMAN
 great point, cover is huge in the equation of things,,, BUt your right the r value does not tell the whole story...thats why i was pointing out that its just a number, a dealer can print and say whatever they want , most consumers won't even question it...

[will atams]

I looked at these..... enough said

[ejf The Spa Guy]

??

[Tman122]

I looked at these..... enough said

An inexpensive option to a quality higher priced tub.

[marky mark]

I looked at these..... enough said

Now here was a real helpful reply. Very helpful and educating.

[Tman122]

I looked at these..... enough said

Now here was a real helpful reply. Very helpful and educating.

Go look closely at the outside and inside of this brand versus a more expensive tub. See which is neater, better orginized under the hood. Look at the fit and finish of both products. If you don't see any difference then your fine with whichever feels better on your backside (butt and wallet) I personaly can see a big difference in build quality between anything sold through a box store versus a dealer. Clearwater makes a fine product but I am sure they got beat up for a cheaper price by Costco so they cut some corners to get there.

[marky mark]

You certainly may be correct but I contacted a person at Clear Water and asked them what is the difference and she said nothing except the warranty. The biggest deal is no dealer support, which is very important IMO.  Same exact everything according to her. She also said their manufacturing facility is within a few minutes Of COSTCO headquarters and they have a good relationship. Her name is Nancy and is the one who will reply directly from Clear Water.  I don't think they are lesser quality than their regular tub, but I could be wrong. Keep in mind these are not inexpensive as some other spa's offered at COSTCO.

[Tman122]

You certainly may be correct but I contacted a person at Clear Water and asked them what is the difference and she said nothing except the warranty. The biggest deal is no dealer support, which is very important IMO.  Same exact everything according to her. She also said their manufacturing facility is within a few minutes Of COSTCO headquarters and they have a good relationship. Her name is Nancy and is the one who will reply directly from Clear Water.  I don't think they are lesser quality than their regular tub, but I could be wrong. Keep in mind these are not inexpensive as some other spa's offered at COSTCO.

do you honestly think the lady at clearwater is going to tell you how they meet the price point?