Jon's First Spa

[jonnyboy2807]

Hi, new to the forum.  I have started shopping for my first hot tub this week.  I have some interesting needs in that I'm a 6'5" 430lb ex-lineman with a longer than proportionate torso.... meaning most models' neck pillows land around the middle of my shoulder blades.  My wife needs warm jet therapy but is normal-sized.

We are considering three rather diverse models, a Sunrise Genesis (dry-tested, comfortable enough), an Artesian Pelican Bay (dry-tested, less comfortable but still considering), and a Coast Spa Cascade III (untested as yet, the only one on the floor was filled).  Next week we are wet-testing the Artesian and Coast Spa at the same store and session - as new buyers we didn't think of that but this dealer came out and suggested it.  The Sunrise dealer was nice and informative in a sales-y kind of way, but didn't even bring up the idea of a wet test.  Anyway, I'll circle back to this after the first wet test.

(Getting to the immediate point finally) We are going to put our new tub on the ground.  I want to know about bases for now.  My original thought was to put down and wet-tamp about 18" of crusher run and top with sand.  Then I was thinking of generic flat concrete flagstone on that.  The Sunrise dealer suggested putting down a few inches of sand and then this new plastic fabricated base (that I could pick up, fold, and take with us if we moved and took the tub).  The Artesian/CoastSpa dealer was just going to put down some sort of gravel or sand base - said they were avoiding the plastic base until they saw how they were working for others' customers.... so no flagstone, interlock, or concrete slab ... or deck I suppose.

What are the thoughts on the dealers' options?  We live in eastern Ontario (Canada) so there can be lots of heaving of the ground due to freeze-melt cycles in the early spring, and the soil base in the region is clay.

thanks for your attention!!

edit - we are going to the Jacuzzi dealer next week...

[wmccall]

Jon,

Welcome to the forum.  Given your size, I think you might be best with a large open seating type of tub that would let you be flexible with where and how you sit.  The Hot Spring Grandee or the Sundance Maxxus come to mind at first.

[jonnyboy2807]

Thanks for your suggestions! There are dealers in the region where I can go check the models you suggested. Actually the vendor of the Jacuzzi tubs where I am going to look also sells the Sundance line, so that makes it easy.

In re the base issue I mentioned above, I'm just going to go ahead with the tamped crusher run and flag stone option on my own. I just don't like the just-throw-the-sand-on-the-ground idea that comes with the dealer installation, and I don't want to build a floating deck or concrete pad.

[jonnyboy2807]

Well on the way to our wet test of the Coast and Artesian spas, we stopped in to look at Jacuzzi's and came extremely close to buying a 400-series that was very comfortable... but then the saleperson insisted I sit in an Elite Spa 5600 for amusement and it was like some sort of nerdy Harry Potter moment when "the wand chooses the wizard." Two of the seats fit me absolutely perfectly, and the wife gets her lounger.  The look and feel of the fancy parts are obviously not quite Sundance or Jacuzzi level, but they are as nice as I could need. The structure felt rock-solid.  We were jonesing for the Jacuzzi before I sat in the Elite, and he absently slipped that the store's repair staff insist that the Elites are far less repair-prone than Jacuzzi or Sundance - which I figure is a very high bar in themselves. The dealer apparently sells about 800 spas a year (from two stores) so I figure their repair staff's opinion is probably well-grounded.

To be completely honest, we also really liked the salesperson too, he was aggressively more interested in our needs than upselling us (and we were certainly willing sheep). It shows a long-run approach to his sales - if I love the outcome, I'll be back in 10 years and in the meantime I'll give good word-of-mouth to anyone who listens.  He happily answered every question I had, no matter how inane.  So we made our order tonight.

Since further comments from me in this thread are useless without pictures, I'll post them in October when it should be all delivered and running.


edit - Elite Spas seems to be a Maax (Coleman?) product line, and the website seems to indicate they are only sold in Canada by this one chain(?). Haven't read anything bad from recent years.  I was nervous for a few moments. The seem to have similar (but not identical) moulds to Coleman, but the construction is completely different.  Maybe they've diverged in recent years.