Finally narrowed down to Clearwater, 2nd place LA Spa

[petals20]

Greetings hot tub enthusiast,
 
Do y'all know that I just realized lately there are more mfg of hot tubs/spa than any other industry that are a necessity like HDTV's, cell phones, cars, laptops? Look at this list here and you'll see hundreds vs a handful from cars or cell phones which we supposedly all use every min, hour, day, etc. So for cell phones there's iphone, samsung LG, sony, HTC, nokia, Blackberry, etc.

Are we buying hot tubs more than even laptops? Well, I didn't think I would be able to choose a hot tub at this point after having tunnel vision borderline obsessed as to what is only the MFG but also the model that we will select as our 1st hot tub. If you asked me 6 mos ago, 1 year ago, etc that I would be owning a hot tub never even crossed my mind...zero nothing zilch. 

So one rose out of the ashes & won my heart and that is Clear water. Before reaching my prince, I had to kiss many bullfrogs no pun intended  I was browsing here for weeks and doing my own go-ogling & research on the WWW.

It was rather simple once you the specs & why I chose Clear Water. They clearly stood out as to the price to value to features to jets IMO more than the others. Their warranty is right up there with the top 5. So I thought the top 3 Roll's Royce were Hot springs, Caldera, Bull Frog,..more or less ok so pls don't bite my head off. There other many, many fine mfg's like Artic, LA Spa, Marquis, Artesian, Coast Spa, Sun dance, Jacuzzi, etc. that are no lunch meat.

But just look at their line, they have "thee" most gorgeous hot tubs with more jets than others & the best part is they didn't give me sticker shock like Sundance or Jacuzzi. All I ask is you look at their line if you're not familiar with them before you disagree with me.

So for those who have had any experience with Clear Water or LA Spa would you say I was on the money or least very warm ?  if you don't that's perfectly fine, count to 10 and  tell me why & who you feel is your prince of hot tubs .  For my money these are my the top 3:

1) Clearwater
2) LA Spa
3) Artic Spa

[Hottubguy]

Which model did you buy?  Did you try it before you bought it?  I don't know anything about clearwater but used to sell LA spas. They were a decent spa but too many warranty claims for me! 

[petals20]

Which model did you buy?  Did you try it before you bought it?  I don't know anything about clear water but used to sell LA spas. They were a decent spa but too many warranty claims for me!

My top pick is the Clear water, then LA Spa. Well, I didn't think I would reach the end at this point after having tunnel vision borderline obsessed as to which  MFG but also the model as well that we will select as our 1st hot tub. If you asked me 6 mos ago, 1 year ago, etc owning a hot tub it never even crossed my mind...zero nothing zilch. 

But about a month ago during the So Ca fires when the Santa Ana winds/heat was at it's peak I tried to water some of our vines that were high up on the back patio and I slipped my footing on the ladder & I fell about 5 ft with the feet in the air landed on my back. It was absurdly painful to say the least but that was a cake walk compared to the bruising, aches & pain that I endured in the weeks after.

I resorted to icy hot pads & even had to get that Icy hot electronic therapy, plus lots of pain meds which seemed like placebo that's how bad the aftermath bruising was. So with that incident & approaching the big 50 my body needs some help & therapy without having going to a massage therapist so decided we need a hot tub now like a 16 yr old needs a car to get around.

So there began my internet searching & researching reading reviews/forums, etc. But with hot tubs I had no freaking idea there were so many MFG/models of not tubs with a gazillion options/features. I was totally caught of guard. I mean we're talking about nearly a hundred of hot tubs/spa MFG just in the N Americal alone.   [/font]

[Tman122]

In my opinion Clearwater makes a fine tub. Not on the top of my list or even in the top 5 as far as longevity or fit and finish but they may make my top ten.

[Chartreux]

Now you need to try these out for fit and then do your wet tests to see if you still like it with the jets and to try to turn all the knobs. I have RA and found the HotSprings knobs very hard to turn. (mri showed RA damage in my right hand) and if I was in the tub and wet this would have me frustrated to no end not being able to turn the knobs.
Make sure to try the tubs out. Also, check out how easy it is for you to get into the tub. 

A wet test is a must before you buy and I'm really liking Sundance as my top pick so far, wet tests coming soon.

[petals20]

In my opinion Clearwater makes a fine tub. Not on the top of my list or even in the top 5 as far as longevity or fit and finish but they may make my top ten.

Well I'll have to agree to disagree  I mean,.. how can say top 5 fit or finish when they make something like this: I would love for you to show me your 5 that you feel is superior to CW. Look at this beauty here, and I double dare you to find one that has a many jets as this 2-3 seater with 40 jets.
 

[TwinCitiesHotSpring]

In my opinion Clearwater makes a fine tub. Not on the top of my list or even in the top 5 as far as longevity or fit and finish but they may make my top ten.

Well I'll have to agree to disagree  I mean,.. how can say top 5 fit or finish when they make something like this: I would love for you to show me your 5 that you feel is superior to CW. Look at this beauty here, and I double dare you to find one that has a many jets as this 2-3 seater with 40 jets.
 

LOL this was written so well I almost for a second thought you may be serious 

[Hottubguy]

Lots of jets don't mean jack.

[TwinCitiesHotSpring]

Lots of jets don't mean jack.

Its funny when the n00bs spend a week on the internet and think they have it all figured out

[petals20]

Lots of jets don't mean jack.

Sure, maybe not for Jack  but for me & many others it's one of  the top criteria we deem very important or else they wouldn't be so competitive in that department.  The car with more HP, turbo, cylinders, etc are packed with nice amenities. The more jets & the diversity of their unique benefits/feature generally tell me the mfg has invested a lot time & research to be always striving to improve/evolve and put out a top notch up to date modern hot tub with the latest technology.

[Lionheart_CHP]

Petals, I'm a newbie just like you but I think you should read the "Spa Buying Guide" on SpaDepot.com, specifically "Hype versus Fact".

If I may quote from that site:
"HYPE: The more jets, the better.
FACT: Unfortunately, this is the biggest hype in the business. Rather than compete on the basis of spa quality, service, and value, many online sellers try to outdo one another with the highest jet counts. Far more important than the number of jets is the type, quality, orientation, and plumbing. Some inferior brands load up their spas with dozens of tiny 59-cent jets just to make their numbers look good. Then they must add larger, energy-wasting motors to overcome this friction loss. Such spa designs prove to be very uncomfortable and inefficient, wasting up to $100 in electricity costs per month.

hot tubs hydrotherapy Jetting should be engineered for hydrotherapy action, comfort & optimum energy efficiency, not mere numbers. Believe it, sitting in a spa seat and having your back assaulted by dozens of tiny jets can quickly become a painfully annoying experience.
Well-engineered spas provide vigorous, soothing hydro massage without dozens of useless extra jets. A good design also provides quiet zones for people who just want to soak, unwind, and relax."

[Chartreux]

My picks are 1. Sundance, very helpful and knowledgeable
                   2. Marquis, very helpful...
                   3. Arctic, very helpful, but no Dealer near me.
                   No Beach Comber or Clearwater Dealer near me so I cannot check them out, if I could I might change my mind, so sorry.
                   The knobs on the Sundance are easy to turn which is a plus for me, only thing I don't like about Sundance is they list a $2,000 rebate, and do not list what it implies on the Website and that it's not for the whole $2,000 off a spa, so I would say they need to be honest on the Website and list the rebate and all it entails in bold not small type.

Petals go with what you like, but you should wet test it, you did ask us for opinions...   

[Jacuzzi Jim]

    I am sure you will be happy with it..   

[Quickbeam]

Petals 20,

I really wish you well in your search. I've just bought my very first hot tub and like you, did a lot of research. I also learned however, that spas that look the fanciest, with the most jets, are not necessarily the best spas. There is so much hype and misinformation about spas it is scary. Another thing I learned is that it is very difficult to get good, unbiased information. That is why I really, really appreciated this forum. Yes, there are dealers on here and yes they will pump their product. But they will, for the most part, also tell you there are other good spas out there and will tell you what they are. They will also tell you which ones are not the best spas. A spa is a big investment, and you might be wise to listen to some of the advice given on this forum. There are people on here with years and years of experience, and for me at least, the advice I got on here was invaluable.

[petals20]

My picks are 1. Sundance, very helpful and knowledgeable
                   2. Marquis, very helpful...
                   3. Arctic, very helpful, but no Dealer near me.
                   No Beach Comber or Clearwater Dealer near me so I cannot check them out, if I could I might change my mind, so sorry.
                   The knobs on the Sundance are easy to turn which is a plus for me, only thing I don't like about Sundance is they list a $2,000 rebate, and do not list what it implies on the Website and that it's not for the whole $2,000 off a spa, so I would say they need to be honest on the Website and list the rebate and all it entails in bold not small type.

Petals go with what you like, but you should wet test it, you did ask us for opinions...

That's nice list & it's very much in line with my findings. All these brands are pros & carry an amazing line of hot tubs that will please just about anyone, there's really no bad mfg here they are all great which is why it's so tough to pick one.

I can live with any hot tub from your top 3 mfg or even with 4-10 that's how comfortable I've found these mfg to be very competent it's just you have to pick only "1".    - Btw I live 20 minutes away from Sundance HQ & sure would love to have one but they're asking 9/10K for the same hot tub I can get from Bull frog, Clear water, LA spa, Artesian, Marquis, on and on there's no lunch meat here.

@Quickbeam,..I've been doing the same just observing & absorbing everything in like a big sponge from everywhere forums and nice courteous dealers who do seem unbiased and very helpful esp like this one dealer in Corona, ca who carries a potpouri basket like Hot springs, Caldera, Artesian, Cal spa, Catalina, Coast, Bull frog, Thermos, Master, Marquis and doesn't really care which one he sells me just as long as I have the one that makes me most happy.

And right now he's helped me narrowing down to a LA spa model which interestingly made a nice comeback to put them over Clearwater since my post yesterday. And since he doesn't carry Clearwater cause I want NOT only the most jets which they do have 2nd to Clearwater,..BUT they have an impressive list of standard features that would be optional on otherss like LED waterfall/lights, lounger & seat therapy like neck/collar jets and dual foot jets which is totally meaningful for me. Yes, it's not just about the #'s I get that, it's what they're able to do with it make it useful and beneficial to specific area/needs. 

And LA spa has a great warranty structure AND they have option of the Faux stone shell instead of the plain ones. I just don't know why mfg's have gone such a long way to evolve the hot tubs but can only offer that plain outdated fake wood shell exterior. There should be some faux granite, stone, or even bamboo which is stronger than cedar or oak and is very sustainable.