Welcome to our forum.
" considering I can get close to a gallon of bleach for $2 or a 5 lb bucket of dichlor for $30."You mean, I can just add liquid bleach....like the kind I use for laundry....and not have to fuss with going to a pool store for chlorine?
I've tried both, and for me bromine via a floating brominator was way easier and cheaper. I got tired of having to add chlorine every single time I used my tub(which is pretty much daily). With a floating brominator I only have to refill it once every 2(sometimes closer to 3) weeks. And for me I barely notice the smell. It's at least not any more smelly than when I used chlorine. I'm not saying one method is better than the other. What works for some will not work for others. But for me it's the closest thing to set it and forget it. And once you get use to it, you won't have to check your ph levels nearly as much. I now check mine once a week and that's only because I'm a little paranoid. I could easily get by with once every two weeks.
the part in bold is the most important thing to draw from this thread, there are a multitude of options in which to sanitize a spa: Bromine, Chlorine, Silver Ion/MPS, Baqua/Biguanide, Salt based chlorine and bromine generators, etc. not 1 single system can claim "the best" they all have pros/cons you just need to simply find the one that works best for YOU not what may work best for someone on an internet forum...just my .02
I do follow Vermonters way of soaking but I was lucky enough to be on Doc's website when he was an active member so I followed it and was able to ask questions.