Help it is all overwhelming!!!!

[Bob_Rolin]

My wife and I just started looking at Hot Tubs this past weekend in Columbia, SC.  We have read this forum and searched the web.  Our local dealers carry Cal Spas which don't fair well in the forum, Great Lake Spas which we haven't been able to find much information on and Leisure Bay Spas which is also not really listed.  We have seen a few Hot Springs Spas but they don't seem to have many jets and cost a fortune.  We liked the way the Great Lakes Spas (Forte & Penta) looked and felt.  Rec Warehouse had the Leisure Bay Salida & the Chesapeake Spas that we also kind of liked.  We are hoping for any help you guys can give us.  We want a hot tub that doesn't feel like our jacuzzi bath tub.  We want it to have some umph and some foot jets.  Any help you guys can provide will be greatly appreciated.  We obviously need lots of help.  Thanks in advance for your hot tub spa wisdom.

[cooltoy2000]

We have seen a few Hot Springs Spas but they don't seem to have many jets and cost a fortune.

First thing you need to learn, is that it is not about the number of jets, but rather how they feel (wet test). For example the Moto Massage in the HS is just one jet, but feels like many.

You are right they cost a fortune, but all tubs in that quality range cost pretty much similar and you do get what you pay for in most cases.

[In Canada eh]

I don't know if you have a Bullfrog dealer nearby, if so check them out we are very happy with ours.  A step or so below Hot Springs(but less $$$) and a step or so above Cal and Great Lakes in my opinion, I am not familar with the other 2 brands, so I won't comment.

Good luck shopping and remember to choose a dealer you are comfortable with and wet test, wet test, wet test

[Bama]

My wife and I just started looking at Hot Tubs this past weekend in Columbia, SC.  We have read this forum and searched the web.  Our local dealers carry Cal Spas which don't fair well in the forum, Great Lake Spas which we haven't been able to find much information on and Leisure Bay Spas which is also not really listed.  We have seen a few Hot Springs Spas but they don't seem to have many jets and cost a fortune.  We liked the way the Great Lakes Spas (Forte & Penta) looked and felt.  Rec Warehouse had the Leisure Bay Salida & the Chesapeake Spas that we also kind of liked.  We are hoping for any help you guys can give us.  We want a hot tub that doesn't feel like our jacuzzi bath tub.  We want it to have some umph and some foot jets.  Any help you guys can provide will be greatly appreciated.  We obviously need lots of help.  Thanks in advance for your hot tub spa wisdom.

Hubby and I are right there with ya! We feel your pain.  Actually, we're excited, but we're so clueless, we had to search a website where the top 25 brands are listed just to see WHO made spas!  Typed in: "compare hot tubs" in web search box.
Then we searched each website individually and requested dealers closest to us.  
We also searched: ripoffreport.com.
We did yet another search by typing in the spa's brand name along with the word, "complaints" in the search box.  That was informative.
We searched again the same way, changing the words to the spa's brand name and the word, "problems".
This resulted in a pattern...there was one spa that kept coming up when we searched for complaints.
Another search produced a pattern of several negative experiences with a national chain store.   Then we found whatsthebest-hottub and it has been great!   We are still researching, asking questions that I'm sure make us look crazy!  LOL  But, fortunately so far everyone on this website understands.
 We don't have a spa yet, don't even have our deck built yet.  But, we're working on it!  
Good luck to you!

[96SC]

Greetings, from another S. Carolinian (transplanted several years ago).  We are looking for a spa also and have found that you have to look around for better prices.  We had to go to Greenville to find a dealer that had excellent prices for Caldera spas(they also carried Hot Springs) compared to another Caldera dealer we spoke with.  There are several spa dealer in the area, be patient and don't get 'married' to a particular spa until you have wet tested a few.  

Welcome to the forum.

[drewstar]

Hi Bob,

Welcome to the forum.   In the words of Bill Clinton (and Bama) "I feel your pain"  

There are alot of tubs out there, at varying price points and it is overwhelming.  I think you'll find alot of folks here that really enjoy hot tubs and want to help you out.

Personaly, I haven't heard a lot of good things about the Rec warehouse.  I am left with the impression they sell lower end spas and are weak on customer service.  I haven't shopped them, and I am only summarizing what has been reported by others.

Perhaps if you tell us abit more about what you are looking for, what you like, how many people will be using the tub (size), folks can recomend some tubs that might fit the bill.   A very foundemental questions is, what's your budget?

You mentioned foot masage, There are several tubs that have great foot domes and jets,  (One of the reasons I bought my Tiger River Caspain is my wife fell in love with the foot dome).  The Sundance baha also has a foot dome. and I belive  there are some artesian spas that have this feature. (I'm sure I missed a few other brands....)

If you spend a few minutes looking through this forum, you'll find just about everyone has asked your question. I'd suggest reading through those post to give you a start.

[Bob_Rolin]

First I want to thank everyone that has taken the time to respond.  Drew, in reference to your comments.  We are a family of five.  Us plus an 18 YO daugher (at College this year), a 16 YO son, & a 12 YO son.  We have a door from our bedroom to a screened back porch.  This is were we want to put the spa.  We are trying to limit the size since it will really be for us and I cant think of our entire family ever being in it together, but I could be wrong on that note.  We are trying to keep it in the 84" X 84" size or less.  A theraputic massage where the jets really have some pressure is what I want, and my wife is interested in having the foot jets.  We would like to keep it in the 6 to 6,500 range but that is flexible.  The other problem we have found is not many of the dealers in our immedate area wet test.  I wouldn't buy a $6000 car without a test drive and I will not buy a tub on it looks cool.  In addition, the tubs we have seen are not really discussed in this site or others for that matter.  Very little seems to be available on Great Lakes Spas or Leisure Bay Spas.  We haven't found a place to look at the Caldera or Tiger River spas yet.  Anyway thanks and we will continue on our spa search.

[96SC]

 .......The other problem we have found is not many of the dealers in our immedate area wet test. . .

We ran across a similar problem with wet testing.  One dealer told us that we could sit in an empty spa since the feel is the same.  I learned very quickly from the folks in here that that isn't even close to true.

Don't give up the search.  

If you don't mind me asking, where is your immediate area?

[DoubleA]

There are plenty of great spas in the 84 by 84 inch range.  Good luck and hope you can find some wet test dealers to help you out.

[drewstar]

Bob,

Shop around and I think you'll find a few spas close to your price range .   Also include in your budget the elctrical and have you considered that you may have to upgrade your deck to support the added weight?

In your measurements, keep in mind you'll want some extra spave for the cover lifter and steps.

By all means, WET TEST. You're right when you said you wouldn't buy a car without test driving it, and I think the same is true with a spa.  You said you really wanted to have some "oomf" in the therapy, and the only way to tell is to get into the water and feel it on your backside. (sometimes, there can be too much ooomf.  Also, if the jets are hitting you in the wrong place, then forget it.

Try to find a tub that has a good variety of jets and seating.  I've found that my favorite seat in the tub changes quite a bit. (that's a good thing!)


I think the best thing you can do  right now is browse through the forum,  you'll start to see several names being mentioned over and over again and are consistently well received by shoppers.  Check them out for yourself.

You can go to many of the manufactuers web site and they will have "dealer locaters" that will find the closet dealer to you.  


Good luck.

[svspa]

Bob,

You might check out the Jacuzzi J-345. We have found it has plenty of power. Not a ton of jets but they are well placed for therapy. It should easily be within your price range. Waterfall and LED lights are standard along with a good 5/10 year warranty. You should be able to get a Jacuzzi serviced just about anywhere in the country if you ever needed to exercise the warranty.

Steve

[bosco0633]

I have been away from the forum for a little bit and thought that I would start back with this post.  First off, like every new person that comes to this forum, we all want the most for our buck.  Am I right??

For some reason, we as a society tend to always want the bells and whistles.  Not only do we want everything but we want it for nothing.  Lets face it we all work hard for our money and we want a great deal.

THERAPY DOES NOT = LOTS OF JETS

The tubs that you have mentioned in your original post are not the greatest tubs in my opinion that is.  I dont own a hotsprings however, you and all other new members need to know that when you are purchasing this type of a LUXURY we are going to spend some coin.

Hotsprings may be more expensive then a factory direct tub, but you are paying for quality and years of a quality reputation.  I am not saying buy something that you cant afford however, I am saying I challenge these 4 to 5 k tubs to any top of the line company, ie. hotsprings, sundance, arctic, Marquis etc etc (not trying to cut any other great brand out of mix here).  

You are not going to get the support of these companies, the warranty, the quality and comfort.  Thats a fact.  I have 33 jets in my tub and if I crank the pumps and mess with the diverters you will leave my tub feeling like goo.  Its not the quantity, its the quality here with these products.

I would rather spend 10k on a great quality product and rest easy knowing that it wont brake down and when and if it does my dealer will provide support for me.  

I have been a happy owner for over a year now on a tub that I too may have thought was to much, however, it was worth every cent.  

I researched, educated myself and wet tested everything that I could before I bought.



And another thing for new people to this forum, just remember your local dealer works hard for their money as well, so dont think that because you are buying a tub from them, then you deserve the world.  Dont beat them up over a couple of bucks, appreciate the fact that they need to live as well.

Hope this helped, sorry to rant I just get frustrated that this industry is all over the place which makes it difficult for consumers to trust.

later all

[Tman122]

My wife and I just started looking at Hot Tubs this past weekend in Columbia, SC.  We have read this forum and searched the web.  Our local dealers carry Cal Spas which don't fair well in the forum, Great Lake Spas which we haven't been able to find much information on and Leisure Bay Spas which is also not really listed.  We have seen a few Hot Springs Spas but they don't seem to have many jets and cost a fortune.  We liked the way the Great Lakes Spas (Forte & Penta) looked and felt.  Rec Warehouse had the Leisure Bay Salida & the Chesapeake Spas that we also kind of liked.  We are hoping for any help you guys can give us.  We want a hot tub that doesn't feel like our jacuzzi bath tub.  We want it to have some umph and some foot jets.  Any help you guys can provide will be greatly appreciated.  We obviously need lots of help.  Thanks in advance for your hot tub spa wisdom.

My Great Lakes is 5 years almost 6 years old and has had only 1 warranty issue. I payed 4 grand for it Another 5 years and if I have very little trouble it will have been a great value. And when I bought it that was my goal to see if I could find a good value tub. It has way more power than I need. A fiberglass backed acrylic shell and well known easy accessable components. Heck the cover supplied lasted 5 years also.  But a new one is needed now.

If you were looking in 5 more years I could tell you if GL is one of the best values out there, but for now all I can say is it is turning into a good value to this point.

But.........I have a 2001 GL, is it built the same as a 2006, who knows? In this ever changing world factors like this can change every brand from year to year.