Hot Tub Forum
Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: kelliat on October 08, 2007, 06:21:41 am
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I am a smidge over 5ft and no I haven't wet tested anything yet. I am really looking at the Bullfrogs so far. But a Tiger River has caught my eye too. So I guess, what is a good depth to look at? And are the neck cushions going to be over my head??
Thanks!
Kelli ::)
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Really, the only solution is for you to sit in some spas- wet test.
Also, if you find a spa you like, but it's a bit too deep, try other seats- they're not all the same height, and also there are "booster" cushions available that might also be of interest to you.
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Really, the only solution is for you to sit in some spas- wet test.
There is occasionlly some debate on the merit of wet testing, but I think in this case is should be mandatory. My tub is great for my 5'5 wife and I, we each love all the seats, but our 4'11 friend is only comfortable, barely, in one seat.
I think, someone correct me if I'm wrong, the depth rating is from the floor to the surface of the water. The depth at the seat level is what is important to you and they vary. From what I have seen, which is little, the Bullfrog may be a good place to start.
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Bill, you're right about the seat heights. My Artesian is 36" tall but it's seats are all different depths and quite frankly wouldn't be good for a short person. My youngest who was about about 5' or so when we got the tub had a hard time in almost all the seats. Since he wasn't in there for relaxation it wasn't a big deal to him but if I had to struggle staying above the water - it would have been horrible.
I have seen some shallower tubs and maybe with this the seat depths are also shallow.
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Wet Test for sure.
My wife is 5' tall, but this isn't even the entire answer as one person at 5' tall and another at 5' tall is still not the same as people come in different varieties as far as dimensions. I mean that some people have long torsos and short legs while others vice versa. We wet tested several tubs and settled on the Artesian Dove Canyon. There is one seat in the tube that my wife has selected as her favorite. I like the seat very well, however she has a different experience in this seat than I do as she sits lower in the water and therefore gets a really nice neck experience that I do not. I still love the seat, but not in the way that she does. Short answer again, wet test. Additionally, as stated above be sure to sit in every seat because many times the depths vary from position to position.
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Kelli,
We have a Bullfrog 451 and my 5'1" wife is comfortable in most of the seats except the lounger. The advise others have given about wet testing is dead right. Only "you" can find the tub that is comfortable for "you". Look around at a bunch of different tubs, find a few that you think you may like and wet test them. Then let the wet test help make up you mind
Good luck in your search
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Booster seats are great. They have pillows that you fill with water, which makes them adjustable. It's a great way to make use of all the seats in your spa.
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If you're looking for a 2 or 3 seater the Bullfrog 331 is a great choice. It is 31" tall
features 3 JetPaks and you get to choose from 16 different jet themes. I agree with other posters you should wet test and at least sit in the 451 as well.
One Mans Opinion. [smiley=thumbsup.gif] [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
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I am a smidge over 5ft and no I haven't wet tested anything yet. I am really looking at the Bullfrogs so far. But a Tiger River has caught my eye too. So I guess, what is a good depth to look at? And are the neck cushions going to be over my head??
Thanks!
Kelli ::)
Depth is obviuosly VERY important for you. Be extra careful with the Bullfrog because by design their seats are all the same height whereas some spas will have varying depth seats.
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Incorrect. Bullfrog spas have seats of varying heights. The seatbacks are dimensionally equal to accomodate the jetpacks.
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Depth is obviuosly VERY important for you. Be extra careful with the Bullfrog because by design their seats are all the same height whereas some spas will have varying depth seats.
Spatech
Only the seat back or "jetpack plate" is the same size, all of the seats are different heights and angles
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If you're looking for a 2 or 3 seater the Bullfrog 331 is a great choice. It is 31" tall
features 3 JetPaks and you get to choose from 16 different jet themes. I agree with other posters you should wet test and at least sit in the 451 as well.
One Mans Opinion. [smiley=thumbsup.gif] [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
bartyboy,
Welcome to the forum, always good to see another Bullfrog owner posting here. What model tub do you own?
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Wet Test for sure.
My wife is 5' tall, but this isn't even the entire answer as one person at 5' tall and another at 5' tall is still not the same as people come in different varieties as far as dimensions. I mean that some people have long torsos and short legs while others vice versa. on.
Great point, my 5'4 daughter has a very long torso, and seems to sit comfortably in most tub seats.
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I have to agree with the test soaking....I ended up with a Tiger River Sumatran. I'm 5'3'' (well barely the 3") Only one seat in the spa is a bit deep for me. I ended up sitting in that seat cross legged and actually found it enjoyable as the side jets hit my legs.
What ever you choose do wet test. You may also want to test out one of the smaller Colemans. A really nice fit for shorter folks. My taller friends liked it also. It's a nice spa that has seats that fit many heights, shapes and sizes.
Good luck with your search.
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No Coleman dealers for a couple of hundred miles. I looked.
I have looked online at the Tiger Rivers and I like those too. I would say I have narrowed it down to try the Bullfrogs and those.
Okay, this wet testing, Do I just call and say I want to wet test a few? Seems kinda funny showing up in a swim suit... But I am game if that is the normal thing. I am so glad I didn't want to do that last week at the fair. hahaha.
We live in Oklahoma and my husband is convinced the plumbing will freeze and we will have nothing but trouble... How do I answer this? HELP!!
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Tell him they work ok in Minnesota. ;D
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Okay, this wet testing, Do I just call and say I want to wet test a few?
Yep, call them up. Hopefully it is the dealer you have been visiting. Tell them which you want to test, they are not going to fill up every spa on the floor for you to test. Most places should have a dressing area (rest room etc). If you go to a Bullfrog try out all of the jet packs you are interested in. Sit back and relax.
THEN visit and wet test any other spas you are interested in. If it's love at first soak, seal the deal, but you should wet test all your favorites. Make the wet testing enjoyable not torture.
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No Coleman dealers for a couple of hundred miles. I looked.
I have looked online at the Tiger Rivers and I like those too. I would say I have narrowed it down to try the Bullfrogs and those.
Okay, this wet testing, Do I just call and say I want to wet test a few? Seems kinda funny showing up in a swim suit... But I am game if that is the normal thing. I am so glad I didn't want to do that last week at the fair. hahaha.
We live in Oklahoma and my husband is convinced the plumbing will freeze and we will have nothing but trouble... How do I answer this? HELP!!
Do you have an Arctic dealer near you? They have a similar approach to insulation. If your husband is truly concerned about freezing plumbing, you may want to look at Arctic.
Another thing to consider - how often do you lose power? ANY functioning spa that has electricity will not freeze. People in much colder parts of the country have tubs that don't freeze.
As for the wet test- as others have mentioned, you can call a dealer and ask. Any dealer worth his salt (or her salt) will be happy to schedule a wet test for you. Many have private testing areas, & will set the water at your preferred temperature for you so everything is ready when you get there.
Alternately, what I've done is to bring a swimsuit, towels, etc. in a duffel bag, & just leave them in the car. Then, I'll go visit a dealer - if I like the tubs and want to wet test, I'm ready. If I want to walk out the door, I haven't wasted any time.
You mentioned Coleman and Tiger River - are there any other dealers in your area? I would also include Sundance, Jacuzzi, Dimension One, Marquis, and Artesian if they're in your area.
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We always just showed up to wet test. Eventually, my hubby wore swim trunks and a t-shirt and I wore suit under my clothes. I got sooooo tired of the changing ritual. Every dealer would set up wet tests by appointment, after hours, if a customer didn't want anyone else in store. Don't forget a couple beach towels.
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Response to IN CANADA ... I am in the spa sales business for 6 years now. The
store I work for is Bullfrog exclusive. I have seen so many uninformed posts on hot
tub forums that I feel compeled to offer corrections or advice as it pertains to the Bullfrog spa line.
One thing a lot of people miss is the fact that the Bullfrog design has eleminated about 90% of the "under the tub" plumbing.
Moving JetPaks is not required at all, but you can and may if you wish.
One mans opinion. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
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If you are looking to buy, most dealers will be happy to let you test soak. Set up a time, as they may have to fill and get the spa up to the right temp. All the spa's I checked out had changing rooms and towels. Wet testing was the best advice I received. Each spa is different. Find the best fit for you.
As to the freezing. I lived in North East Ohio for many years...Major winter freezes, lake effect snow etc. My Hot Springs Classic NEVER froze. There are many people here on this forum that are from far north and do not have issues with freezing.
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In Canada is a proud bullfrog owner. What did they post that is incorrect? Or were you just giving them a shout out? Personally, I didn't miss out on the fact that they've eliminated under the tub plumbing. I was yawning when the salesman kept talking about this. As my eyes were rolling back in my head, I tried to figure out why I cared if a tub sitting in my backyard leaked. I felt they really missed the mark by consistently pushing this fact. I think that's why people tend to post negative comments about moving around the jetpacks. Many bullfrog salesman beat this topic into the ground.
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I was responding to ...IN CANADA EH
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Response to IN CANADA ... I am in the spa sales business for 6 years now. The
store I work for is Bullfrog exclusive. I have seen so many uninformed posts on hot
tub forums that I feel compeled to offer corrections or advice as it pertains to the Bullfrog spa line.
One thing a lot of people miss is the fact that the Bullfrog design has eleminated about 90% of the "under the tub" plumbing.
Moving JetPaks is not required at all, but you can and may if you wish.
One mans opinion. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
Hey Bartyboy
Great to have you here! Bullfrog could really use a insiders point of view. This site is pretty good about the misinformed type of Bullfrog posts as most folks here are quite well informed :)
Kelliat,
You can ease your husbands mind by telling him our Bullfrog works just fine in Ontario, as does Steves Sundance in Alberta, Boscoes Arctic in Ontario etc. etc. etc. I believe I remember seeing a post or two from a frozen soul in Alaska about a year ago. Now that's cold weather tubbing :o
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No Coleman dealers for a couple of hundred miles. I looked.
I have looked online at the Tiger Rivers and I like those too. I would say I have narrowed it down to try the Bullfrogs and those.
Okay, this wet testing, Do I just call and say I want to wet test a few? Seems kinda funny showing up in a swim suit... But I am game if that is the normal thing. I am so glad I didn't want to do that last week at the fair. hahaha.
We live in Oklahoma and my husband is convinced the plumbing will freeze and we will have nothing but trouble... How do I answer this? HELP!!
He's afraid of freezing in Oklahoma?!? I'm in Maine where is gets well below zero in Jan & Feb. No issues at all. Buy a name brand tub that is insulated and you'll have no worries in the freezing dept.
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As my eyes were rolling back in my head, I tried to figure out why I cared if a tub sitting in my backyard leaked. I felt they really missed the mark by consistently pushing this fact.
Seems to me most tub owners, regardless of tub brand would care very much if their tub was leaking. Including most if not all of the tub owners here. Paying to heat and treat water that you are constantly losing as well as losing insulating value from tub insulation getting wet because of a leak are two of the most obvious reasons for concern. Doesn't matter if the tub is in your backyard or not.
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Seems to me most tub owners, regardless of tub brand would care very much if their tub was leaking. Including most if not all of the tub owners here. Paying to heat and treat water that you are constantly losing as well as losing insulating value from tub insulation getting wet because of a leak are two of the most obvious reasons for concern. Doesn't matter if the tub is in your backyard or not.
[glow]"Seems to me most tub owners, regardless of tub brand would care very much if their tub was leaking."[/glow]
Of course, no one likes leakers but I wasn't aware people who buy other brands are being saddled with this problem. Quality spa manufacturers build spas that aren't leakers. Bullfrog's main competition is probably brands like Jacuzzi, Hot Springs, Sundance, Marquis, Caldera, D1, etc. To sell Bullforg based on these other spas leaking is flawed IMO.
Anyway, the idea of the jetpacks is unique and in this industry it's nice to see someone trying something different. I'm sure sales people like selling them because they have a different story behind them but I just roll my eyes with your take being that you're somehow avoiding the supposed leak problems of their competition.
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To sell Bullforg based on these other spas leaking is flawed IMO.
Whats a Bullforg? ;) Spatech, I think what Repeat Offender is try to say is that, we have seen posts of other spas (no names used) leaking up inside the foamed areas of the tub. This is what I believe Bullfrog has tried to eliminate or lessen the chance of, by placing 90% of the plumbing in the jetpack. Others here have said that the jetpack idea is oversold by Bullfrog dealers and that's probably true but you have to admit it is unique. Personally we purchased our Bullfrog because we thought it was a well built tub that offered some unique features no one else did. The dealer we purchased from has also been in the pool and spa business for 25 years and I thought that meant a lot. Do we move our jetpacks around...no but we could if we wanted to. Do we buy other jetpacks........no but we could if we wanted to. Do we own a well built tub with a great warranty from a company that seems to really care about its customers........YES
If I owned a Bullfrog dealership I would spend as much time selling the quality of construction in a Bullfrog as I did the unique features of a Bullfrog
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Never even mentioned anything about "my take" or percentage of other manufacturers that develop leaks, or even Bullfrog for that matter. Just think it's disingenuous that a tub owner could act as if they didn't care if their tub leaked. As a matter of fact it borders on stupidity.
All sales people focus on the differences between their tubs and others. Kinda like that high tech "full filtration" drawing that "Termie" posts ad-nauseum. Wonder if you roll your eyes at that. Didn't think so.
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Just think it's disingenuous that a tub owner could act as if they didn't care if their tub leaked. As a matter of fact it borders on stupidity.
They certainly do which is why only a small % go the eBay/Big Box route of buying new spas while the majority purchase a quality spa.
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Others here have said that the jetpack idea is oversold by Bullfrog dealers and that's probably true but you have to admit it is unique. Personally we purchased our Bullfrog because we thought it was a well built tub that offered some unique features no one else did.
I think you're absolutely right about this. Almost every brand has done something to set themselves apart from the competition. For example, Hot Spring has no-bypass filtration. Artesian has its Direct Control pumps. Sundance has its Fluidix jets. Does everyone need these things? No, but different people may desire them, and salespeople are right to use them to differentiate themselves from the competition. It's when salespeople use these items to bash the competition - or competitors make false claims against them - that things get ugly.
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I don't think it's necessary to call someone ignorant. If you disregard any opinion that differs from your own, why take part in a forum like this one?
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If you're refering to me I never used the word ignorant. And feel free to purchase whichever leaky tub you'd like.
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Gosh folks,
Thanks for all the input. I can't wait to get a day off during my hubbys deer season and go shopping.
I am really leaning towards the bullfrogs. One of my big decisions is how big? I really don't care to have big hot tub parties. Just some nice relaxing after a long night shift. Do I go for one to seat 5 just in case or is it a waste of space?
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Kelli,
One thing you learn quickly about hot tubs is that there is no "too big". The ads are not reality. 3 person tubs seat 2 comfortably. 6 person tubs? 4 adults. There just isn't enough foot and leg space for everyone to have their own space to move around. That's been my experience anyway, your mileage may vary.
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I would have expected nothing less from you. Ignore the point of my statement and equivocate over the use of ignorant versus stupidity. Thank you so much for your permission to buy whatever tub I would like. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that I needed your permission, so I already own a tub. I notice you ignored my question about your disregard for anyone's opinion that differs from your own. Again, this doesn't suprise me. I'm sorry that you were threatened by contribution to this post.
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Your statement had no point other than to obfuscate your previous remark and subsequent eye rolling at anyone who would care if their tub leaked.
And I ignored your question as I failed to see any contribution.
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Gosh folks,
Thanks for all the input. I can't wait to get a day off during my hubbys deer season and go shopping.
I am really leaning towards the bullfrogs. One of my big decisions is how big? I really don't care to have big hot tub parties. Just some nice relaxing after a long night shift. Do I go for one to seat 5 just in case or is it a waste of space?
If I were you I'd go with your instinct, and get a smaller one.
1) Smaller tubs are cheaper.
2) By getting a smaller tub, you can put the $ you saved into getting a better tub (higher end, more jets, etc.)
3) A smaller tub will cost less to run - less electricity, fewer chemicals, etc.
We had a 6-person tub, but we rarely had more than 2 of us in it. We assumed, when we bought it, that we'd have hot tub parties and such. We discovered that although lots of people want to use a hot tub, most of them don't want to use one in groups at a friend's house. At best, they'll hang out in small groups, when a 2-3 person tub will be fine.
I know other people have had different experiences, & have large groups all the time. But if you're already thinking that you won't have large groups, you're probably right, so don't waste the money on a larger tub.
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If you're refering to me I never used the word ignorant. And feel free to purchase whichever leaky tub you'd like.
Which tubs exactly are the leaky ones you are referring to?
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Gosh folks,
Thanks for all the input. I can't wait to get a day off during my hubbys deer season and go shopping.
I am really leaning towards the bullfrogs. One of my big decisions is how big? I really don't care to have big hot tub parties. Just some nice relaxing after a long night shift. Do I go for one to seat 5 just in case or is it a waste of space?
Kelli,
We have a Bullfrog 451 and as much as we love it, we do wish we had of bought a slightly larger tub. The 552 is the tub we wish we had of purchased, two loungers, 5 jetpacks, 2 pumps. Our dealer had one on display and we loved it, however we opted for its little brother the 451. Repeat Offenders comments on size are right, tub manufacturers always estimate up when it comes to seating capacity. Our tub is called a 5 person but on the few times when we have had 4 adults in there it was crowded. So unless you and all of your friend are 5'2" and weigh 100lbs you should go one step larger then you think
Go buy that Bullfrog your going to love it!
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Ok, In response to your question about JetPaks....You definitely need to feel the jets even by hand you'll get an idea. A good selection would be Oscillator...NeckMasseuse and Clusterburst. Remember that this is a Bullfrog and you can always get another JetPak down the road. Hope this helps you. Add the Cascadia in the 451 model.
One mans opinion. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
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Oscillator is a great pak. Not always best in 451. I would recommend the Alee 'V' 8 or Gyro'ssage as an alternative.
Great point earlier aboult the different levels of seating in a Bullfrog. Especially important for short or tall individuals. Bullfrog is the only spa out there that can GUARANTEE you will be able to use every jet arrangement in your spa.
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i hear they quite inexpensive too.
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l217/nobodyssock/baby-1.jpg)