Hot tub for short chunky women??

[Lars]

Tell him they work ok in Minnesota.  

[96SC]

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.

[D.P. Roberts]

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.

[tinybubbles]

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.  

[bartyboy]

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]

[WannaSoakNow]

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.

[tinybubbles]

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.  

[bartyboy]

I was responding to ...IN CANADA EH

[In Canada eh]

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

[Webini]

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.

[Repeat_Offender]

  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.

[Spatech_tuo]

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.

[In Canada eh]

 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

[Repeat_Offender]

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.

[Spatech_tuo]

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.