catalina spas

[iggman]

Just another question----  We have a catalina dealer here, and my wife was very taken with the options on the spas such as the lights, stereo, and misters.  They do make a large spa, which we are in the market for. (CL600). However, when we read about them on the internet and forums, we are concerned with warranty and reliability.  At this point, our focus has turned to hotsprings, D1, and Sundance, do you think we should reconsider catalina?

[rocket]

No on Catalina for the reasons stated.  

You're considering 3 of the top 4 in the industry.  Marquis being in that group.  You may spend a little mor today bu will sae in the years to come.

[okspacpl]

We passed on Catalina for the same reasons you stated as well as the dealer not allowing a wettest after spending 45 minutes trying to get a saleman to wait on us.

In the end we chose L.A. Spas and are very happy with our decision thus far had the tub a little over a week and a half now no major problems noted and fingers are crossed.  

We opted for the LED light and the 4 speaker cd stereo ; not a muct have but as overpriced as it was we enjoy its benefits and are glad we splurged.  the LED light is a must have (and not necessarily needed to be purchased with the tub)  ours plugged into the regular light you get with the base model spa ; they cost about 89-150 depending on who sells it to you.

Good Luck , out of those mentioned we liked sundance the best but again the dealer ruined that for us as well.

Happy Tubbin'!!!

[Maverick]

Catalina is one of the larger spa manufacturers in the world selling spas in 32 countries (at last count). Where are the negative articles about their reliability published?

I have a Catalina and am very satisfied with their type of warranty. I did not have to pay $2000+ extra to get a non-prorated type warranty, and having owned the spa  for over 5 years with absolutely no problems, I think it's well made. I have owned several other more highly advertised "name" brand spas over the last 25 years with mixed results, including major problems with a Sundance and its dealer and his inferior factory support. Their warranty was not worth the paper on which it was printed.

Therapy-wise, I favor the Catalina over all other spas I've owned or wet tested. The only other spa that came close was a Saratoga, which had a non-prorated type warranty, but the spa was priced $2200 more than the larger Catalina I bought.

The spa I like the least is Marquis and its "zone" concept. I believe in good therapy in all spa seating simultaneously, and cannot fathom today's spas having high horsepower pumps and still needing diverter valves.

Sorry for rambling on so much.

[Mendocino101]

Mavrick you wrote..."When we wet tested the D1 Chairman II, for example, The salesman had to set the diverters to the mid position just for us to get nearly adequate pressure in every seat. In the Marquis wet tests, having to get up and adjust the diverters from zone to zone drove us out the door.
The Hot Spring testing was the worst of all for me, but my wife did like the moto massage seat. ......this is from the thread noisy diverter values....

I was wondering why do you feel the need to bash others spas just because you did not care for them.....the company's you mention all have great reputations for building a very good product and for taking care of their customers after the sale.....it is great that you like your Catalina as well as your Toyota.....but they are not for everybody....

[Maverick]

I may be wrong, but I perceive one of the purposes of this forum is for spa testers and owners to discuss their experiences, good and bad. If we left out brand names of what value would be the posts?  

Many of the other posters in here are dealers or tub repairers and show their biases in nearly all of their posts.

[Mendocino101]

That is a fair assement....and I guess you can use it to excuse lack tach or any common courtesy but I have a question....you mention that your spa that you are extremely pleased with is 5 years old....and that you feel it is the best for therapy.....which is all fine and wonderful.....but do you make it habit to go and wet test spas in your free time or were these the tests that you did 5 years ago when you bought your spa.....I did notice that you mention"spa testers"....is that what you are..or do....it is very intresting.....I have never heard of anyone who does this....if so, it must be fun....

[Maverick]

Actually, I am an English teacher. In my spare time, I do consumer product evaluations and write articles for various magazines and trade journals.

I do use tact when I'm not attacked, and all my Toyotas  had Tachs.

A year ago I bought my son and grandaughters a 92" X 92" Catalina El Cortez for $6300 including tax.

I might have bought an Emerald spa, but there is no dealership within 500 miles of us.

[stuart]

Actually, I am an English teacher. In my spare time, I write articles for various magazines and trade journals.

I do use tact when I'm not attacked, and my Toyotas all have Tachs.

Any of those trade magazines in the spa industry?

I'd like to throw my 2 cents into the mix here. Catalina has come a long way from where they where and you have to give Boyd (owner of the factory) kudos for his drive and ambition but they don't, in my opinion, qualify as one of the higher end quality brands. I worked with them clear back in the Curtis and Caribbean spas days. They where the spa on "The Price Is Right", they where unique and flashy but very cheaply made and inexpensive to buy. If you visited their factory you might have a different opinion of them, everything is fairly  old and dirty, you will see some old guy gluing plumbing fittings on the dirty floor and things are fairly strewn about. I think they have more Automobiles and junk in the factory than actual spas. Last time I visited no one seemed very happy to be there. It was a far cry from the sheer technological glow of the HotSpring and D1 factories or even many others for that matter; when I visited the Marquis factory they two where in an older facility and had kind of an archaic feel but in contrast you could eat off of the floor, everything was in perfect order and everyone seemed thrilled to be there. I was very surprised by the efficiency of the whole operation especially compared to Catalina.

As far as I know Catalina doesn't even have a research and development department. Boyd just decides what he wants to add or take away from the spas and they do it. I would say that HotSpring’s R & D department probably costs a lot more to operate than Catalina’s entire factory.

Now, having said all of that I do know several very happy Catalina owners (many whom I sold) to this day. My overall biggest concern with the product is I believe Boyd goes through an outside insurance company for his warranty and it is not handled by the factory.

[rocket]

Well said Stuart and absolutely right.  That said, the insight and experience of we sales people, dealers and service techs adds to the overall value of this forum in our efforts to help people.

[stuart]

Thanks,
I just recently started seeing your posts so incase it hasn't been said - welcome to the forum!

[Mendocino101]

Thank you for Maverick for answering that about wet testing, so it was a year ago that you tested....I hope your children are enjoying the spa....it is a wonderful gift......I am sure it will give them many years of enjoyment....

[Maverick]

Stuart:

1) I'm curious as to how recent are your latest Catalina on site observations;

2) Do you know a Catalina employee by the name of Oscar ?;

3) What other brands offer a spa with 40" or greater depth providing very comfortable seating for very tall people, and come with a beautiful mahogany skirt?

[Wisoki]

Stuart:

1) I'm curious as to how recent are your latest Catalina on site observations;

2) Do you know a Catalina employee by the name of Oscar ?;

I do I do! He works in the technical support department at the Catalina factory. A good and knowledgable guy.

3) What other brands offer a spa with 40" or greater depth providing very comfortable seating for very tall people, and come with a beautiful mahogany skirt?

[shoemaker]

You know what really bugs me about this forum? (I know most of you are saying "No, and we don't care either!" ) Whenever a newbie like me asks " So what do you think about "Brand X" Spa's - everyone that has had a problem comes out of the woodwork and says that brand sucks !

Isn't it true that just like cars, you can get a "lemon" every once in a while? I mean I have been reading this forum for almost 2 months now because I figured that I would get some useful information about different manufacturers and models, but based on what I have read, I shouldn't buy ANY brand because someone has something negative to say about all of them !

Ok................enough of my yap............I'll just buy the one I like the best, with the best warranty, sales rep, and fits in my budget !

Thanks.........................................I think !