We bought our 2005 Tiger River Caspian tub on 1/25/05 after wet testing and/or researching Sundance, Hot Springs, Sweetwater, Leisure Bay and Marquee spas over a period of about 90 days. We paid $6550 delivered before sales tax. Frankly, we were blown away by the high prices of all these tubs, as we initially expected (without any previous spa experience) that we would be paying around $3000 for a decent tub. Little did we realize that we would easily pay more than double for what we wanted in a spa, which was primarily a high performance, non-lounger spa (parts, construction, energy efficiency), above average warranty period, all at a final target base price of under $7000. We also discovered that it paid to compare dealerships in our area and surrounding states, as we ended up saving 10% by buying from a Hot Springs / Tiger River dealer two hours away from our home in the Atlanta, GA area.
We are extremely happy with the Caspian thus far. My self, wife and 4 year old son are the primary users of the spa, but we have already had several gatherings in the tub of up to 6 at a time. The tub makes for fun entertaining. The 2005 Caspian model comes with a water feature as well as a new polished color of Silver Pearl, which were both a bonus to us when comparing spas and finishes. The biggest sell points for the Caspian were the two pump jet system, a foot dome in the center of the tub, and that the tub footprint (84x84x36) was the perfect size for our lower deck, which also takes into account the spa cover when opened. The Sweetwater Bahia was a close contender for us as it is a very comparable spa to the Caspian in regards to size, foot dome, jets and price, but did not come in a polished color and came with only a 3 year warranty. The Tiger River warranty is 5 years, and may have been the deciding factor. The jets are great, powerful enough for my various back issues yet adjustable enough for those that don't like all the thrust. The Caspian runs virtually silent when circulating and churns quiet and efficiently when there are both jet pumps running. Maintenance so far has been pretty easy, as we utilize the Freshwater III ozonator system and the non-chlorine MPS crystals after each use. Although the documentation calls it a "chlorine-free" system, it still states that you should add chlorine once a week or more when you have high usage. I have been consistent with this approach (the only good spa bug is a dead spa bug!) and my water thus far has held up well from both a chemistry perspective as well as no chlorine odor, with above moderate usage. I have also cleaned the water filter twice, which is pretty easy using a high pressure hose.
Delivery and setup from my HS/TR dealer was excellent. Expect to pay a minimum of $500 (parts and labor) to wire a 60 AMP service to your sub panel (the sub panel is included with Spa). If you think you will ever want to run additional power (lights, fan, TV, etc) in the same area, have your electrician add a 20 AMP circuit to the sub panel for future expansion, as now is the best time to do it.
Overall, I have been thrilled with this spa thus far. I would have to come back and report things like monthly electric costs and extended longevity of the unit over time. But based on the Hot Springs / Tiger River reputation, the warranty, and the price for what we purchased, I would highly recommend this medium sized spa to anyone. Tiger River has incorporated the best features of their higher priced Hot Springs line into a moderately priced middle tier model.
Date Purchased: 01/2005
Price Paid: $6550
Recommend: Yes |
Pros:
Warranty,price,2 pumps,size,easy maint,features of higher priced spas.
Cons:
Could be too small of a tub for larger frames or more than 6. |
