Carli

Thanks, everyone, for the help. We found a great Jacuzzi dealer in our area (San Diego), called Aqua Paradise in Carlsbad. The owner, Jay, is extremely helpful, knowledgeable and professional and beat the Del Mar fair price on a Jacuzzi spa. We ended up getting the Jacuzzi LXL (mostly based on its modern look, but also because we wet-tested it and loved it even more). We've had it for several weeks and are in it every other day. Definitely a great decision. Jay and his Aqua Paradise staff were exceptional to work with - straight shooters with no BS, encouraged us to take a wet test and filled the LXL spa in his showroom for us, very open about pros/cons of various options, came out to the house before we bought it to make sure the area was right for it. We couldn't be happier with both the spa and our experience with Aqua Paradise. Highly recommend!

Hi DrewD619 - Sure thing! I hope this thread is useful to both of us, and others! I'm planning to visit the two Jacuzzi dealers in our area and see what they have to offer so I'll post back here when I have a chance. Also, I believe the Dimension One factory is in Vista so I might take a drive and check them out. At this point, I'm leaning towards the Jacuzzi J-355 if the UV system, called Clearray, works as claimed in keeping the water perfectly clean. It would be great to eliminate the chemicals. But, I'm skeptical and not sure how to verify the effectiveness the Clearray system. If it works as well as claimed, it would be the clincher for me and I'd go w/Jacuzzi. But, I've seen remarks on this board and others that using UV lights for sterilization is not EPA approved for jacuzzis and therefore, you should still use chemicals, so if that's the case then I'd just buy a hot tub that uses chemicals instead of paying for the Clearray system. Very frustrating since it seems impossible to get unbiased info on these things, and the cost is too high to screw up the decision! Once I decide on the brand/model, then I'll start working on comparing prices. I have no idea how much of a price differential there is, if any, between dealers. But I'm looking forward to comparing and will be happy to share any pricing I receive and would appreciate it if you'd do the same (as well as others on this board!) I'm trying to make a decision relatively quickly since the fair is over next week, and if that fair pricing is really a one-time deal, then I'd like to take advantage of it. Best of luck in your search. Let's keep each other updated! Carli

Hello, I've learned a lot by browsing this forum, thanks to all of you experts! Still have LOTS of questions as we try to decide what's the best spa for us. Here are details: 1) Looking for a spa for 4+ people, mainly for hydrotherapy of achey muscles after long distance running and other workouts. Also have 2 teenage kids who will use it a lot (although even if they want the music/lights, we won't pay extra for the glitz) 2) So far, we've checked out Jacuzzi, Sundance and the Costco spas available online (Evolution). 3) We like the concept of UV, such as in Jacuzzi spas, instead of chemicals, but does UV really kill all the bad stuff? Is a bromine system better? 4) We live in San Diego and for the next 10 days or so, the San Diego (Del Mar) fair is displaying lots of spas and we're wondering if the prices are really as "rock bottom" as the reps are claiming and if we'll be missing out on getting the lowest price if we don't buy during the fair. Is it really best to buy at the fair (I've seen a lot of negative posts about buying at an expo, and I assume a fair is similar)? I hate to be a sucker. 5) For example, the price being quoted on a Jacuzzi J-335 w/cover, steps, and delivery is $7995. Is that a good price? 6) Jacuzzi rep is claiming that they are the ONLY truly effective spa for hydrotherapy since they have a patented system that allows for an exact 50/50 mix of air and water, and that other spas don't have this ratio and therefore give you the itching sensation from the jets...even as I type this, I chuckle at myself for believing this...but is there even a grain of truth in this? Any reason Jacuzzi is a superior spa for hydrotherapy? They claim that they're the brand all the hospitals/rehab center use...? That's probably enough to throw at you all for now. Any/all advice and opinions are much appreciated! Any other brands we should be looking at? I'm reading lots of good things about Marquis on this forum, but haven't seen them yet. THANKS so much!