SpaSearchin

Thanks for your input - I'll be wet testing them all soon. I am assuming you said you like Aurora II the best (and not Arena II).

Newbie4now, I'm also looking for my first buy; I've looked at Hot Springs and Dimension 1 Spas so far - here are some figures go you: HS, Prodigy 7,000 - HS, Tiger River, Sumatran 6,000 with delivery and Ozone system, HS Solana RX 4,300. I also looked at D1 Spas - they are more expensive but from what've read here and seen at the dealer they are well built (I don't listen to Jim and command you on not responding to him - I'm trying to follow your line). I like the Seville and the dealer price is 7,500. What do you think of these prices? HS and D1 are both on SpaSearch Recommended list - not that it means it's a great Spa but it means more than anything Jim says.

I'm looking further in D1 spas and have narrowed down my choices to Seville, Arena or Aurora II - and maybe the Cove from the @ Home series (with Ozone and shell up grades). Here are some of my questions: 1. Does the hight make that much difference? I like the short spas better (Seville), you'll be submerged in water in all spas - I am thinking it's mostly a how-bent-are-your-knees issue - like sitting in a sedan vs. a SUV. The taller ones are comfier but not as big of a deal when you have a lounge chair position for that. 2. It seems to me it might be a wise idea to NOT go with the high end of product line - all the major stuff (structural, heater) are the same anyways and you can get some other important stuff as add-ons and save some money. In this case, the D1 @ Home series The Cove rather than going with Seville which is very similar in size/design but it's from the top line Bay series. Any further input on D1 spas, the models I'm looking at and/or prices would be appriciated. Thanks!

What parts of the sales pitches got you to think these were good spas? Both are made pretty cheaply. Have you looked at other spas. Take a look at Arctic and you will see a night and day difference. Then keep on looking. Both use a cheap shell construction and stuff it with foam to hold it up. When they leadk they are a night mare to fix. Exclusive and expensive parts that cost up to 5 times what normal parts cost. D1 uses the cheapest brand of jets there is. Jim, aren't you Arctic spa seller?

So I visited my two local dealers - they exclusively carry D1 and HS spas. I appreciate any feed back/comments/opinions/etc on my thoughts and choices on these spas: D1 and HS - it seems to me they are some of the good brands in the market - and I like that D1 has life time warranty. NO? D1 - I really like the Seville - it has the comfy lay down type of position and it can be "social" as the rest of the seating is not so conformed. I also like that it is not super high profile. I was told that they have a 06 model in stock that they want to get rid off - and that the only difference between o6 and 07 is the control panel. True? The price on the tub was 7,500 and they said it's negotiable. What would be a good price to pay for this? D1- I also like the Cove which is from the At Home series. It's cheaper, but does not have the Ozone system or the nifty shell of the Bay series. I was told I can get the upgrade shell for $500 - and the price tag on it was 5,500. What do you think? HS - not as cool looking as D1 spas. But Sumatran from the Tiger River series and Sovereign from their top line would be my HS choices. I like the Sovereign because it has the lounge and the more social seating - it is also more rectangular which works good with my yard. I don't have the price on this one. HS - Sumatran. It is the more "economical" option at 5,300 (+600 for the "purifier"). It seems like a social spa - but without the lounge chair and less jets in it. What do you think of this one? The price? I will most likely wet test these spas. Should I try to check out other brands or go with any of these that make me happy? Thanks.

Just wondering how's your costco spa doing? I'm in the market for a new spa- there is a lot of costco spa bashing here..what do you think?

YES SIR! Thank you.

Newbie4Now, please do post the info that you've collected. What kind of spa are you looking for and where are you located? I'm in the same boat - newbie looking for my first. Thanks. -m

Thanks for all the posts. So are these two less efficient than some brand name spas out there - say hot springs? I don't live in a cold weather - NorCal. How much less efficient are we talking about? Also, the unit is far from my house, should I worry about how much noise it makes? I am assuming the jet noise over powers all other when I'm actually using it. No? What do you think of Tiger River series of HotSprings? The Sumatran, specifically. I like the seating arrangement - although it doesn't have a lay-down type of position.

How do you like your nordic's Crown XL? Why did you decide on a round - and so called less comfortable - tub? How much did it cost you?

Lots of people build a deck around their tub but a lot of planning should go into it. Make sure you leave access to the front/control panel side for sure and also make sure that in the event of a problem the spa can be removed and replaced without too much effort. We opted to set ours on a slab which prevents these issues. Good luck. P.S. We also went with a Hot Springs and love it. Thanks for writing; which HotSpring spa did you go with? I think we will most likely build a deck but make sure the spa is accessible incase it needs work/replacement. Also, I need to decide if we need to build a concrete base for it or put it on a concrete pad or "pre cast stepping stone.

I'm looking at these two spas, both from costco: http://tinyurl.com/2n4e5a AND http://tinyurl.com/3y6556 They are cheaper than brand names their size; they seem pretty reasonable to me. Any experinces on these? Opinions? Thanks! -m

Hey Hot-Water people, We are getting a house with perfect setting for hot water body - a hot tub or a spa. I've looked at http://www.rhtubs.com/ where they make great looking Western Red Cedar hot tubs; the peps there are nice and a wood tub matches the redwoods in the hill side back yard great. On the other hand, Spas are more comfy to sit in, more jets, placed at different hights, etc. etc. I am trying to narrow down my choice between the two. I have only looked at Hot Spring Spas thus far. Have any dirt on either choices? What are the pros and cons in your expert - more expert than mine anyway - opinion? I'd want to build a deck around the spa, so that spa would be at the same level as the deck and you can step down into it. Am I shooting myself in the foot by building something rather permenant around a "portable" spa? Thanks in advance! -m