quarry Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 hi everyone, (first post) just stumbled across this forum and really glad i did, learnt so much reading posts. anyway i am about to purchase a hot tub (not decided which one yet still wet testing and deciphering jargon etc) I am in england and i understand most of you guys are in U.S. or Canada but that shouldn't really matter, I have narrowed purchase down to Arctic Spa (wet test tomorrow, not sure which model to choose but a 7 footer) a hot springs aria (wet tested) and a spa form (wet test monday) not too keen on last one but will give it the benefit of a wet test and mark it on its merits, I would be glad of any problems you guys are aware of that i should be wary of with the ones i've narrowed it down to. we don't seem to have as much choice as you guys over there apart from alot of cheap chinese ones of ebay and internet firms. Also does anyone know the difference between theraputic jets and normal hot tub jets? Hot springs tell me that theirs are theraputic and artcic are not, but when i asked him what constitutes a theraputic jet as aposed to a water jet, air jet or water and air he didn't know so is it salesman bull or truth? Looking at the price you guys are paying over there I might re-locate, $16,000 U.S. for arctic cub over here, $19,000 for hot spring aria, so as you can see I would like to get this right first time....... thanx in advance for any help offered Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart A Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 Hi and welcome which part of England are you from, If you live in the South I can give you some addresses of dealers who sell dfferent makes of spas for you to try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spatech (the unreal one) Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 Also does anyone know the difference between theraputic jets and normal hot tub jets? Hot springs tell me that theirs are theraputic and artcic are not, but when i asked him what constitutes a theraputic jet as aposed to a water jet, air jet or water and air he didn't know so is it salesman bull or truth? Looking at the price you guys are paying over there I might re-locate, $16,000 U.S. for arctic cub over here, $19,000 for hot spring aria, so as you can see I would like to get this right first time....... thanx in advance for any help offered The Hot Spring salesperson obviously prefers his/her jets but in reality both would be theraputic jets. Those are two of the best brands out there. Wet test and see what you think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quarry Posted July 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 hi thanks for replies, stuart I'm in Norfolk, Nowich area, what are your recomendations for UK spas? spatech thanks for the info on jets, I couldn't see what the difference would be but it's new ground for me so had to ask, and pleasing to know I have narrowed choice to reputable brands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Water Boy Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 Hello and welcome to the forum. I sell Arctic Spas for a living, so if I can be of help in any way, feel free to ask me any questions. The Arctic Spa jets are as therapeutic as the HS, but you can be the judge of that when you wet test them both. We often get compliments from our customers that they like the feel of Arctic Spas jets as all of the jets they use are spinning therapeutic jets, where as lots of other spas use several directional jets, and less spinning or moving jets. For example, the Aria you are looking at has 35 jets, and 18 of those are directional jets. The Arctic Cub is a similar tub to the Aria, and its Signature Series has 28 jets, in which all 28 are spinning therapeutic jets. Anyways, I agree with Spatech that your salesmen was just feeding you a line, and that both brands of tubs are quality spas, and you cant really go wrong either way. Let us know how the wet tests go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 Also does anyone know the difference between theraputic jets and normal hot tub jets? Hot springs tell me that theirs are theraputic and artcic are not, but when i asked him what constitutes a theraputic jet as aposed to a water jet, air jet or water and air he didn't know so is it salesman bull or truth? Hello, Quarry. Welcome to the forum. I think that's funny, and I think it's bull. Hydrotherapy jets are water jets that provide a physical massage through water flow and pressure. They can range from the simple inexpensive "needle jet"--a small orifice that gives an intense pin-point massage--to a variety of swirling, rotating, vibrating, or fixed/adjustable large-orifice jets with higher flow and/or pressure to give a variety of massage effects from gentle to firm, with penetration from shallow to deep. Mixing air in with the water tends to moderate or soften the massage effect and also provides a different sensation on the skin. You can also change the massage effect by partially or totally closing individual water jets, by re-aiming directional jets to different body parts, or by altering water flow to entire jet systems with a diverter valve. Air jets or "bubblers" generally do not have the force required for massage therapy. They are intended to provide surface stimulation and to give a pleasant experience to the skin, as well as adding some visual "froth" to the water. Under some circumstances, they can also help cool down the water. As one of our customers in Cyprus wrote, after a day of 80F weather, "a dip in the bubbles is brilliant". Bubble jets are meant to look and feel good, so I suppose in that sense they are "therapeutic" in a way. It is because of this "feel good" boost that we call our air bubbler system "Therapy Air". Some spas with high jet counts will include air jets and a lot of needle jets in the count, so if you're comparing models or brands, don't just go by the number - look to see just what kinds of jets are there. In our catalog, we clearly distinguish between the number of water jets and the number of air jets. Whenever you possibly can, test out the massage effects with your own body - wet test. Hope that helps. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quarry Posted July 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 Thanx water boy, good to see that although you sell arctic spas you still remain neutral, especially to a newbie like me, i admire your honesty, the Hot spring guy told me a few other things to look out for on arctic spas but i disproved them straight away, even with the limited knowledge i have so far, so not too happy with his tactics at the moment, but i'll let the products do the talking during wet tests, and the fact my local arctic dealer and yourself are more than happy for that to happen speaks for itself, i'll be sure to let you know the outcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart A Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 hi thanks for replies, stuart I'm in Norfolk, Nowich area, what are your recomendations for UK spas? spatech thanks for the info on jets, I couldn't see what the difference would be but it's new ground for me so had to ask, and pleasing to know I have narrowed choice to reputable brands. I live near Reading so perhaps the dealers I went to are a bit far for you to travel, I was put off Hotsprings due to their sales tactics and cost, I visited two different dealers and experienced the same from both. I wet tested two of their models and they were not powerful enough for me. I narrowed my choice down to two in the end they were La Spa and Dimension One. I chose a La Spa Heet. However there are a lot of makes of spa, so if you can wet test as many as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quarry Posted July 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 Many thanx for the info Tom, I will bear it all in mind when finalizing my selection, I am wet testing an Arctic Spa Kodiak tonight. Does everyone think that it is crucial to wet test the exact model that you are considering or a model from the company and dry test the exact one? I guess in an ideal world the exact one would make sense but alot of showrooms here in the UK only have one for wet test which makes it abit difficult, is it worth insisting they change their whole showroom around for a wet test? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quarry Posted July 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 well I said I would report back after wet test of Arctic spa so here I am, tried the Kodiak, was abit more complicated to operate than the Hot Spring Envoy as there are several screens to contend with, but I guess that would become second nature after a while, the arctic was more comfortable & deeper & I liked the air option, although I found the Hot Spring had more powerful jets which was ok for a while but felt like I'd done 10 rounds with Tyson at the end,but was invigorating,I also like the moto massage. I like the insulation of the Arctic & the shell strength, so still undecided at the moment, both have good points and both are a quality product. Hard to say which way I'll go at the moment, still another to wet test then it's fors and against time and may the best tub get my money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart A Posted July 17, 2008 Report Share Posted July 17, 2008 Does everyone think that it is crucial to wet test the exact model that you are considering or a model from the company and dry test the exact one? I guess in an ideal world the exact one would make sense but alot of showrooms here in the UK only have one for wet test which makes it abit difficult, is it worth insisting they change their whole showroom around for a wet test? I was lucky when I was looking for a spa because most showrooms had a good selection ready for wet testing and others would fill their spas if it was pre booked. If you can get another model with the same configeration of jets in the same seats/lounger as the model you are interested in, that should give the same feel. I am sure a dealer would fill a spa on their showroom floor, if it meant they might get a sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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