jd-santaclarita Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 We just got the tiger river caspian (pre-owned) and will hopefully have it wired up by the weekend. Just curious to know what accessories that people have that are worth the money. All i have is a step and spa cover at this point. No music, no tv, no remotes, no fancy anything. The spa is on the back patio about 15' concrete patio walk from the back door. I can already see slippery concrete and wet/dirty feet going into the house being an issue. (we have a 7 yr old and 2 yr old, so when they use it (with us) i can see them slipping and making a mess. Also thinking about a place to put towels, etc. I just dont want to jump the gun and buy a bunch of useless stuff that "seems" useful at first. I would love to hear what you all have and consider to be very useful and practical. Thanks all, JD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spatech (the unreal one) Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 We just got the tiger river caspian (pre-owned) and will hopefully have it wired up by the weekend. Just curious to know what accessories that people have that are worth the money. All i have is a step and spa cover at this point. No music, no tv, no remotes, no fancy anything. The spa is on the back patio about 15' concrete patio walk from the back door. I can already see slippery concrete and wet/dirty feet going into the house being an issue. (we have a 7 yr old and 2 yr old, so when they use it (with us) i can see them slipping and making a mess. Also thinking about a place to put towels, etc. I just dont want to jump the gun and buy a bunch of useless stuff that "seems" useful at first. I would love to hear what you all have and consider to be very useful and practical. Thanks all, JD There are two "must haves" IMO, steps and a cover lifter. Everything else is a "want to have". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deus66 Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 Cover lift is a must, although some really fancy ones cost $$$$ when a "cover butler" is just fine for most people. I have a stereo installed, but don't use it as often as I'd like. I don't want to disturb my neighbors after bed time ( My wife and I usually don't soak until after 10pm ). However, I am a music lover so the stereo is a great feature, even when just doing work in the yard, makes a really nice add-on. I have my spa covered by an open side gazebo with bamboo curtains I can raise or lower for privacy ( privacy is a big concern for a lot of people, myself included ). Consider place to put your towles to keep them dry ( something I didn't think of until my first soak ) but close enough in the colder temps to reach from the tub. Last but most important, a bath mat or similar mat to wipe your feet on before you enter the spa! Congrats and soak well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandi Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 There are two "must haves" IMO, steps and a cover lifter. Everything else is a "want to have". Can you explain why a cover lifter is a "must have" in your opinion? We've only had our spa for a year, but I can honestly say that there has not been one time when I have thought, "Gee, I wish we had a cover lifter!" Now it's true that, since we've never had one, I don't have anything to compare to but it just isn't that hard to remove the cover manually. Am I missing something? Sandi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spatech (the unreal one) Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 Can you explain why a cover lifter is a "must have" in your opinion? We've only had our spa for a year, but I can honestly say that there has not been one time when I have thought, "Gee, I wish we had a cover lifter!" Now it's true that, since we've never had one, I don't have anything to compare to but it just isn't that hard to remove the cover manually. Am I missing something? Sandi You're neither right in your opinion nor are you wrong, its just what suits you but you're clearly in the minority. I've been in the business 9 years and have talked to countless people who have owned a spa both with and without a cover lifter and those people who've done it both ways almost always swear by them. A good cover lifter will last a long time and while it may not be a major chore to remove it by hand (unless it is a large spa or the cover is waterlogged and then it can be) I would never skimp on buying one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hot_water Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 It's a subjective question, of course.... I wouldn't want to go without a cover lift, but again this is all a matter of opinion and your specific installation details. Safe to say, though, that cover lifts make it pretty quick and easy to pop the cover off & on. That aside, my favorite spa add-on is an outdoor shower. Not all that uncommon, but I rigged mine up with a tankless water heater. A cold shower on a cold night after a hot soak wasn't much fun.... but with almost-instant the hot water, it really is now. Plus, you can rinse stuff off your feet before getting in, it helps keep the spa cleaner. I don't recommend this as a DIY project unless you're dead sure you know what you're doing..... 220VAC around water, could put a damper on the fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandi Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 It's a subjective question, of course.... I wouldn't want to go without a cover lift, but again this is all a matter of opinion and your specific installation details. Safe to say, though, that cover lifts make it pretty quick and easy to pop the cover off & on. That aside, my favorite spa add-on is an outdoor shower. Not all that uncommon, but I rigged mine up with a tankless water heater. A cold shower on a cold night after a hot soak wasn't much fun.... but with almost-instant the hot water, it really is now. Plus, you can rinse stuff off your feet before getting in, it helps keep the spa cleaner. I don't recommend this as a DIY project unless you're dead sure you know what you're doing..... 220VAC around water, could put a damper on the fun. I wish I knew someone who has a cover lifter so I could try it to see how much easier it would be to get the cover off and on with one. I don't feel comfortable going to the local spa store (where I chose not to buy my spa) to ask if the guy would let me try one on the showroom floor, though he seems very nice about checking my water and doesn't mind me buying chemicals from him (maybe he figures that, if he charms me enough with his customer service, then I'll buy from him the next time around, and that very well may be the case). I'm definitely going to explore this option more. As for the outside shower, I absolutely agree with that! We live at the beach, so our outdoor shower is the most used "room" in the house from June thru September. Now that we have the spa, we use it even more and encourage any guests to use it to get extra soap out of their suits before getting in the spa. We even installed composite decking from the area around the spa over to the outside shower. Sandi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dnepr Dave Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 I can't imagine needing a cover lifter, my cover, on my Caldera Kauai can't weigh more than thirty pounds, it folds in half and slides right off the spa without lifting it. Not having had a Spa before, are most covers heavy and non-foldable? Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spatech (the unreal one) Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 I can't imagine needing a cover lifter, my cover, on my Caldera Kauai can't weigh more than thirty pounds, it folds in half and slides right off the spa without lifting it. Not having had a Spa before, are most covers heavy and non-foldable? Dave Keep in mind you've got a pretty small 2-3 person spa. I'd still get one with that size spa but I can certainly see skipping it if your spa is that small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jd-santaclarita Posted July 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 Hi All, I like the hot shower idea. I am getting a 100 sub panel in the spa area since the price of running the line was soo much..i decided to do 1 main run and have it for good. This opens up the doors for stuff down the road. Hmmm...hot shower I already have the cover lifter, so no big there. I am just thinking about the mats and towel holder stuff for practicality at this point.. Thanks all, JD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hot_water Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 Hi All, I like the hot shower idea. I am getting a 100 sub panel in the spa area since the price of running the line was soo much..i decided to do 1 main run and have it for good. This opens up the doors for stuff down the road. Hmmm...hot shower I already have the cover lifter, so no big there. I am just thinking about the mats and towel holder stuff for practicality at this point.. Thanks all, JD Good luck, it's a really cool accessory. But please engineer it very carefully, you or your loved ones could get fried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly Hot Tub Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 Cover lifters help to save damage to the cover from setting it on the deck, plus if it is just 1 person, makes it much easier. Covers also vary in weight due to quality. An inexspensive 3-2 taper cover with 1 pound foam is very light. I see these a lot on lower end tubs. A 5-4 cover with 2 pound foam is pretty bulky. And as said size of the tub plays a big role. I have a 8 foot tub with a 5-4 steel reinforced cover, I would not go without my coverlifter. Outside shower is great idea, but how do you keep it from freezing in the winter....I also like my chemical table. Sits next to the tub so everything is in easy reach. I do have to bring liquid products in for winter so they do not freeze though. In the summer I also have big tropical plants set next to the tub. I love having the Hibiscus flowers next to me while in the tub(close as I can get to Hawaii right now) and they love the steam that comes off the water while using the tub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trigger Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 I owned a Caspain and for the money found it to be an excellent tub. I think you will really enjoy it. I would recomend an extra filter. This allows you to swap a clean filter into the spa during water change outs while the dirty filter soaks for 24 hours in a bucket of cleaner. I thne put the new filter in the closet ready to go when needed. Good stable steps can be a nice investment. I belive a cover lifter is a must as well. It's a HUGE convience, and keeps the cover from gettting dirty, and torn up from being on the ground. in my book a quality lifter is a "must have". Other than that, all the other doo dads and accesories are purely a personal choice. I would wait and enjoy your spa, and buy the accesories once you decide you really want them. Don't go out and blow your good cash on a lot of foolish things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DjPiLL Posted July 27, 2008 Report Share Posted July 27, 2008 I am really glad I paid the extra $600 for the constellation LED lights on my Marquis. The wife loves her lights, and you all know how important it is to keep the wives happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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