We have been considering a spa for a number of years but never really acted on it. We both work alot and always thought that it would be nice to relax in a spa once in a while and it would also be good to soothe a bad back or knee after working on the house. When we did go ahead and get the spa, we were sorry we didnt do it alot sooner.
We have owned the spa for about three months and it does meet all of our expectations. The spa is reasonably easy to take care of, and easy to use with the cover lifter. (Do not get a spa without a cover lifter!) It dosent seem to use alot of electricity, there was roughly a $20.00 increase in our electric bill.
we considered other brands for a little while, but after wet testing, we decided on the Hot Springs. We wanted a lounger so we decided on the Vista.
Also we are happy that we got the larger spa. We did have some second thoughts about getting the larger size, but you get used to it quick even with just two people in the spa. The Vista has a listed seating capacity of 6 adults, there ARE 6 places to sit including the lounger, but I think that would be extremely crowded. I would say four adults is more realistic. I do like the fact that the different seats offer different heights in the water. My wife is not a tall person,and there are a few seats in the spa that are the right height for her.
We purchased the spa WITHOUT the stereo option. I really didnt think that a stereo like that would be durable enough stand up to the spa / outdoor environment.
I thought that if I wanted music I could buy one of those jobsite radios the power tool companies sell at a fraction of the price. I did purchase one and it (the radio) works well but as it turns out, we really dont need it. We found that when we used the spa we were only in it for about 20 minutes, 40 minutes TOPS. Much longer than that and you are over-relaxed.
The spa has a 'Summer Mode' to keep the spa cooler in the Summer months. I think this means you are running the filtration WITHOUT running the heater, using the spa more like a pool to cool off in. Maybe we will use the spa for longer periods of time in the Summer and the radio will come in handy then.
The spa came with 5 Tri-X filters. These filters can be washed in the dishwasher each month as recomended in the manual. They seem to work well but one interesting thing did happen. I had to go out of town unexpectedly and when I returned the water was a little cloudy. I cleaned the filters and used clarifier but the water remained cloudy. The dealer suggested that I buy one old style paper type filter and use it as the primary filter, the one that is having water pumped through it at all times. The dealer said that the old style filter could filter out smaller particles. I tried it and it cleared up the water in less than 48 hours.
All in all we are very happy with the spa and also we are VERY happy with the dealer. The dealer is well established, has been around for a long time and has his own service people and parts inventory. When there is a problem I have someone to call.
One more quick note. We selected the spa with the Expresso (dark brown)
outside cabinet. This color seemed to go best in our yard and we are happy with it. But if you think that you are going to be buying add ons like a bar or
outside surrounds or stuff like that, you may find your selection limited
in the Expresso color. There seems to be a much better selection of products and accessories offered in the Redwood or Coastal Gray colors.
I like the Spa, I dont think you can go wrong with this unit.