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Can't decide - Jacuzzi J-315 or Artesian Santa Cruz

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macabra11:
Hi, this is my first post and it's a big one. My wife and I are buying our very first spa for just the two of us. We have absolutely NO experience with hot tubs other than being in ones at hotels and friends houses a couple of times. I recently had back surgery (L4-L5) in November and am doing great, but my doctor suggested a hot tub with good hydrotherapy to help keep my muscles loose and allow me to relax so that I do not have to see him again. We've been trying to research a ton and finally wet tested three this past week – the Marquis Spirit, Jacuzzi J-315 and Artesian Santa Cruz. Aside from tiny triangle tubs, these are the only ones we can fit in the small space we have dedicated. We have a pergola that it will go under so the sizing is crucial. I've already got a lot of the electrical in place due to the previous owners having a tub a long time ago. The power would be 220v for whichever we choose.

We've narrowed it down to the Jacuzzi J-315 and Artesian Santa Cruz. The Marquis was ok (LOVED the whirlpool jets), but not as good power or comfortable as the other two. I'm 6'3 and my wife is 5'7.

The Jacuzzi we tested fit us both just fine with room to swap positions easy enough. The wet test model was only 110v but we were able to hop in a bigger tub that had 220v with a couple of the positions having the same jets the 315 has. The 220 version was MUCH better therapy. The 315 controls were easy to use, it looked great and we really liked the UV sanitation system it had–much easier to care for water supposedly. The dealer was fantastic and VERY accommodating. Our salesperson there is fantastic and she even had activities ready for our two young kids that had to come along. She was also giving us a great deal at $6,695+tax for the tub with upgraded Prolast Cover, FrogEase starter pack, steps, and delivery.

We weren't able to wet test the Artesian Santa Cruz directly, but I was able to get in the Antigua 33 which had a lot of the same jets and configuration on the lounge portion. It had strong jets as well, and I was able to actually feel the leg/hamstring jets on the Artesian. I really didn't notice the leg jets on the Jacuzzi. We like that it has 3 pumps (2 jet pumps and 1 circ). This dealer wasn't nearly as organized or knowledgeable about the available options. Nice enough guy, but he obviously did not know much about the options above and beyond the basic Artesian build quality and standard features. To be fair, all of Artesian's AOP systems are very confusing. The main feature we want on the Artesian is the MicroSilk. Having this feature adds another dimension to the spa and I feel would make it even more valuable to us. In Boise the climate is ALWAYS dry, so anything that can help our skin would be amazing. We would be able to get a great deal on this spa too. Same price of $6,695 including the Inline Frog System with Ozonator, vinyl cover, steps, delivery, extended 5 yr warranty on everything AND MicroSilk.

There are so many pros and cons about both, and we cannot make up our minds!

Hottubguy:

--- Quote from: macabra11 on April 02, 2018, 09:38:12 pm ---Hi, this is my first post and it's a big one. My wife and I are buying our very first spa for just the two of us. We have absolutely NO experience with hot tubs other than being in ones at hotels and friends houses a couple of times. I recently had back surgery (L4-L5) in November and am doing great, but my doctor suggested a hot tub with good hydrotherapy to help keep my muscles loose and allow me to relax so that I do not have to see him again. We've been trying to research a ton and finally wet tested three this past week – the Marquis Spirit, Jacuzzi J-315 and Artesian Santa Cruz. Aside from tiny triangle tubs, these are the only ones we can fit in the small space we have dedicated. We have a pergola that it will go under so the sizing is crucial. I've already got a lot of the electrical in place due to the previous owners having a tub a long time ago. The power would be 220v for whichever we choose.

We've narrowed it down to the Jacuzzi J-315 and Artesian Santa Cruz. The Marquis was ok (LOVED the whirlpool jets), but not as good power or comfortable as the other two. I'm 6'3 and my wife is 5'7.

The Jacuzzi we tested fit us both just fine with room to swap positions easy enough. The wet test model was only 110v but we were able to hop in a bigger tub that had 220v with a couple of the positions having the same jets the 315 has. The 220 version was MUCH better therapy. The 315 controls were easy to use, it looked great and we really liked the UV sanitation system it had–much easier to care for water supposedly. The dealer was fantastic and VERY accommodating. Our salesperson there is fantastic and she even had activities ready for our two young kids that had to come along. She was also giving us a great deal at $6,695+tax for the tub with upgraded Prolast Cover, FrogEase starter pack, steps, and delivery.

We weren't able to wet test the Artesian Santa Cruz directly, but I was able to get in the Antigua 33 which had a lot of the same jets and configuration on the lounge portion. It had strong jets as well, and I was able to actually feel the leg/hamstring jets on the Artesian. I really didn't notice the leg jets on the Jacuzzi. We like that it has 3 pumps (2 jet pumps and 1 circ). This dealer wasn't nearly as organized or knowledgeable about the available options. Nice enough guy, but he obviously did not know much about the options above and beyond the basic Artesian build quality and standard features. To be fair, all of Artesian's AOP systems are very confusing. The main feature we want on the Artesian is the MicroSilk. Having this feature adds another dimension to the spa and I feel would make it even more valuable to us. In Boise the climate is ALWAYS dry, so anything that can help our skin would be amazing. We would be able to get a great deal on this spa too. Same price of $6,695 including the Inline Frog System with Ozonator, vinyl cover, steps, delivery, extended 5 yr warranty on everything AND MicroSilk.

There are so many pros and cons about both, and we cannot make up our minds!

--- End quote ---

Sounds like the Artesian has everything you want in a spa. Be careful on warranty because the warranty on Microsilk through Marquis anyway is 3 years and that just changed within the year from a year.  No ozonator has a 5 year warranty either. Get there exact warranty in writing

macabra11:
I hadn't thought about a different warranty on the Microsilk, so I called Artesian directly. They said the standard warranty is 3 years, but if the dealer is including the upgraded 5 year warranty, the MicroSilk is included in that.

It is just so hard because we aren't able to wet test the Artesian Santa Cruz. I hate tough decisions!

Sam:
The Santa Cruz is my favorite 3 seat spa.  It's the only one that I know of with 3 pumps, and boy does it rock.  It will be more powerful than the one you wet tested most likely.  It's an awesome little hot tub.  As for their AOP systems, I've found the basic pro-pure system with inline @ease to be the way to go and it's less expensive than the AOP and it should last longer than the bulb. 

macabra11:

--- Quote from: Sam on April 04, 2018, 05:36:44 pm ---The Santa Cruz is my favorite 3 seat spa.  It's the only one that I know of with 3 pumps, and boy does it rock.  It will be more powerful than the one you wet tested most likely.  It's an awesome little hot tub.  As for their AOP systems, I've found the basic pro-pure system with inline @ease to be the way to go and it's less expensive than the AOP and it should last longer than the bulb.

--- End quote ---

Thanks Sam. Can you or anyone else offer any insight as to how much this tub would cost in electricity each month? My local Idaho rates are between 8.69-10.44c/kwh and we would most likely be using the tub 3-5 times per week year round. Would adding a floating blanket make much difference? I'm starting to get cold feet about the costs associated with having a tub.

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