Hot Tub Forum

Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: clevelandguy on September 14, 2004, 06:42:40 pm

Title: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: clevelandguy on September 14, 2004, 06:42:40 pm
WE have wet tested the Optima and SA Euphoria and aren't sure which direction to go.  

I felt like I had more room in the Euphoria and it seemed deeper ( I am 6'4 and wife is 5'8) than the Sundance but the jets seemed so much better on the Optima.  I was suprised that my shoulders were only submerged in one seat in the Optima vs 2 or 3 in the Euphoria.  

Euphoria (we tested the SA but want the regular one w/whirlpool) is a little cheaper but the dealer is a little over an hour away while the Sundance dealer is 15-20 mins.  It is a small shop with one tech so I probably wouldn't be first on their list to service.  

Help!  Advice!  Alternatives!  I want to be done with the selection process!!!
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: bethshar on September 14, 2004, 06:56:40 pm
I heard the Cameo feels deeper than the Optima, so it may be worth checking out given your height.
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: stuart on September 14, 2004, 07:11:58 pm
I can agree with you on all points! The Sundance jets are great and the SA Euphoria has a bit more versatility in the seating for varied height people.

I Think you will find the jets in the standard Euphoria a bit more powerful. In reality you have bigger pumps in the SA but you also have more high flow jets, the power difference is a bit of an illusion only because you have the HK40 whirlpool jets up higher in the non SA  and get a good “dig in” massage on your shoulders and neck. When people compare to the Optima I wet test them in a standard Euphoria because of this however, the whirlpools are a bit overwhelming for some. It just a matter of personal preference.

I think the Standard Euphoria would be a great compromise between the two models you’ve tested. Besides the Euphoria has slice valves (sorry Chris, I couldn’t resist)!
;) ;D
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: ttodd1 on September 14, 2004, 07:12:23 pm
My husband is 6' and I'm 5'10"  and we did seem to think that the Optima was not as deep as the Cameo.  But of course it has the lounger and if you don't want one of those there is really no reason to wet test it....  ;)
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: empolgation on September 14, 2004, 08:43:03 pm
I am in agreement here as well.  The Optima was a great tub with good jetting.

I found the "standard" Euphoria a different ride than the SA and preferred it greatly. The variety of seat depth is great and the versatility of the HK40 whirlpool and post seat jets is endless. I was at first concerned about not having enough shoulder, leg and feet therapy - but there is no problem there.

Love those slice valves.
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: stuart on September 14, 2004, 08:54:48 pm
That post of HK40's is pretty cool isn't it?!
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: empolgation on September 14, 2004, 09:08:04 pm
Quote
That post of HK40's is pretty cool isn't it?!
Oh yes indeed! That set up alone is enough reason to be sad about the fate of the standard Euphoria.
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: clevelandguy on September 14, 2004, 09:37:39 pm
Sorrry, should have worded my post more clearly.  Wife is 5'8.  

The Marquis dealer only has one tech and is an hour plus away.  That worries me, of course they say they are rarley out on calls and that it would be no problem.

We kicked around the trying the Cameo but he didn't have one wet in the store and we just werent sure  we wantd the lounger
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: Mendocino101 on September 14, 2004, 09:56:48 pm
Both are very good spas...both well supported by the manufacture...I think one thing that is nice about the Marquis is that its warranty is transferable....some have said this is a marketing gimmick...but I think it really speaks to Marquis commitment to honor their warranty to its full term without regard to spa ownership...
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: empolgation on September 14, 2004, 10:07:35 pm
Quote
[Marquis] warranty is transferable....some have said this is a marketing gimmick...but I think it really speaks to Marquis commitment to honor their warranty to its full term without regard to spa ownership...
To me, a non-transferable warranty is the gimmick or as I say hedging the bet. A product warranted, gauranteed if you will, for a specific amount of time should be just that - no matter the "owner".
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: Pooldevil on September 15, 2004, 06:50:21 am
Hi
I don't think you should worry about your local Marquis dealer only having one tec man as in 18 months as a dealer in the UK we have
only had one call back and that was through a cracked pipe connection to the pump caused during transit.... ;)
Hope you enjoy your new tub  :)
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: clevelandguy on September 15, 2004, 09:00:15 pm
MAybe my "depth expectations" are off.  Do you normally sit with your shoulders above or below the water?  My thought (not owning a tub) would be that you would want them under, especially in the cold months, that is why the Optima concerned me as my shoulders were only submerged in one seat.  By slouching I could get them sumberged in a couple other seats but not sure that is good either as the jet and head ret placement would be messed up
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: rocket on September 15, 2004, 10:39:14 pm
Cleve,
You're exactly right, you do want your shoulders below the water.  While either spa would be a good choice, I lean towards the Marquis.  I enjoy the post of jets-HK40's.  It is true that there are very few service calls on the Marquis.  An hour away isn't impossible to care for you but I do think that you're right, it would be unusual to get to your service needs the same day but I would think that the next day would be reasonble.  Get the dealer to be a little more specific here.  Also, see if he can produce any customers in your area that you might be able to speak with.
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: clevelandguy on September 16, 2004, 06:59:17 am
That is what I figured.  I was really hoping the Optima would work for us as I reallly liked the jets better than the Euphoria SA.  Oh well, back to the drawing board, the search process is really starting to not be fun! >:( >:(
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: rocket on September 16, 2004, 03:04:24 pm
Cleve,
Stuart mentioned that the standrad Euphoria had better jet action that the Sa. and less costly.  He's right.  Don't get discouraged, hang in there.  Just ask the Marquis dealer service related questions to reassure you that he can care for your needs timely. ;D
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: bulmer4nc on September 16, 2004, 03:41:20 pm
I just wanted to comment on the shoulders being above or below water.  It is true that I enjoy the seat that allows me to be submersed right up to my neck - but not all the time I am in the tub.  I personally find that sitting with almost all of me under water ends up with me feeling too hot, too quickly... I need to move around a bit in the seats so that I am always comfortable.  We don't run over 100 degree.  

Both tub brands you are looking at are great - we wet tested the ones that you have too - they were all awesome.  Good Luck!

Jodi
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: clevelandguy on September 16, 2004, 09:34:58 pm
What are you referring to when you say the "post HK40 seat".  Not sure I understand what that means.  

I am leaning heavily toward the Euphoria but now the wife tells me she felt like she didnt have elbow room with the contoured shape of the seats.  Jeez!!  


My next wet test may just be a blow up pool and a big can of baked beans  ;) ;)
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: rocket on September 16, 2004, 10:08:44 pm
These jets are in the standard Euph. just below the
filters.  Your wife should sit in one of the two deeper seats.  I think that she will find it very roomy.
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: Mendocino101 on September 16, 2004, 10:13:27 pm
Quote

I am leaning heavily toward the Euphoria but now the wife tells me she felt like she didnt have elbow room with the contoured shape of the seats.  Jeez!!  
;) ;)


I not mean this in any way to be disrepectful.....but how big is your wife....I own the Euphoria...and I am 6/2 270....and find each seat to be roomy though I do not spend much time in the cool down seats.....
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: empolgation on September 16, 2004, 10:39:02 pm
Quote
What are you referring to when you say the "post HK40 seat".  Not sure I understand what that means.  
The "post seat" is the seat below the filters. It consists of 8 HK40 jets 4 near the bottom and 4 in a line like a post:

      O
      O
      O
      O
O  O
O  O

What's so special about this seat?
- you can divert 100% of both pumps to the seat, thats 290 gpm.
- sitting with you back to the seat and resting your head between the filters you get amazing therapy from your sacrum to the middle of your neck
- turn around and you get amazing chest and abdomen therapy
- turn to either side and you get therapy from your hip to your shoulder
- sit in the seat opposting facing the post seat and get a wonderful full frontal wall of water or a great foot and leg massage.

This along with the placement of the whirlpool jets, in all my hot tubbing and wet-testing, made the Euphoria the most versital tub for therapy that I have experienced. With a little thinking therapy is complete for the entire body.

You gotta try it to see if it's for you.
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: bulmer4nc on September 17, 2004, 08:55:39 am
Quote
- you can divert 100% of both pumps to the seat, thats 290 gpm.

You can do this?  Both pumps to 1 seat?  Cool!

All I know is that if I put the one similar seat in our Optima on full blast with 1 pump you can barely sit in it.  You have to brace yourself.  Most people get pushed out of the seat it's so strong.  I can't imagine 2 pumps.
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: cparlf on September 17, 2004, 10:35:16 am
We did not look at or test the Euphoria, as we wanted a foot dome.  I am a Hodgkin's Disease survivor, at least so far, 6 years out, and suffer what I am coming to believe is permanent neuropathy (i.e. nerve damage) in my hands and feet from five months of chemo I-V cocktails.  The Euphoria sounds like a nice piece of equipment from what I read on the board.  Regards the height, I agree about the shoulder issue.  But...I am 6'4" and my wife is 5'4", so a tub for my shoulders to be always under water in more than one seat would have required scuba gear for her.  The Optima is a nice blend for us, it has the leg room, the whirlpool that we are crazy about, and the foot dome is in our joint opinion, amazing.  Plus, there are two seats that I am comfy underwater, and two for the spousal unit as well.  The other two seats are admittedly most likely fair weather seats, in other words only good for 9 out of 12 months at the Jersey shore.
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: bulmer4nc on September 17, 2004, 10:42:51 am
Quote
The Optima is a nice blend for us, it has the leg room, the whirlpool that we are crazy about
I was personally a bit disappointed with the whirlpool jets on the optima.  It's like they are not quite positioned right as you don't seem to get the same whirlpool action as we saw when testing the Euphoria.  The one jet under the filters needs to be pointed at more of an angle I think in order to create that circular flow in the tub.  I still love our Optima but was expecting a little more circular movement with the whirlpool jets on.  Any other Optima owners out there feel the same way?
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: stuart on September 17, 2004, 10:58:08 am
Quote
We did not look at or test the Euphoria, as we wanted a foot dome.  I am a Hodgkin's Disease survivor, at least so far, 6 years out, and suffer what I am coming to believe is permanent neuropathy (i.e. nerve damage) in my hands and feet from five months of chemo I-V cocktails.  The Euphoria sounds like a nice piece of equipment from what I read on the board.  Regards the height, I agree about the shoulder issue.  But...I am 6'4" and my wife is 5'4", so a tub for my shoulders to be always under water in more than one seat would have required scuba gear for her.  The Optima is a nice blend for us, it has the leg room, the whirlpool that we are crazy about, and the foot dome is in our joint opinion, amazing.  Plus, there are two seats that I am comfy underwater, and two for the spousal unit as well.  The other two seats are admittedly most likely fair weather seats, in other words only good for 9 out of 12 months at the Jersey shore.


I don't think you can find a better foot massage than the HK40's in the Euphoria.
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: tazman on September 17, 2004, 11:00:03 am
Quote

I don't think you can find a better foot massage than the HK40's in the Euphoria.


I agree! I like the whirlpool on my hands and arms also!
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: empolgation on September 17, 2004, 11:41:57 am
Quote
You can do this?  Both pumps to 1 seat?  Cool!

All I know is that if I put the one similar seat in our Optima on full blast with 1 pump you can barely sit in it.  You have to brace yourself.  Most people get pushed out of the seat it's so strong.  I can't imagine 2 pumps.
Yep - very cool.
You're not really sitting in a seat to get pushed out of, the water "becomes your seat". It is hard to imagine (or explain) you have to experience it to understand.
Title: Re: Marquis vs. Sundance Help!
Post by: Sol_Dahbrishinsky on September 17, 2004, 06:09:27 pm
I am looking at both of these manufacturers.  As in my previous posts, I felt more comfortable in the Cameo seats and jets in the Cameo.  What I REALLY liked about the standard Euphoria were the staggered seat heights.  

Also the neck rests on the Cameo were more comfortable for me.

NOW I must wettest the Optima to compare.  It seems that the Cameo and the Optima give a different "feel" according to the posts here!