Jim,

My current spa (Seven Seas-Agean, ~350 gallons) has a lounger, two "deep" bucket seats in the corners, and three shallower seats one.  Each of the seats has either one or two jets aligned down the middle of the seat.  One of  the side seats has a larger higher pressure "therapy jet" which unfortunately is in the middle of my back in line with my spine - I would prefer a lower position.  In short, I find the jets to be somewhat inadequate for hydromassage - rather they serve more to keep the water swirling (in combination with bubbler vents in the seat bottoms).

I am the primary user of my spa, 3-4 times per week.  I and am 5'-11" and 180 pounds.  My kids (ages 6, 11, 14) also sometimes use it (once per week maybe); my wife rarely.  I like to use my spa for stress relief in the evenings, soaking for 30-45 minutes @~100 degrees F.  I also occasionally would like to be able to use it for sore muscles (golf, work out, yard work, etc.).  I sometimes get lower back and/or shoulder joint soreness/stiffness, which my current spa is not very effective at helping sore muscles (other than the benefit of soaking in 100 degree water).

I would visualize an "ideal" spa as one having multiple level seating to accomodate the various members of my family, with each seat having a slightly different jet arrangement & character in order to accomodate my preferences on any given day.  Sometimes I might want vigorous/intense muscle therapy and other times I desire simply to relax and let the tension of the day drain away.  Shoulder & neck jets are a necessity for stress relief, and I would envision several jets at each seat location - NOT aligned down my spine, but rather focusing on the adjacent muscle groups.  The bubbler vents on the seat do nothing for me - I would think that it would be better that air be mixed in (user adjustable) with the water flow through the jets.  Multiple  pump speeds are desired, along with the ability to dampen the jets at any seat to suit individual tastes on those occasions when there are several persons using the spa at once.  Also, heated air is a requirement since in the winter I currently have an impossible time maintining water temperature using cold outside air.  My current size (~350 gal) seems to work well...

Cost:  I would expect that I will need to spend in the $5000 - $7000 range.

Do you offer financing?  If so, what are the terms? 
  
  
Our Response
  
I love your comments on the "ideal" spa.

When people have owned spas before, they know from experience.

We developed our Haven spas, because I am a spa user and enjoy them a whole bunch.

The Springville is the results of exactly the concepts you are describing.

http://www.spaspecialist.com/springville.html

We have made a couple of changes to the design since the photos on the site were made. The air controls are now positioned around the spa, and the hand rails are moved over more in the middle.

Because of the thermal sealed cabinet design, the air inside the spa is warmer than the spa water as long as the pumps are running. (unless it is below zero). The heated air pump concept is inefficient.  It is another device that causes a tremendous increase in electric use and it is not necessary in a thermal sealed spa.

During my testing of this insulation method,  we discovered over  1,000 watts of radiant heat on some pumps. On the two pump models, that is more than any of the air blower heaters put out.

By design the air is heated, naturally, using the waste heat from the water pumps.  If it is 5 below zero, run the water pumps first to warm the air, then, turn on the blower.  As the air cools down after ten minutes or so, turn off the blower and wait five minutes, then turn on again.

Also the air may feel cool if you put your hand right on top of the air injector, but it is still warmer than the spa water.  This is because of evaporative cooling.  The air is warm, but it still cools as the air passes across your hand.  If you hold your hand up a little, you will not feel the cold, and the water temperature holds up very well.

I have tested other designs and sometime the temperature will drop as much as one degree every five minutes, because of drawing in cold air.  This is the result of vented equipment compartments, allowing in cold air.  Even in the summer time, if the air outside is 80 degrees it is still 20 degrees colder than the spa water at 100 degrees.  Very inefficient.

We use strong air injection and a two speed air pump.   The air jets are placed where they do some real therapy.   You actually get a great massage from the air jet seats in the Springville.   By placing the jets in the backs of the seats, the air pulsates up your back.  As you lean back it compresses the air bubbles and intensifies the effect.  It is like having some one pat your back with flat hands, although that isn't exactly what it feels like.   (Like trying to describe what sugar tastes like to someone who doesn't know sweet).  Any way if feels wonderful.

Air therapy is the number one therapy used in hospitals.  They use strong air pumps in stainless steel tanks to invigorate the healing of the body.  It comes highly recommended by doctors.    In particular, it massages the skin.  The skin is the largest eliminative organ on your body.  A lot of gunk comes out of it. When the skin is invigorated it helps with your overall health.    It is like spinach.  Some people like it some don't. Even if you don't like it, it is good for you.  I love the way the jets feel in our spas.

I have written a book on spas in it I describe almost exactly what you are talking about in terms of the jet therapy.

There is even one spa company today that still has a hose in the wall that goes up and down in the middle of your spine where there is very little muscle.  :o) .  I find that funny in a sad sort of way, because thousands of people buy these spas out of ignorance.   They have no clue what they are missing.

If you look at the jet patterns in the Springville as an example, the jets are large rotating cyclone jets that make a big circular pattern on the muscles in your back.  The captains chair has 17 jets in it and when you stick you feet out there are a couple of foot jets also available.   This seat destroys the competition when it comes to therapy. The neck jets are placed where the neck muscles are and they are smaller jets for smaller neck muscles.  The downward shoulder jets are strong,  (I have to adjust them down a bit).   The back jet patterns are well designed.  Across the shoulder are three cyclone jets.  Lower are two smaller medium sized jets so we have no "kidney blasters".  The lower jet is a single large jet that hits the sacrum area.  We have found that the lower back just loves this single large rotating jet.    Occasionally I will adjust it so it sprays out straight.

The cyclone jets are fully adjustable for intensity (flow rate), rotation speed and direction.   You can change the angle of deflection so the jet rotate in a large circle or in a smaller circle.  When adjusted to a small deflection, it becomes like a powerful vibrator.  I love the cyclone jets!

There are hip jets on the sids of the captains chair, and wrist jets on the arm rests.   This finishes the therapy. We have had many customers "wet test" the spas.

The comments from them say a lot:

"There is no comparison!"   (From a person who wet tested about six different brands)

"This is like a real massage!  The tension is completely gone in my upper neck and shoulders" ( A woman who works on a computer all day long)

"This is the best spa I have ever tried!"   (Another marathon wet tester who tested a bunch of competition spas)

"I aahh  like this spa!  No! I love this spa!"   ( A 40 ish woman while sitting in the captains chair)

The second Hot Seat, is better than the main hot seat in our competitors spas. The angle of the two downward, above water, neck and shoulder jets is very nice.   The seat sits a bit higher and is often the seat preference for shorter gals, but I am 6' 3" and I just slide down a little to get the shoulder jets. The arrangement of the jets in the second "hot seat" is to compliment the
captains chair.  Anything missed in the captains chair is taken care of here.

The lounge has a great angle and is  a non flotation design.   The foot well allows a mooring while the jets are on.   I always tell people that a lounge isn't a lounge until the jets are turned off.  In the mean time you need something to hold on to.  This is true in any lounge.  There are three jets in the foot well two foot jets and one calf jet.  The placement of the cyclone jets in this spa is very nice.  The cupped head cushion allows your head to be cradled while in the seat.  The neck/shoulder area where the shoulder and neck come together is massaged very well with this jet.  We get a lot of smiles from wet testers on this feature.  The outward medium sized rotating shoulder/ mid back jets are also very well placed.

All of the jets are adjustable for intensity, and the air controls are also use to turn down the jets.  All of the rotational jets are adjustable for deflection as well.

The foot well in the main part of the spa allows enough room for the occupants feet.  This sound sort of silly, but may spas have humps in the middle or have tiny foot wells.  If you have five or six people in a spa there should be room for five or six (twelve individual) sets of feet.   I really dislike the humps in the middle of the foot well.  The first time I got into a one of those spas with the hump, I tripped and almost fell.  I hurt my wrist trying to stop the fall.   I could just see some older person getting hurt by it.

After the massage is over, the lounge is a great place to set back and relax. I always take a few minutes, at least,  to set back an soak after a vigorous massage.  Sometimes I don't turn on the water jets at all and just soak if I want.  The spa is totally equipped to do what ever you want.

We are selling these spas "like hot cakes" all across the country and even to Hawaii and now to Scotland.  We are expanding our area of friends/customers. We treat our customers like gold .

The Springville and all of our Haven spas are priced less than the competitions, comparably equipped spas.  (They have similar numbers of jets, etc., but not the jet designs)

The engineering of the Haven spas is clean of all gimmicks.   We do not have exclusive parts either.  If the spa has a problem in the distant future, you can buy the parts from any spa supply store.

We use solid PVC as much as possible to eliminate leaks and give longevity to the main plumbing.  Solid PVC doesn't dry out and crack over time as flex does, so we only use flex where there is an odd angle. Solid PVC offers less resistance to the water flow.  There are no ripples in the walls of solid as there is in flex PVC.  Those ripples cause turbulence and thus resistance to flow.

The suctions fittings are 2.5 inches and the pressure is 2 inches.  This is the proper size for the huge pumps in the Spas.  All of our spas use this size main plumbing.

There are very few 90 degree turns.   Each and every 90 degree turn causes a lot of back pressure and lowers the jet pressure.   We want as much as possible to reach the jets.  This gives an extremely high rate of pump energy efficiency at the same time the most jet pressure available.

All of the joints in the plumbing are primed and glued with proper adhesives. The barbed fittings are also primed  glued,  and spring steel clamped, instead of just silicone and crimp clamped.   The primer removes the flash from the plastic injection molding process and cleans the surface for a proper join.  The glue seals the joint and causes the best leak protection I know of.  The flash is a line along the mold that sticks up and some times cause leaks.  It is a thin raised portion on the barb that needs to go away for proper sealing.  The spring steel clamps are insurance against future leaks.  Plastic, over time, shrinks.  As it shrinks, the spring steel clamp shrinks with the plastic.

The jets are all silicone sealed in place and sealed properly.

The shell is as good as it gets.  Because we do not have to make a cheap shell to compete, we don't.   Our shells are  full vinyl ester bonded acrylic to fiberglass.  The fiber glass is hand rolled after the application.  The thickness varies from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch in some places.  This is the "state of the art" in shell longevity and strength.  There ain't noting better.

The cabinet is made form 2x4 framing lumber, with pressure treated at the bottom.  It is fully framed even on the bottom,where most spas just use plywood or foam.  The bottom  is sealed with a sheet of ABS plastic. This is an inert plastic used in sewer drains.  Has a life expectancy of longer than the spa.  40 or 50 Years.

(We do not use ABS in the shell.  This is the cheapest method of acrylic shell manufacturing and it causes cracks all over the shell in a short time.)

The outside of the cabinet is done in 1/2 inch clear, beautiful, redwood tongue n' groove.

Inside the 2x4 frames are insulation board to create the outer insulation, similar to home construction.  The spa equipment never gets cold air on it, and the waste heat is put back into the spa water.

The thermal pane or thermal sealed design is the best insulation for spa there is.

The pumps are 56 frame Century Magnetek,  (now just called Magnetek). motors. These are the best you can find.   If you go into a commercial spa and look in the pump house you will see a $1500 to $2000 pump with a Magnetek motor on it, 56 frame.

We use a modified 100% filtration design.   The pump on filter speed draws almost all the water through the filter.  When the pump is turned to high speed, a bypass valve is opened to allow full jet pressure as the filters clog up. There is 100 sq. ft of filter in the Springville.    Other 100% filtering designs force all the water through the filters creating, pump over heat, and lower jet pressure as the filters get dirty.

There are no loose filter lids on the Springville.  These things hurt people. It seems like "Murphy's Law" applies to spas as well.  For some reason your friends will always sit on  or lean on a loose filter lid and get hurt or break the filter lid.   The filter housing on the Springville is very well designed. It tucks in at the foot of the lounge and is easy to get the filters out.  The filter weir door frame lifts off and exposes the  basket.   The basket is pulled out slowly and raised to keep the leaves and large debris in the basket.  Then reach in and unscrew the filters and lift them out.  EASY!

There are no metals in the spa to deteriorate over time.   Even the hand rails are made of tough acrylic.  This is the same type of material used in aircraft windows.   I have tried to break them by jerking up and down with all my strength and they just flex a little.

The tops of our spas are all flat with lots of places to put drinks.  The filter area makes a great serving table to put your ice chest or pitchers.  (maybe a six pack ).

There is no other spa, that I know of with this level of engineering for such a low price!

I hope this answers your questions.

I just wrote this over a couple of hours.  I am going to use this as a "Spa Care Tips" article. 
  
Thanks for giving us the opportunity to serve you!

Jim Arjuna
The Spa Specialist Inc.
555 Alter St. #19A
Broomfield, CO  80020
303-404-AAAH (2224)
toll free 1-888-478-2224
http://www.spaspecialist.com
jim@spaspecialist.com