Testing the Water

A product that costs several thousand dollars minimum is not the typical impulse item. But home spas, despite their four-figure price tags, are often marketed that way. Go to a county fair, for instance, and you are likely to find a spa dealer next to the belt buckle booth and the guy selling inflatable cows.

Spa retailers have staked out their spots at the Ventura County fairgrounds at Seaside Park again this weekend.

But rather than trying to catch buyers on a whim, they are part of the main attraction of the Ventura County Home & Garden Show.

Purchasing a spa is like buying any other pricey item in that it’s a good idea to weigh pros and cons, then determine what you want and how it will fit into your budget. The warm, bubbling water may be enticing, but it pays to look around before diving in.

We asked local spa dealers for shopping tips. Whether you plan to make your purchase at the home and garden show--where half a dozen spa dealers will be on hand--or at a neighborhood retailer, these suggestions might be of help.

*

Some local retailers sell just one brand of portable spas--such as HotSprings, Catalina or Sundance--and others offer a selection. The average new spa ranges from $3,500 to $8,000. Depending on whom you speak with, the difference between the low-end and the high-end spas can be minimal or major.

Toni Langlo, owner of Sundance Spa dealerships in Camarillo and Goleta, said the higher the price, the greater the accessories.

“Our manufacturer doesn’t build one [of lower] quality than the other, but with [higher priced spas] you get more pumps, more jets, more jet shift, therapeutic, aromatherapy systems,” she said.

The price of the spa also has a lot to do with its size, said Karen Davis, office manager of Ojai Spas, a retailer of new and used spas that specializes in new Sequoia-brand products.

“Sequoia starts at $3,795 [for] a two- to three-person spa, up to the biggest one they offer for $6,500--that’s a huge spa, with all different kinds of jets, and it holds six people, maybe seven,” Davis said. “But for a $4,000 to $5,000 average, you can get a good spa, with a good warranty and good construction.”

Along with its supply of new merchandise, Ojai Spas has a stock of about 50 used spas, ranging in price from about $850 to $3,000.

The lineup includes a spa dating back to 1983 and some only a couple of years old. Each comes with financing, delivery and warranty.

At the Catalina Spas Factory Outlet store in Simi Valley, spas range from $4,000 to $7,500. Spas range in size from four-person to seven-person units and differ in number of pumps powering the jets--the more pumps, the more jets.

*

Ron Perfetto, owner of White Swan Pool & Swimming of Oxnard, doesn’t place much significance on price, particularly between one brand and another.

“You can spend $4,000 or $8,000 and basically have the same unit--the price is just how much money went into making the brochure, the advertising,” said Perfetto, who sells a variety of brands.

“Most manufacturers are assemblers. They all buy the jets from the same companies, they buy the motors from the same companies. A lot of them are buying the same equipment. The only difference between prices is what the corporation sets as its profit margin.”

The dealers all listed as a key characteristic the type and durability of the material used to make the spa shell.

“Almost all of it is acrylic or an acrylic-ABS combination, and almost all use some fiberglass for support,” Perfetto said. “I guess there are still some people using oddball stuff, but almost everybody has weeded out the garbage.”

Sundance Spas offers acrylic shells, which provide a glossy look, and other shells that hide water spots better.

At Ojai Spas, the Sequoia brand comes in a durable specially designed plastic. The plastic is white, but the spas use a fiber optic technique that will change the spa color.

A good warranty is also important. Ojai Spas’ Sequoia models come with 15-year warranties and Sundance Spas has a warranty that lasts 10 years for the structure, seven years for service and five years for fixtures and plumbing.

And when shopping for a spa, customers may be faced with deciding between in-ground or portable spas.

In-ground, as the name implies, may be more attractive, but also take more labor, as well as more extensive heating and plumbing systems. Perfetto said in-ground models cost upward of $10,000.