I used this forum to help me make a decision before purchasing my spa in Sept. 2009, so I thought I'd give back to the community. " title="Smile" /> We've had our Arctic Kodiak Ultra for almost a month now and are very pleased with our purchase. I've been in several different tubs over the years so I had some basis for comparison, but this is the first one we've owned. Now that I've spent countless hours in ours, I can give some tips about general buying considerations: Multiple speed pump(s) is a must. Sometimes you just want a soft pulsation on your back, other times you want a harder more forceful feeling. Having 2 speeds give you a much greater range. Using the diverter valves increases this option, so you can essentially get 4 different pressure levels out of a 2 speed pump. Our Kodiak Ultra has 33 water jets and an additional 14 (dedicated) air therapy jets. The 33 water jets are plenty. Seriously, how many jets do you need? The air therapy (which is a separate blower) rarely gets used because of the turbulence it creates, and the "cool" air coming from the dedicated jets. This is the only option I would have gone without. It does however come with an "aroma" cell which infuses the incoming air with a scent of your choice (scent bottles avail. from your dealer) so we'll turn it on for 20 seconds or so to enjoy the aroma of "sandalwood spice". The large footwell area is really nice when you have a full tub. We had 7 people in our 6 seater and there was decent leg room. Waterfall? Nice visual feature, but the splashing water is noisy, and I prefer to hear the music, not the water. Not a drawback though since you can dial it up or down infinitely, or off completely. Controls are well laid out and simple to navigate through. I like the fact that you can invert the display, since most of the time when I'm adjusting the low level settings I'm standing out of the tub, not in it. You'll rarely look at the display when you're in the tub, since the buttons are clearly labeled. There is a wide variety of seating in the Kodiak so there's almost always a seat for every shape and size. We play musical seats so everyone gets a taste of each seat, since some are more lower back vs. upper shoulders vs. foot & leg oriented. When it's just myself and my wife, I get the Captains chair and she takes the lounger. I'm 6'1"+ so a deep seat was a selling feature for me. She's 5'3" and fits the lounger nicely. As for fit & finish, I'm a little picky and can spot cheap materials and workmanship a mile away. I'm not saying Arctic is the "best on the market", but compared to some we looked at (about 5 other manufacturers) Arctic was the top in this category, IMO. Noise is low in all settings & speeds (air therapy excluded) when you're in the tub. With the cover on and the periodic filter cycle running you can barely hear a hum from the tub. Nice! My only complaint with my Arctic (and I've read other complaints about this issue so I was aware of it before the purchase) is the dirverter valves. If you have them in the 1/2 & 1/2 position they are at their quietest, but you can still hear what sounds like a kink in a garden hose. Not huge, but if you want peace and quiet it is a little annoying. The faster the pump speed, the noiser they get. Try to swing the valve while the water is moving through it and they get real stiff, and even noiser. Shut the pump off, make the change, turn the pump on. Not a huge concern, but a small annoyance. After we bought the tub, I was sitting with a friend showing off the brochure of our new purchase. A complete stranger walked by, stopped, and asked "Is that an Arctic tub"? When I told him "yes" he said, "Oh you're gonna love it". "Best tub I ever owned!" And off he went. Too funny. There's some negative feedback about Arctic Spas on this forum, as you would expect with any forum, so I thought I post something positive. So far so good! Nicely done, Arctic. Kevin Ontario, Canada

I love your set-up. Very nice job!

Do you mind me asking who your dealer is?

I have an Arctic Spa. Unfortunately I've had problems -- a combination of problematic parts (we ended up getting a floor model), and poor service from the dealer. I think a good dealer can make all the difference in the world. Overall, Arctic Spas are a good product, and I really like their design with the large foot wells, the way the insulation has been applied, and the accessibility inside the cabinet.

Sorry for the delayed response. I don't have to tell you where I've been spending my spare time. " title="Wink" /> The store we bought from is in Mississauga, ON. http://www.arcticspasonline.com/index.p... sauga.html Joel Bowers is the manager and was a super person to deal with. He had all the (right) answers, and is very knowledgeable in the business. Highly recommended. If you'd like to mention my name (Kevin Bell) just so he knows where you're coming from, feel free. Good luck!