Hot Tub and Spa
Brand Reviews

The Antigua 52 spa i purchased from my neighbor next door. the spa was actually delivered in jan 07 new, and was seldom used, the house changed hands 3 more times and the present owners sold me the spa since they were not interested in it. i considered ownership since i play tennis 3-4 times per week and have had
a multitude of problems ranging from back spasm, sore muscle, pulled hamstrings,
inflamation of the plantar fascia, etc. i also wanted to decrease my recovery time between matches. i owned a swimming pool for 17 yrs before i moved to my
present location but spent 90% of the time cleaning the pool as opposed to swimming in it. i hoped the spa would be different. it has surpassed my expectations. i have only owned it for a couple of months. the two things i like the most is the two diverter valves and the 5 air injection control valves. the spa my seat 6 but is ideal for 4 or less people . if you are one person, you can run one pump and increase the force and turbulence with the appropriate diverter
valve and air intake valve, this greatly increases the turbulence combining air and water before entering the spa shell. i like the fact the spa holds its temp
well, as i think this is a function of the 5.5 kw heater and a excellent cover.
instead of the default 2 hr am and 2hr pm filter times , i run only 30 min am and 30 min pm and the water is perfectly clear staying at 3-5 ppm of chlorine. i maintain and shock with sodium dichlor. i would have added more light to the spa but since it is fully foamed on 3 sides, lighting other then side unfoamed would be impossible to get to and change the light. neon lights around the spa will solve the light issue. built in stereos, tv's , are not worth the expense as you can add these as you see fit down the road with much less wiring and potential problems that they will add to your spa. the micro circulation pump is a joke. better to run one of your low speed pumps during the filtration cycle for water clarity and circulation. the spa is a cinnabar color with synthetic wood and a nice matching tan cover. it is sheltered in a area between
the garage and the house with one side open so as to protect it from the elements. i am glad this is a 240 v system as from what i have seen the 120 volt
systems don't maintain heat, can't run the jets and heater at the same time, and
take 4x times as long to heat up. the Antigua has proven to be efficient and powerful so far. i did all my electrical wiring and stayed with #6 copper all the way as well as a conneticut electric GFCI disconnect panel. very important
safety feature and probably a required item by the NEC. have added steps with storage on two sides, a towel rack that folds down, a stero mounted on the
adjacent wall with the cord going into the garage outlet, tropical plants, and
will add some neon lights when they come in. the spa light is very minimal.
i guess the best compliment is that it has exceeded my expectations and i wish
i had put one in at an earlier age. the fact that artesian spas are fully foamed in really adds to the rigidity and stabilization of the pipes, which are
really flexible pvc , and adds to heat conservation. the venturi air injection system is really over looked because the air/water mixture prior to entering the spa really adds to the turbulence and massage effect. if your water chemistry is maintained, the heater element should last a long time, buy if your
purchase extra heater elements , make sure they are "coated" elements. forget
ABS, it has no support for the shell, thats why they use fiberglass under the
acrylic shell. i am just surprised how much more i enjoy it then a pool, not to mention that even in texas pools open for 3 months out of the yr and you can
use your spa all year long. robert