Info Aqualung Financial Troubles

[Still Kicking]

My friends are amazed I dive the cold, kelpy waters instead of hopping on a plane for warmer waters.

I love the cold, kelp waters too -- so much variety, so unpredictable, a little bit of an adventure, a little bit of a challenge. It's always a treat.

I go to warm destinations and while it ain't bad, after a couple of dives I am generally: "pretty fish? ho-hum"

 

[evandroairton]

Scuba's problem is that younger generation sees diving as an experience (only now and then) not a lifestyle commitment. Most new divers have no motivation to buy gear, continue education, go on to teach etc.
Judging from reports here, many Caribbean reefs are already in bad shape. It's only getting worse.

Funny, i was thinking exactly that few moments

But my trhee years old kid frequently talks about and love to messes with regs, rebs and masks.

THAT'S MY HOPE

 

[jellycatsdad]

you get a good light and a drysuit, then things aren't so bad in monterey/carmel

traffic and parking to get down and having good conditions (swell/vis) are more of an impediment

Drysuit is a “down the road” item. A 7mm with a hooded vest isn’t that bad but can be better. But the drive to/from can be a lot better.

 

[lowwall]

I dive a smaller version of those - Proton Metals. Also a sexy reg, but NLA. Both have lineage from Voit’s first single-hose setup.

Me too. Proton Metals paired with an MR22.

 

[mcohen1021]

Barings completes acquisition of Aqualung group

Barings has announced that it has completed its acquisition of the Aqualung Group, one of the best-known manufacturers of scuba equipment

divemagazine.com

 

[Kendall Raine]

Barings was Aqualung's biggest creditor. Think of this as a repo (kinda like BoA's "acquisition" of Countrywide). Barings will look to recoup as much of their outstanding loans as possible before selling Aqualung in a few years. They will do this through cost cutting and product line rationalization. Boosting near term net cash flow will take priority over everything else, including R&D. That will likely mean commonality of products/parts/channels. Time will tell how that impacts quality and availability of products/parts (particularly for Apeks). Buyers beware.

 

[mcohen1021]

Time will tell how that impacts quality and availability of products/parts (particularly for Apeks). Buyers be ware.

1st thing that popped into my mind

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Barings was Aqualung's biggest creditor. Think of this as a repo (kinda like BoA's "acquisition" of Countrywide). Barings will look to recoup as much of their outstanding loans as possible before selling Aqualung in a few years. They will do this through cost cutting and product line rationalization. Boosting near term net cash flow will take priority over everything else, including R&D. That will likely mean commonality of products/parts/channels. Time will tell how that impacts quality and availability of products/parts (particularly for Apeks). Buyers be ware.

I don’t know if you know Pasadena Jon or not?
But he mentioned that when he was at DEMA he talked to the owner of Whites Dry Suits and he said he got his company back from AL for pennies on the dollar.
Maybe something like that will happen with Apeks?
What do you think will happen with their Military/Commercial division? I wonder if that will be separated out and sold off to someone who can continue the contract. That has to be a massive contract and not one the US government would be happy about losing.

 

[Green Frog]

What do you think will happen with their Military/Commercial division? I wonder if that will be separated out and sold off to someone who can continue the contract. That has to be a massive contract and not one the US government would be happy about losing.

Hi Eric! I’ve said it before, in a best case scenario, the Military/Commercial division could be spun off, then their production expanded to make it available to the masses. It’s been shown over and over that “New & Improved” frequently isn’t and there seems to be a a large enough segment of us in the game to provide supplemental sales to those they make to the big boys of Conshelf regulators with metal 1085 seconds. This would satisfy M/C demand and desire of us civilians as well.

it’s a truism in life that one way to ensure success is to do just one thing and do it very well. This seems like a perfect situation to prove this rule. Neither the M/C demand nor the niche group of us old schoolers would be huge, but together the niche groups should be sizable enough to support a healthy little manufacturing company. If they produce a more diverse line of related dive equipment, so much the better.

JMHO, YMMV!

 

[lowwall]

I don’t know if you know Pasadena Jon or not?
But he mentioned that when he was at DEMA he talked to the owner of Whites Dry Suits and he said he got his company back from AL for pennies on the dollar.
Maybe something like that will happen with Apeks?
What do you think will happen with their Military/Commercial division? I wonder if that will be separated out and sold off to someone who can continue the contract. That has to be a massive contract and not one the US government would be happy about losing.

I expect the first shoe will drop sooner rather than later.

Barings was their largest creditor. IMO, they weren't going to take ownership without a clear path to recouping a bigger chunk of what they were owed than if they just let it go to liquidation. In this game that usually means selling off the most valuable bits. Apeks? The second most common option is setting up for a quick listing or sale by dramatically improving the short term financials - at the expense of long term viability - by firing everyone possible and selling whatever inventory you have cheap enough to clear it.

The least common option is what Barings is claiming they are going to do. Invest time and money in the company in the hopes of reaping future profits. That may happen eventually, but probably starting from a much smaller company and under different ownership.