BC manufacturers must be Raking it in...

[RiverRat]

 

[The Chairman]

That's a dash overly dramatic wouldn't you say?

A little overboard, but hey he's a Dive Master! They do this for the excitement and not the pay!

 

[Hank49]

That's a dash overly dramatic wouldn't you say?

And not necessarily true....perhaps Walmart could do us a favor in this aspect. I picked up a pink bc for my daughter when we lived in Malaysia from some store in Singapore....I don't even think there's a brand name on it...for about half of what I've paid for any of the other 9 bcs I've purchased in my diving life....and it's outlasted all of them. Including the one with a big blue letter....I forget what letter it is.....My wife is now using it and it's over 10 years old.

 

[shadragon]

A little overboard, but hey he's a Dive Master! They do this for the excitement and not the pay!

...and the glory... Let's not forget that...

 

[PhilEllis]

HOW MUCH IS "YOUR LIFE " WORTH????????? The research that goes into giving options to smart diver`s, (we all dive different) ,redundant safety, I believe that there isn`t enough. I am a Dive Master. Daily, the lives of people are in my hands. Walmart cannot provide me with the gear to save your life. And would you want it that way?????

Don't worry. I don't think Wal Mart is going to be rushing into the scuba unit business. Nor will any other non-scuba chain store. Remember, for a chain store, carving some market share out of an item that sell less than 80,000 NATION WIDE each year just isn't worth the trouble.

Phil Ellis

 

[amascuba]

Don't worry. I don't think Wal Mart is going to be rushing into the scuba unit business. Nor will any other non-scuba chain store. Remember, for a chain store, carving some market share out of an item that sell less than 80,000 NATION WIDE each year just isn't worth the trouble.

Phil Ellis

Outdoor Recreation - Gander Mountain™ > We Live Outdoors - Hunting, Fishing, Camping, Outdoor Recreation, Apparel & Footwear, Gunsmithing

 

[redacted]

Don't worry. I don't think Wal Mart is going to be rushing into the scuba unit business. Nor will any other non-scuba chain store. Remember, for a chain store, carving some market share out of an item that sell less than 80,000 NATION WIDE each year just isn't worth the trouble.

Phil Ellis

The military exchange stores sold scuba gear for a long time. Low end Dacor and then AL stuff. My impression is the mfgrs finally had to shut it down due to LDS complaints. My local guy took the AL distributor to the PX to show him why he was dropping the AL line.

 

[PhilEllis]

Outdoor Recreation - Gander Mountain™ > We Live Outdoors - Hunting, Fishing, Camping, Outdoor Recreation, Apparel & Footwear, Gunsmithing

I wonder how that is really working out for them.

Phil Ellis

 

[cool_hardware52]

Outdoor Recreation - Gander Mountain™ > We Live Outdoors - Hunting, Fishing, Camping, Outdoor Recreation, Apparel & Footwear, Gunsmithing

One pattern in the bicycle retailing has been the disappearance of the local, small bicycel specialty store, and in many cases the remaining bike shop is the bike section in a diversified sporting goods store.

Sport Chalet is regional example here in SouthWest.

Why? Because these stores can spread the overhead across lots of sports / apparel types. Often the Scuba section or Bike section or Tennis department has no dedicated staff, the store staff rotates in as needed.

In addition chain stores can have better efficiencies in their purchasing functions, and somewhat better pricing leverage.

Is this the best for the diving public? That's a different question. That it happens is a fact.

Tobin

 

[shadragon]

And not necessarily true....perhaps Walmart could do us a favor in this aspect. I picked up a pink bc for my daughter when we lived in Malaysia from some store in Singapore....I don't even think there's a brand name on it...for about half of what I've paid for any of the other 9 bcs I've purchased in my diving life....and it's outlasted all of them. Including the one with a big blue letter....I forget what letter it is.....My wife is now using it and it's over 10 years old.

Given that even the most bargain BC is engineered to take extreme pressures, salt water and hard use that is hardly surprising. Equipment manufacturers cannot produce in sufficient numbers to bring costs down. They are essentially hand made at every step of the process. That costs money and they pass it on. Yes, they make a few bucks on the sale, but it is a business not a charity. If you see a BC that you feel is over-priced, then you walk away and look elsewhere. It is the same with car lots, houses, big screen TV's and every other high end consumer good.