Aqualung Aquasense announced (aquanounced?)

[SouthernSharktoothDiver]

Can somebody link the AL death spiral thread? I haven’t seen that one yet

 

[thomschoon]

I wonder why Aqualung decided to announce Aquasense at the CES rather than at DEMA. They weren't ready less than 2 months ago? They thought it would be a better audience at an electronics show than at a scuba show?

They are pumping for good PR amongst the investor pool. CES has a lot more eyes on it and AI is a major marketing queue these days.

 

[-JD-]

I wonder why Aqualung decided to announce Aquasense at the CES rather than at DEMA. They weren't ready less than 2 months ago? They thought it would be a better audience at an electronics show than at a scuba show?

They are pumping for good PR amongst the investor pool. CES has a lot more eyes on it and AI is a major marketing queue these days.

CES award is about Tech for Tech's sake. It's new and therefore "neat." Makes for marketing buzz. But of course, I wonder how many CES Innovation Award winners never actually made it to full production or were history by the next calendar year.


At DEMA, I'd expect much more pointed scrutiny:

• What is the service interval?
• When will the service training be available and how long will the course be?
• How much is the service kit?
• Do I have to take my reg to the dedicated LOB charging station and recharge it every night?
• Does a regulator with a built in tank-marker lamp really qualify as a significant innovation?

 

[lowwall]

I'm just trying to understand Aqualung's strategy of announcing at CES, at least 7 months before launch. assuming it it ready when they say.

CES is full of PE people. My guess is they are trying to sell the company, not regulators.

 

[lowwall]

Can somebody link the AL death spiral thread? I haven’t seen that one yet

Info Thread 'Aqualung Financial Troubles'

Jun 28, 2023

It seems like Aqualung has some financial troubles that puts it at some degree of risk of bankruptcy. They have been given a hard timeline to implement a 'get-well' plan . I am just throwing this out there for discussion. I am mostly interested in the old heads that have seen this situation before with other manufacturers and their assessment of what the fall out typically looks like. I sure do enjoy my Apeks regulators, but they are overpriced in the US and under Aqualung's umbrella that ultimately falls under a private equity firm's ownership that seems to be super distant...

• attack33
• apeks aqualung
• Replies: 624
• Forum: Aqua Lung

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[Eric Sedletzky]

CES is full of PE people. My guess is they are trying to sell the company, not regulators.

The problem is that anybody that did their homework who knows the culture and current state of the industry will know that scuba diving in general is a waning sport/hobby/activity (call it what you want). There are more players than ever all fighting for an ever decreasing piece if the pie.
Unless those techies are that stupid, but I seriously doubt it. They must know something we don't, or at least they think they do?
Does Aqualung really think this gadget is going to make people stampede to this sport???
It seems like a lot of technology is wasted on something as micro as scuba diving.

 

[SouthernSharktoothDiver]

@Eric Sedletzky you keep saying scuba is a waning/dying sport, what makes you say that? As far as I know, it’s more popular than ever

 

[lexvil]

Scuba (frickin auto correct added the pro) diving, from what I see is pretty popular but is suffering from a cultural shift, so many of the new potential divers think you can learn how to dive by watching videos on line. Local shops suffer from old time industry price fixing and many buy equipment on line. The industry has not grasped the world as it exists.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

@Eric Sedletzky you keep saying scuba is a waning/dying sport, what makes you say that? As far as I know, it’s more popular than ever

I don't think it's growing at the same rate it did in the past per capita of the general
population. I see this in the number of dive shops that have closed up and number of dive charter boats that have gone away. Sales at dive shops that are still in business has decreased significantly and I see way less people at dive sites than I did 20 years ago. A lot of people retired out if diving with not many new people to take their place.
I think diving has to compete with a lot of other expenses in peoples' lives and the culture is dying.
Proof? I don't have any, it's just observation and personal opinion.

 

[lowwall]

The problem is that anybody that did their homework who knows the culture and current state of the industry will know that scuba diving in general is a waning sport/hobby/activity (call it what you want). There are more players than ever all fighting for an ever decreasing piece if the pie.
Unless those techies are that stupid, but I seriously doubt it. They must know something we don't, or at least they think they do?
Does Aqualung really think this gadget is going to make people stampede to this sport???
It seems like a lot of technology is wasted on something as micro as scuba diving.

It's got to be worth a shot. Avelo has picked up a bunch of funding for an even more complicated contraption.

Avoiding divers is probably the while point of this. Many PE folks think they know everything about everything. Heck, maybe they even did a DSD when they were visiting their money in Grand Cayman. And AL's potential sales pitch has a bunch of what they want to hear: "disruptive technology", "expand customer base to iPhone generations", "AI", "customer lock-in", "app capturing data from demographic with high disposable income", "social media friendly". I'm sure there is a subscription plan built in there as well. PE loves monthly payments.