Info Aqualung Financial Troubles

[Eric Sedletzky]

Last post on this thread was 10/18/24.
Are there any updates on how this Aqualung saga is going?

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Last post on this thread was 10/18/24.
Are there any updates on how this Aqualung saga is going?

As a customer, I for one find their financial troubles very, very concerning. I'm a huge AL regulator fan, primarily the Legends. I own 3 sets. Well, I'm concerned enough that I have added Dive Rite (XT1 with 2 XT4s) and Deep 6 (Signature 1st and 2 2nds) regulators to my inventory. I plan to keep my Legends as part of my rotation, but I'm no longer tied to them as my sole regulators. Hedging my bets so that I'm not dependent upon any one outcome for AL.

 

[Wibble]

Their milking of Apeks prices will kill that brand. Everything in the Apeks catalogue seems to have been doubled in price over the last few years, way beyond the prices of other brands and way beyond the value of their goods.

 

[scubadada]

Their milking of Apeks prices will kill that brand. Everything in the Apeks catalogue seems to have been doubled in price over the last few years, way beyond the prices of other brands and way beyond the value of their goods.

Swift and Aqualung Transmitter

Hello, Is it possible to combine two Aqualung transmitters with one Swift transmitter? Would all three signals be received by the Shearwater computer? Best wishes Jens

scubaboard.com

The other PPS transmitters are $399

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Their milking of Apeks prices will kill that brand. Everything in the Apeks catalogue seems to have been doubled in price over the last few years, way beyond the prices of other brands and way beyond the value of their goods.

I’ll take your word for it. I’ve never owned or used any Apeks stuff.
But the trend seems to be a common thing now with mainline brands. Greedflation?
Look at Scubapro and Atomic. They’re priced like Rolexes! Have you seen the price on the Atomic TFX? Or a MK25/ G whatever combo?
There are just a LOT of brands out there fighting for a smaller sliver of the market in a diminishing sport. And then there’s the internet and all the brands that have popped up with that phenomenon.
To be honest, I don’t know how there won’t be a major market correction in the next 5 years.
I think a lot of these brands are being held up just by marketing hype and a lot of hot air.
Then when you open these things up you have to wonder how the hell they are justifying this kind of money just for this!!???

 

[Wibble]

Having been around for a bit in this sport, the utter marketing BS about regulators is just ridiculous. Most brands have very good regulators which were developed and refined years and years ago; just take for example the ScubaPro Mk25 or the Apeks DST; at least 20 years old and changed very little since as there's no need to change the excellent regs that work well at all depths. And along comes some marketing chimp to develop new versions: the black version of the Mk25 "evo", or with Apeks massive great new regs that work just as well as the old ones.

Newbies come into this and pay $$$$'s for them with a basic design that goes back literally decades. Older divers simply buy second hand as buying new is extortionately expensive.

I don't get Atomic either, but will leave them out of this to protect the fanbois' blood pressure.

Swift and Aqualung Transmitter

Hello, Is it possible to combine two Aqualung transmitters with one Swift transmitter? Would all three signals be received by the Shearwater computer? Best wishes Jens

scubaboard.com

The other PPS transmitters are $399

One item in their inventory is cheaper than Shearwater's offering which is itself very expensive. Doesn't disprove the general point that Aqualung’s products are overpriced.

If only Aqualung made different colour transmitters for the same price as their grey ones. I've got one Aqualung and the older yellow Shearwater one (which was $100+ more than the Aqualung)

 

[passeparici]

I’ll take your word for it. I’ve never owned or used any Apeks stuff.
But the trend seems to be a common thing now with mainline brands. Greedflation?
Look at Scubapro and Atomic. They’re priced like Rolexes! Have you seen the price on the Atomic TFX? Or a MK25/ G whatever combo?
There are just a LOT of brands out there fighting for a smaller sliver of the market in a diminishing sport. And then there’s the internet and all the brands that have popped up with that phenomenon.
To be honest, I don’t know how there won’t be a major market correction in the next 5 years.
I think a lot of these brands are being held up just by marketing hype and a lot of hot air.
Then when you open these things up you have to wonder how the hell they are justifying this kind of money just for this!!???

It's call business and most companies work like that. Do you think a company can survive selling a product that is 20 years old and not trying to say that there is no improvement or cosmetic change ? Some can but that's pretty rare. There are also companies that specialize on top products (even if it is only cosmetic) and some that stay on the lower end market. Always pointing out a company like Scubapro is expensive for instance is so childish. Buy if you can or want and that's it.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

It's call business and most companies work like that. Do you think a company can survive selling a product that is 20 years old and not trying to say that there is no improvement or cosmetic change ? Some can but that's pretty rare. There are also companies that specialize on top products (even if it is only cosmetic) and some that stay on the lower end market. Always pointing out a company like Scubapro is expensive for instance is so childish. Buy if you can or want and that's it.

Regulator designs haven’t fundamentally changed in 40 or more years. All a first stage needs to do is provide a stead IP so the second stage can function. More improvements have been made to second stages that first stages. There are some models that also have not changed through several brands because there is not much way to improve on them.
Part of my point is that when a brand/model is perceived as being the “best”, what is their claim as to why it is the best when internally it’s fundamentally the same thing as it was 25 years ago. I bought a SP MK20 in 1999 and it takes the same service kit as a modern MK25. I suppose the “evo” is some sort of new addition but is it necessary? If someone is worried about freeze up then get the proper model for icy water.
My issue is tripling the price then claiming it’s all the massive improvements, what improvements?
So I guess there’s sales strategy at work here. Designs don’t really change much but when sales begin to drop raise the price to cover for drop in sales then tout that you are the absolute best and that’s why the high price.
So are other brands in the mid range not as good?
How are they not as good? 1st stage still delivers steady IP, second stage breathes great, so what’s better about a reg twice the price?
More to my point was, with ALL the brands out there, and the list is very long, how do they all plan to survive? And with the downturn in scuba participation, who will collapse and who will be left standing?
Has it occurred to anybody that maybe the drop in participation has a little bit to do with sticker shock on what some of this stuff costs when people thinking about getting into scuba go into a dive shop? I know for a fact it does because I deal with those new people all the time with our project up here in Norcal. New gear is just too damn expensive and they can’t afford it!

 

[jellycatsdad]

Regulator designs haven’t fundamentally changed in 40 or more years. All a first stage needs to do is provide a stead IP so the second stage can function. More improvements have been made to second stages that first stages. There are some models that also have not changed through several brands because there is not much way to improve on them.
Part of my point is that when a brand/model is perceived as being the “best”, what is their claim as to why it is the best when internally it’s fundamentally the same thing as it was 25 years ago. I bought a SP MK20 in 1999 and it takes the same service kit as a modern MK25. I suppose the “evo” is some sort of new addition but is it necessary? If someone is worried about freeze up then get the proper model for icy water.
My issue is tripling the price then claiming it’s all the massive improvements, what improvements?
So I guess there’s sales strategy at work here. Designs don’t really change much but when sales begin to drop raise the price to cover for drop in sales then tout that you are the absolute best and that’s why the high price.
So are other brands in the mid range not as good?
How are they not as good? 1st stage still delivers steady IP, second stage breathes great, so what’s better about a reg twice the price?
More to my point was, with ALL the brands out there, and the list is very long, how do they all plan to survive? And with the downturn in scuba participation, who will collapse and who will be left standing?
Has it occurred to anybody that maybe the drop in participation has a little bit to do with sticker shock on what some of this stuff costs when people thinking about getting into scuba go into a dive shop? I know for a fact it does because I deal with those new people all the time with our project up here in Norcal. New gear is just too damn expensive and they can’t afford it!

One LDS charges $1K just for the “personal” stuff(fins, mask, boots, PADI log book, I forget what else). Another $1200 gets you regs and BC.

I have no objection to buying used gear but this sport is as expensive as cycling. But, scuba is gatekeepy.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

One LDS charges $1K just for the “personal” stuff(fins, mask, boots, PADI log book, I forget what else). Another $1200 gets you regs and BC.

I have no objection to buying used gear but this sport is as expensive as cycling. But, scuba is gatekeepy.

It does kinda seem gatekeepy.
It’s always kind of been that way as long as I can remember, which isn’t really that long.
It actually used to be worse when I first started, LDS’s really had the sport and its participants by the balls. But due to the internet, the flow of information and a lot of myth busting, it has helped to give the consumer more knowledge and more empowerment to take charge and control of their hobby. I would never have gotten into DIY and all my involvement in the working guts of the sport if it wasn’t for the power of the internet.