Info Aqualung Financial Troubles

[Bob Evans]

It was a lot simpler.
There wasn’t all this political crap surrounding diving like there is now.
The freedive/skindiving group still seems to be pretty cohesive, but not scuba diving.
If Aqualung goes belly up it will be a huge blow to the history of diving and an iconic company that started it all. There is such a thing as getting too big.

Thanks, you spilled the beans. Political crap. I could get into more details, but all of us manufacturers are under the gun. When UPS ships our overseas order 5 times back in forth across the Atlantic Ocean and now has lost a large Force Fin shipment. Hours spent trying to get our insurance money coverage. Plus we just got hacked by India/China and Russia. No joking. You could write a movie script over the ****. No one would believe it.

 

[jellycatsdad]

Do you mean Epson or Seiko?

Seiko. It’s still under the Epson umbrella.

 

[scubadada]

I'm confused by who owns whom. If AquaLung goes under, does that affect (for example) PPS or Oceanic or Huish?

From the transmitter compatibility thread

Are Pressure Transmitters compatible across brands?

I've been a fan of HW for many years, owned 2 of their computers and one of their lights. Customer service rivals Shearwater, just amazing. I had to double check wondering how I missed the introduction to AI. Don't think they'll ever go down that route. To be fair, HW launched an AI computer in...

scubaboard.com

Shearwater makes its own MH8A compatible transmitter, the Swift, and it works with other computers using MH8A transmitters. Pelagic Pressure Systems, owned by Aqua Lung/Barings, makes all the MH8A transmitters used by Apeks, also owned by Barings, Aqua Lung, Oceanic, and Sherwood. If PPS went out of business, the Barings brands, Apeks and Aqua Lung would not have transmitters and either would Oceanic or Sherwood, other than the Swift.

Pelagic Pressure Systems was part of American Underwater Products, founded by Bob Hollis in 1972 (Oceanic, Aeris, Hollis, PPS...). PPS was acquired by Aqua Lung in May 2015. Aeris was folded into Oceanic in September 2014. Oceanic and Hollis were acquired by Huish Outdoors in May 2017

 

[lowwall]

I'm confused by who owns whom. If AquaLung goes under, does that affect (for example) PPS or Oceanic or Huish?

Pelgic Pressure Systems was a division of Oceanic. They make the transmitter and also computers which are or have been sold under the Oceanic name along with those of several other brands from Sherwood to Aqualung.

Oceanic sold PPS to Aqualung in 2015, no doubt in an attempt to raise enough cash to keep the core business going. Apparently it wasn't enough, because the remainder of Oceanic was bought out by Huish in 2017.

I doubt PPS will disappear. It will be an easy part to sell off as a separate division with its own physical facilities and popular products. Huish will obviously be interested.

 

[jellycatsdad]

That has to be a massive contract and not one the US government would be happy about losing.

Scubapro would be foaming at the mouth to land a DoD contract. Which would add credibility and really the “pro” in Scubapro.

 

[formernuke]

DoD just renewed there contact with apeks so that line of AL should be safe for a while.

 

[thomschoon]

Hopefully out of this change we in the USA will get better service and pricing. I can easily buy Apeks products in Germany, and not even get someone to answer the phone here at home to find out availability.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Scubapro would be foaming at the mouth to land a DoD contract. Which would add credibility and really the “pro” in Scubapro.

Maybe they would even bring back the all metal 156 balanced adjustable since the military and commercial sector seems to love those all metal second stages. Pair it with a MK25 or a diaphragm and presto, instant replacement.

 

[BoltSnap]

North America reorganization

Closure of Carlsbad and Hawaï -termination of SSP activity in NA



The Aqualung Group has announced on December 12 a progressive shut down of its activities at its Carlsbad (California) and Hawaii facilities and the transfer of its distribution American office to the East Coast.

(More details in the attachment)

 

[jellycatsdad]

North America reorganization

Closure of Carlsbad and Hawaï -termination of SSP activity in NA



The Aqualung Group has announced on December 12 a progressive shut down of its activities at its Carlsbad (California) and Hawaii facilities and the transfer of its distribution American office to the East Coast.

(More details in the attachment)

SSP? Swim/snorkel business? Looks like Costco won’t be selling US Divers snorkel sets anymore.