Atomic Parts Cost

[Geo7]

One could argue that part kits should be the last place to increase prices. I am sure manufacturers see their bottom line declining and are trying to raise prices of their products. They all do across industries right now. But I suspect manufacturers' cost of spare parts is a fraction of retail, so I suspect 50% increases in material, labor and transport should result in only a 10% or retail?

Furthermore, divers are notoriously cheap and people will just service their regs less often. DIY or not. At least with Atomics people had good results with extending the already industry leading, generous service intervall beyond specs. But I'd argue that there will be cases where the nominal servicing interval may add safety, and the price increase may reduce overall safety in the community. I agree that service intervals are conservative and can be extended under ideal conditions, but my goal is still the same: "service the reg when its reliability is in question". Not to "save money", at least so far...

No matter how much an Atomic 1st stage costs in relation to the kit. You can buy a brand new tech-diving grade first stage for $ 150 or so if you shop around (Deep6, Hog, and a few others). That makes it a hard proposition to spend 40$ on a first stage service kit. And dare I say it 15$ of Tribolube71 to seal a piston 1st stage. And for most divers: labor costs for a good tech.

Some of us remember a time when the cost of service kits was trivial. This price increase is detrimental to everyone, but I can't know if they had a choice.

 

[BoltSnap]

Fiction presented as facts to fit the narrative.

 

[Geo7]

It's a discussion forum, I'd be interested in an alternative perspective...

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

It's a discussion forum, I'd be interested in an alternative perspective...

Sometimes people won't accept reality so discussion can be pointless. Flat earthers for example. There are scuba versions of them.

It is true that new divers are sometimes influenced by experienced ones. I know I've been successful to people going down the Deep 6 path, as have others These are small in numbers of course. Most people buy what their LDS carries or find online, which is typically the big boys.

I'd be curious to what percentage of the US market buy from Amazon and other online retailers versus LDSs. @Darcy Kieran , maybe something worth looking into for a business of diving article?

 

[Geo7]

Thanks! Well, I don't have an agenda to push any fiction of mine, nor do I know everything, so I am happy to learn from anyone who posts here (acepting it may correct assumptions of mine)...

 

[rsingler]

Just to bump this thread, let me say that IMO, the cost of service (currently too low) should not be on the parts side, but on the labor side. Say, $50 per stage.
Of course, that would require that shops spend the money required to adequately train their techs (which would be costly, but eventually covered by the increased cost to service).
Then, the decision becomes more straightforward. $1,200 for a reg set (and free parts for life, bwaahaha!), with a total 10-year cost of $2,300. Without PFL, it might be $2,750. Since the mfrs won't change kit costs, the 10-year total is the same, but the shops lose.
Compare that with $600 initial cost for a reg set that allows self-service and sells you parts. Zero labor cost but the same $70 for the kits that the big guys would charge. Serviced every two years that would be $950 total over 10 years. A slam- dunk for DIY'ers.
But if you instead chose a shop to do your service instead of DIY, the only delta would be the initial reg cost, so $1,700 total.
$1,700 vs $2,300? An easy decision amortized over ten years: choose the "reliable" brand. And I haven't even counted tool cost.

Instead, the big boys choose the decision that muddies the waters: go for short-term profits via more expensive kits. Starve the shops of income to do the job right. Continue to make the economic decision that favors the big brands, but without the quality of service that maximizes reliability. Yep, even that's good. It brings the hapless diver back to the shop for more repairs (and chances to buy something they don't need).

It just makes it easier for DIY'ers to go for value. Even if your "lower quality" reg requires service every year, those extra kits still only bring you to $1,300 10-year cost. So what if the chrome is thinner, or the seats don't last as long? If you take care of your toys, you'll still save at least a thousand dollars.

 

[Geo7]

Brilliant. Yes, free parts for life & increased labour cost to encourage servicing (for safety) and to support techs responsible for safe gear.

Also, related to quality: The german carmaker Porsche pride themselves with the high percentage of their older cars still on the road. This could be made an argument for quality dive gear: What fraction of a brand's vintage regs are still in active use? And the above approach promotes that as well.

 

[rsingler]

@BoltSnap is correct. The dealer price in a list I was able to see for 2021 is exactly the same as the dealer price for 2022. It is about 70% higher than on a 2006 list. I cannot explain why my source would have said that parts costs are going up 50%, but it is nonetheless true that his list price for a Jet Seat is now $15+. By way of comparison, the equivalent seat for ScubaPro is less than half that.
Don't bash @BoltSnap . I suspect the difference lies in US markup practice vs other parts of the world. And what he said about recent wholesale price stability also is correct.
My position stands: Atomic parts costs are, in some cases, absurd.

 

[Geo7]

Thanks for the explanation! I sure hope we weren't trying to bash each other. I did not understand what was meant though...

Part kits seem pricey across the board, but your comparison of just the seats is very interesting.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I’m glad I have enough kits and extra stuff laying around to keep all my old SP and Conshelf stuff going for at least ten more years.
After that I suppose I’ll have to find another back alley/secret source to get more contraban parts.
What a game!
Or maybe just use the MK2 if everything finally goes to hell, the economy crashes, more dive shops close, inflation goes completely haywire and service kits start costing $200, etc. doom and gloom. That’s what all this is starting to sound like.
To be honest I’d be more worried about what air fills will cost, or where you will even get them!