Hello all.
Thank you JMDiver for posting the info.
The Santa Clarita store is closed. Had nothing to do with the Dive Box sales, as that is a separate business from the retail store.
During the economic slump, I had to make a decision whether it was worth it to stay in business in Santa Clarita or cash in my chips and team-up with a well established operation near the water.
LP shows the Dive Box is discontinued because I don't sell to them anymore. I stopped selling wholesale to dive shops, because it was not possible to make a profit that way. I wish I could, but it is not feasible.
For those who commented on the Dive Box being overpriced, I respect your opinion, but keep in mind the following:
All petroleum based products (plastic) have tripled in cost over the last few years. The Dive Boxes are made of high quality components and they are made here in Southern California. I chose to keep the product made in the USA and not mass produced in China. The box is constructed of industrial grade linear polyethylene (the same stuff they make those giant water reservoirs out of), very different than the thin injection molded Stanley boxes. The axle, hinges and all the screws used are Stainless Steel, very different than the "toothpick" sized hinges on the Stanley box. The handle is and almost solid, 1/8" wall aluminum and the latches are made of marine grade elastomer rubber (the same ones used on luxury yachts).
I can tell you that of the several thousand boxes that I have sold over the last 5-6 years, I have not had a single one returned or have heard of one breaking or rusting. I know people who bought the original ones that I made 5-6 years ago and they are still being used and are rust-free. They are being used in rough environments by Fire/Rescue and police departments in several states. You get what you pay for. Some people buy Toyota and some buy Lexus. It's a matter of personal preference.
Nothing wrong with the Stanley boxes, if that's your preference. I owned one myself before I made the Dive Box. I liked the concept of using a hard box with wheels, but it was missing a lot of features that I though would be cool to have for myself. The weight balanced tank well for one. You can strap a tank on top of a Stanley box, but all the weight will be put on your arms as you pull the box. The Dive Box earned it's US Patent, partly because it used weight distribution to make it easier to pull the load, like an appliance dolly. I also thought it would be cool to have a drain plug so I wouldn't have to struggle to dump over 5000 cubic inches of water when I was done rinsing. I also wanted the quality to protect my thousands of dollars worth of dive gear.
I had a guy talk to me at the Long Beach Scuba Show and he told me a story. He said: I bought one of your Dive Boxes a couple of years ago and I want to tell you a story. A couple of months ago I was in a really bad car accident on the 5 freeway. I had your Dive Box in the back of my truck with all my dive gear in it, when I got cut off by another driver and rolled my truck. The Dive Box went flying across the freeway at 50 miles an hour and when I recovered it, the latches were still closed and all my gear was intact.
I don't take offense to people's opinions, but let's be fair and compare apples to apples. If you are going to make the comparison, compare it to a Pelican Box or Storm Case, which by the way sell for over $300.
I do still manufacture and sell them on my website, or they can be picked up locally in Ventura.
