Differences in gear prices per country

[wetman]

Has anyone taken the time to compare gear prices per country? Me and others i know have made the observation that in our little bit of land to the north (Canada) gear prices seem to be much better than comparable prices in the states. Quite often we see items that are the same prices in canadian dollar as we see in american i..e a $60 mask in the states is a $60 mask in canada - but with the canadian dollar being about 66 cents to the american dollar you can see the real difference.

Some of these online dive shop verses local dive shop arguments i see on scubaboard don't make as much sense when after the dollar conversion, we can get the same prices off the shelf here in canada as otheres rave about from the online shops in the states and elsewhere.

I still think scuba gear is vastly over priced here, don't get me wrong. But, it seems to be less vastly over priced here than there. I'm sure the cost of all this stuff has a great deal to do with why more people aren't diving, but thats another thread i'm sure.

Has anyone else seen this in their own country?


steve

 

[O-ring]

Wetman,
Come on, hook us up! Any of these shops do mail order or online ordering?

 

[wetman]

You know, thats the problem. So few people up here do anything online it makes me want to cry. I buy tons of stuff off the internet and if there were shops up here on the web i'd be buying there as well (for no other reason than its convenient as hell to sit here in my pj's and order stuff and i love getting stuff deliveries in the mail).

I wish there was a canadian version of leisure pro or diveinn.

Thing is, i'm not sure what any cross border issues there migh be for duty and other charges. I know when we order stuff from the states, it can be a significant charge for the UPS brokerage fee for example. I hate that. But sometimes, you can only get certain things from the states.

My sister just came up her from NC for a week and shes been in a few stores and shes noticed the price difference as well.

If there are people near the border, i'm quite sure it would be worth the trip up for certain items.

steve

 

[O-ring]

I wish there was a canadian version of leisure pro or diveinn.

I order from DiveInn, LP, and SimplyScuba too...just wanted a closer place for shipping reasons. You should talk them into doing it...also have them throw in a couple Molson with every order if you can swing it..

 

[wetman]

we brought a bunch of canadian beer down a few weeks ago and gave some away to the mates on the boat. seemed to be a hit.

i'd love to help some of these guys put an online store together, but there just doesn't seem to be an interest for some reason - you'd think that with the interenet being around for 10 years in the mainstream some would have ventured into those waters now. Theres a lot of online dive store presence, just no: Buy Now/checkout type completion online. Too bad really.

steve

 

[JimC]

Canada has a higher penetration rate for high speed (DSL/Cable) consuer access than the US. (Last time I looked at any rate)

BUT, for some reason Canadains hate shopeing online. You can browse product on line, but have to pick up the phone to order it.

 

[Former FLL Now MSP Diver]

Being born and raised and Canada, the rest of my family still lives there. I've had brothers in Vancouver and Toronto do some comparison shopping for me, and even with the conversion they still can't beat the prices from Simply Scuba or DiveInn.

But differences in pricing between the US and Canada is well known once the conversion is taken into account. We always do megashopping when we go home for a visit.

Marc

 

[pt40fathoms]

Canada manufactures only accessories for scuba, and even that is limited. The USA has tarrifs and other penalties applied to scuba gear imported into the USA that Canada does not. They are imposed on the "non North American" manufacturers in order to help protect the "local" USA manufacturers. Without this, the prices in the USA for non-USA made goods would be equal in price to what we pay for here in Canada, even when factoring in the exchange. The tarrifs and duties vary from country of origin, but in the end, it makes it cheaper to buy scuba gear made outside of north america, here in Canada than it does in the USA.