Does everyone hate Scuba Pro?

[b1gcountry]

Scubapro gets talked about a lot on the boards. Usually they are referred to as SP, and their regs are usually just referred to by their Mk##, so they don't turn up in searches.

I think they make good regs which are overpriced, and purposefully complicated by the manufacturer to discourage owners from understanding how their gear works in an attempt to pad their service centers. They also charge more in the US than abroad, which is why they are so much cheaper through unauthorized retailers (they buy them overseas, and import them themselves.)

Tom

Tom

 

[Hoosier]

They also charge more in the US than abroad, which is why they are so much cheaper through unauthorized retailers (they buy them overseas, and import them themselves.)


Tom

Really? You should travel more often....

 

[Stu S.]

We're a SP dealer, Nothing rich about covington ga - it's about as redneck as you can get y'all....

I know I know, exceptions to every rule, right?

The exception is called Florida.

Cdreamer runs the dive shop right where I grew up in Baltimore. Mid-middle class for sure. That business was family operated and treated us young guys like family.

Joe sold Scubapro and Aqualung which cost less. I bought a depth gage from Joe's mom on a Saturday afternoon 26 years ago.... stopped by on my way to church to get married.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

To all the loyal ScubaPro owners who took the time to write: How many of you have owned other "top of the line" gear?"

The "big" picture is pretty simple, ScubaPro (and as you note U.S.D.) expect the diving public to pay a premium price for a product that is not better and perhaps inferior to competing products based on nothing more than marketing smoke and mirrors...

...yada, yada, blah, blah, blah in a post almost as long as my usual posts (which is rare as I tend to do to posts what Kevin Costner does to movies) to sucessfully make the point you really do not like Scubapro.

I don't really have a response other than that you seem to make the point that some people have an almost vitriolic hatred of Scubapro. It takes all kinds to make a world and I guess that kind of diversity keeps other companies in business.

That said I have owned Scubapro regs, Aqualung regs, Sherwood/Genesis regs, Dacor regs, Tusa regs, Poseiden regs and a few other lesser brands over the years and Sp regs seem to be the ones I use and am never without. They are also the regs I keep over time as they are pretty timeless designs that can be serviced almost anywhere.

I like them, I'm sorry you don't.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

The exception is called Florida.

Cdreamer runs the dive shop right where I grew up in Baltimore. Mid-middle class for sure. That business was family operated and treated us young guys like family.

Joe sold Scubapro and Aqualung which cost less. I bought a depth gage from Joe's mom on a Saturday afternoon 26 years ago.... stopped by on my way to church to get married.

I am a bit biased but I really like Terry's shop and it's very blue collar, middle class, family feel.

The other three similar middle class blue collar shops I have frequented have also been very long term small dive shop Scubapro dealers where the same divers who bought their regs there 20 plus years ago still come in on a regular basis and get them serviced every year.

It strikes me that Scubapro seems to appeal to divers who buy regs once and then use them for decades. I think it fits with a philosophy that "if you buy quality, you only have to buy once".

And despite, or perhaps because of, their marketing faults, a Scubapro reg still brings with it pride of ownership and the assurance you are buying a durable good not a product intended to live up to a designed obsolesence model.

 

[lowviz]

It strikes me that Scubapro seems to appeal to divers who buy regs once and then use them for decades. I think it fits with a philosophy that "if you buy quality, you only have to buy once".

And despite, or perhaps because of, their marketing faults, a Scubapro reg still brings with it pride of ownership and the assurance you are buying a durable good not a product intended to live up to a designed obsolesence model.

Yes, my son dives his favorite pair of MK14's that have been around awhile. I expect the same for my newer regs. I do feel some pride of ownership with respect to the hardware, but none of the glow extends to the business unit. We all know what they are afraid of, dealing directly with a flood of newbies (that are paying their salaries) full of questions. Thus my complete lack of sympathy. From personal experience, I find them completely unapproachable. Shouldn't offloading this burden onto their distributors count for a better discount? -my personal opinion, and I'm coming dangerously close to bashing so I'll quit here as I try to remain fair. I agree with you on the quality, its good enough for me.

 

[ScottZeagle]

ScubaPro gives you free parts for life, on these. I don't know of anyone else that does.

I know at least one other company that offers free service parts for life....

 

[b1gcountry]

Really? You should travel more often....

Well, the US probably isn't the only country they mark up prices for, but LP does buy them overseas and then import them.

Tom

 

[Hoosier]

Well, the US probably isn't the only country they mark up prices for, but LP does buy them overseas and then import them.

Tom

U.S. retail price is actually in the cheap side compared to other countries.

As for LP source, it isn't due to the price.

The dealer price in U.S. is also incredibly low in U.S.
Depending on the LDS's sale volume per year, the dealer price varies. As I recall, SP calls, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, etc.... Yes, the more you can sell SP per year, the lower dealer price you can expect.

Have you ever seen the SP dealer price as a customer? You will be shocked?


LP source isn't limited to foreign countries, but any places including your LDS. The biggest reason to get more SP source from out of U.S. is a product availability due to their weak dealer network, less tractable, and out of jurisdiction matter, NOT price in itself.


For example, as I recall, U.S. SP used to ask at least 20~30K initial order for the new dealer. It is a big money for the new LDS (probably small size) and it is all debt to the new business entities. This kind of LDS can be another good LP source depending on their financial pressure.

In addition,

Do you know how big foreign market LP has?
Do you know how many international sale scuba.com make per year?
Do you know how many international buyers scubatoys has?

To many international buyers, U.S LDS price is still attractive even after paying an international shipping and tariff.


Just my 2 bar....

 

[lowviz]

I know at least one other company that offers free service parts for life....

A manufacturer that reads the board and responds directly to customers. See, it can be done.