Does scuba gear often seem severely overpriced ?

[hammet]

LOL.
Scuba gear is cheap.
Scuba vacations... not so much.

 

[chrisch]

LOL.
Scuba gear is cheap.
Scuba vacations... not so much.

Agreed. Given the small volumes I think gear is cheap for what it is and does. Some items are premium priced in order to get back the low margin on other items. This is branding and marketing doing what it is designed to do. If you want top-of-the-range then it will cost you. I don't know what prices are like in the US (cheaper than here I am sure) but having just bought a new Apeks reg (XT4) for the same price as three years' service costs I really don't know how anyone can complain.

One night in a nice hotel and a meal for two with a decent bottle of wine would be about the same or a bit more than the regulator.

 

[hammet]

For $2-3k, you can have top of the line in every piece of gear easily excluding drysuit.

Try that in almost any other hobby/sport.
Photography, skiing, sailing, shooting, etc.
Well, okay...maybe bowling.

 

[Scuba Doobie Do]

I'm with the rest of these guys. Even paying $2k for a regulator/octo/gauges/etc. I don't think is much...I've spent way more on my camera body, nevermind the lenses. Overall, scuba is super cheap unless you have a horrible (awesome) addiction.

Don't discount the value just based on materials costs either. Engineering isn't cheap. Setup costs and reliable manufacturing within small tolerances isn't cheap (it's getting there though). Liability isn't cheap either I feel like, so having a reputable name in life support equipment costs money too.

 

[Miyaru]

...
A second stage is just a molded plastic case with a few mechanical bits inside, upon examination, remarkably simple inside, I'm just blown away @ $ 450 ! I wonder what the cost of production actually is?

Bowling balls are not life supporting equipment. No need to test if a bowling ball still performs like it should just above the freezing point of water. Or at higher pressures. Replace the bowling ball with tennis shoes. Same story.

That simple piece of molded plastic and some moving parts inside, also known as 2nd stage regulator, is keeping you alive down there. It better be tested for circumstances you'll (hopefully) not encounter......

 

[Scuba Doobie Do]

Even paying $2k for a regulator/octo/gauges/etc.

Disclaimer:
I wrote that up at $1k because that's what I spent. Changed it to $2k to accommodate anyone who spent the extra grand on atomics titaniun regs... Point still stands.

 

[mmerriman]

I still use mt regulator from 1984 as my pony reg.... buy quality gear, treat it well, and it will last.

 

[Caveeagle]

still, if any of you tried to make a competing product, you couldn't beat these prices I'm sure.

There are some example of people who have done exactly this. They are cutting out some of the "middleman", but you can get a pretty good idea of what retail looks like with slim margins.

Using 50% markup that $450 reg cost your LDS around $225. ?

I don't think that's how markup is calculated.

 

[Nick Steele]

I’ve been watching this and I believe for what it’s worth SCUBA is actually not all that expensive if done properly and at the right time. I got a set of regs/spg/computer for $600 or so around Xmas time. Nothing inferior either regs where atomic z2’s spg mares glass console and mares smart computer. Bp/w and accessories for $400 so I’m out $1000-1200 if you count my fins and mask from Freediving. Still need compass and dsmb and a few safety items so call that $1400 to be safe. Also for now renting tanks till sac levels out or I find a really good deal.

I’m sure must of these items will last me many many years.

It’s more the trip cost that will be expensive. I live in good shore diving area but when I want to go a little deeper boats will be $70-80 so it will only be about 15 trips or 30 dives and that will be the cost of the gear. Now if I do shore dives only ($10) it will take about 50-100 trips depending if I do 1 dive or 2 per trip. So for being live saving equipment I don’t see it being expensive.

 

[Bierstadt]

I just buy Deep6 regs. I think for a regular, active diver the gear costs are not bad, but for a new diver it is a steep cost to entry. Renting notwithstanding.