Where to get a pinnacle extreme online?

[pontoonlover]

Hi gang,

My lds just started carrying Pinnacle. Unfortunately, their pricing is a bit higher than I think it should be. Does anyone have a resource for purchasing a Pinnacle Extreme Semi-dry online? I have searched and searched and have had no luck. My location is fairly rural, so I am stuck with what I have in dive shops. I would hope that there is an online dealer of Pinnacle out there. Maybe someone knows of a lds that sells online merchandise?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Blox]

I've never seen Pinnacle being offered by any online store. I think they may just be one the manufacturers, that prohibit their products being sold online.

You seem to believe that your LSD is overpricing the suit. What makes you believe that, if you can't find a seller and prices online?

If you just compare the price of the Pinnacle suit to other/similar suits from other manufacturers and find it high, this does not necessarily mean that your LDS overprices Pinnacles - it may just mean that Pinnacles is in general more expensive than some other manufacturers - I know that around here Pinnacle is about 30% more expensive than, e.g. a Scubapro suit with the same basic specs (size, thickness etc). I think that Pinnacle may just be focussing on a slightly upscale market segment.

You could check this by calling a couple of other authorized Pinnacle dealers (list of dealers is on Pinnacle's website http://www.pinnacleaquatics.com ) to see whether your LDS is working with excessive profit margins and confront them with the information, asking them to give you a better deal.

If you find that you are seeing pretty much the same prices from every Pinnacle dealer you call (including your LDS) , this probably means that the Pinnacle prices are set by the manufacturer and you'll hardly have a chance to get it much cheaper anywhere. In that case you can only either bite the bullet and pay what it takes or you'll have to consider other manufacturers' suits that are available for lower prices.

 

[pgdive]

Hello

You are right Pinnacle does not allow online sales. A big part of it is that they want to make sure that people are able to get a good fit. The suits can be a little tricky to size, especially the ones with attached hoods, i.e. the Polar and the Extreme. They are built for warmth first, and they don't necessarily have a lot of stretch like a lot of other suits. I received your email pontoonlover and I will see what we have in stock for extremes when I get to the store. As far a pricing goes, this is Pinnacles most expensive suit, they have a huge range from the most basic up to th Extreme. The biggest difference between the 2005 and the new 2006 Extremes (and I don’t even know if these are available yet, I saw them at DEMA) is that the 2006 has a more flexible dry zipper across the front.

Paul

 

[pontoonlover]

Thank you for your responses. Paul, I am looking forward to your e-mail as I seem to be set on the extreme. As for my inquiries about prices, since I am in such a remote location, sometimes it is hard to find out if someone is taking advantage or not. The scuttlebutt as far as this particular item locally; was that their was some advantage being taken of patrons. Just trying to be informed, not insulting.

Jack

 

[pablosells]

I'm not familiar with the Extreme but I've been looking for the Polar. The dive shops around here don't carry it and they're not very interested in a special order especially since I'm not sure of the size and the Edge is slightly different.

So I called Pinnacle and they said that they can't force a dealer to stock them so that I can try on various sizes. Since Pinnacle is "only" 40 miles from San Francisco (in Livermore), the Pinnacle rep suggested I visit their warehouse to try on the wetsuit and then have a dealer special order it.

What gives with these restrictions on on-line sales? I buy online because I get a better selection of manufacturers, more sizes and options, better prices and CONVENIENCE. I work during most shop's hours.

So... if any one has an on-line source...

 

[USIA]

Just because a manufacturer doesn't sell equipment on line does not mean you cannot shop for the best prices. Many dive stores will offer great rates and ship equipment across the country. Whenever USIA has a price request from an area where we do not have a dealer, we will direct them to one of our dealers in a different state and help the customer out with shipping expenses. Look at the Pinnacle website and call some of their dealers around the country for the best prices. This also gives you the opportunity to talk to a dive professional who can answer questions a lot better than pictures and captions from a website.