Why Dive Compasses Are So Expensive
- Thread starter nikolay_zhelev
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seeker242
Contributor
It costs $100 because people are willing to pay $100 
iamrushman
Contributor
at least they last longer than golf balls.....
2airishuman
Contributor
I don't know why compasses are expensive. I would speculate that they are fairly expensive to make in the small volumes in which they are manufactured.
I do know that cheap compasses are worthless for diving. I sold mine and got a good one.
I also know that diving compasses are in fact cheap compared to aviation compasses.
I do know that cheap compasses are worthless for diving. I sold mine and got a good one.
I also know that diving compasses are in fact cheap compared to aviation compasses.
Shotmaster
Contributor
That's because we don't fly into mountains!
Gaucho223
Contributor
Nice subject. I thought this reviews might help. Forgive me if I am preaching to the choir but here is a general but simple statement on companies after visiting hundreds in my last career. This may be too simplistic but the general sense is what I am hope to convey less detail explanation ad nauseum.
You want to break this demand / supply market? introduce something using common tools, manufacturing, and ideas from others. A good example is the open source OSTC from Heinrichs-Weikamp. There were others but they will be bought out from major consumer scuba product developers who cannot move to innovate like smaller more creative companies. Just look at some recent dive SW-based computers still using LCD displays!! That tech is aged, old but when demand better for better displays is silent then manufactures will optimize LCD production in ASIA to the penny. And that means more profit margins.
Re-tooling takes time. While smaller companies can innovate more rapidly they sometimes more features they sometimes moderate production capability. Maybe that is why Xdeep and Liquivision were purchased with little to no credit debts. Major manufactures (I won't name names) want you to purchase their age-old products for ever because they have optimized cost structures and have an optimized out-year ROI. And they love high profits with no capital outlay. Let me be clear their are some great scuba companies with great business portfolios that run the company like a true fiducially responsible, public traded company. Well not exactly but you get what I mean.
I personally despise gay-scale LCD displays. LCD is 20 year old tech that is cheap to reuse. But introduce TFT or OLED and see what it does to the manufactures. All of a sudden they lose market positions, sales and they respond with something, "new". BS they just want to push others out of their profits. In scuba, market positions and margins are skim and taker time to capture. It's pure economics baby. fwiw: I was involved in R&D, development, product, and technology management for 20+ years. Also, maybe one day we can evaluate scuba companies under wall street, investment, PNL statements. Just my view of the world.
You want to break this demand / supply market? introduce something using common tools, manufacturing, and ideas from others. A good example is the open source OSTC from Heinrichs-Weikamp. There were others but they will be bought out from major consumer scuba product developers who cannot move to innovate like smaller more creative companies. Just look at some recent dive SW-based computers still using LCD displays!! That tech is aged, old but when demand better for better displays is silent then manufactures will optimize LCD production in ASIA to the penny. And that means more profit margins.
Re-tooling takes time. While smaller companies can innovate more rapidly they sometimes more features they sometimes moderate production capability. Maybe that is why Xdeep and Liquivision were purchased with little to no credit debts. Major manufactures (I won't name names) want you to purchase their age-old products for ever because they have optimized cost structures and have an optimized out-year ROI. And they love high profits with no capital outlay. Let me be clear their are some great scuba companies with great business portfolios that run the company like a true fiducially responsible, public traded company. Well not exactly but you get what I mean.
I personally despise gay-scale LCD displays. LCD is 20 year old tech that is cheap to reuse. But introduce TFT or OLED and see what it does to the manufactures. All of a sudden they lose market positions, sales and they respond with something, "new". BS they just want to push others out of their profits. In scuba, market positions and margins are skim and taker time to capture. It's pure economics baby. fwiw: I was involved in R&D, development, product, and technology management for 20+ years. Also, maybe one day we can evaluate scuba companies under wall street, investment, PNL statements. Just my view of the world.
K
KeithG
Guest
My last compass cost about $75. It was used. The seller also included a first stage,a couple of second stages, a pressure Guage, a bunch of hoses and a big lump of plastic called a console....
runsongas
Contributor
scuba compasses are expensive because of the middle men. typically marked up 3 times to get to that 100 dollar retail price.
driftwood
Contributor
I don't think the middle men are responsible. As an example, a battery kit for an Oceanic Versa/ Suunto Vyper/ Suunto Gekko/ Suunto Cobra will run you around $20. That's a $3 battery and a $0.15 oring. The manufactures have a lot of divers by the short and curlys and are taking advantage of the fact.
That being said, I have a Suunto SPG 9 with a SK7 compass that runs around $100. Is it high, yes. It does fit nicely together and I am comfortable using it.
That being said, I have a Suunto SPG 9 with a SK7 compass that runs around $100. Is it high, yes. It does fit nicely together and I am comfortable using it.
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