Is scuba equipment cheaper anywhere than UK ?

Can anyone tell me if any specific country is cheaper in buying scuba gear,
especially online sales. If so, where and what are the web site addresses???

In article <mCR2b.1060$K95.714@news-binary.blueyonder.co.uk>, Richard
Smith <richard.smudge@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

€Can anyone tell me if any specific country is cheaper in buying scuba gear,
€especially online sales. If so, where and what are the web site addresses???
€
€
If the prices at www.diveinn.com are any indication, Spain seems to be
a good place.

Richard Smith wrote:
> Can anyone tell me if any specific country is cheaper in buying scuba gear,
> especially online sales. If so, where and what are the web site addresses???

Yes, the US of A. You could start with the before mentioned
www.leisurepro.com

/Marcin

Marcin Dobrucki <Marcin.Dobrucki@FAKE.nokia.com> wrote in message news:<RYY2b.729$g4.14419@news2.nokia.com>...
> Richard Smith wrote:
> > Can anyone tell me if any specific country is cheaper in buying scuba gear,
> > especially online sales. If so, where and what are the web site addresses???
>
> Yes, the US of A. You could start with the before mentioned
> www.leisurepro.com
>
> /Marcin

I recently enquired about Scubapro Jetfins in South Africa. They
retail for US$245 a pair. The shop insists that their cost price is
over US$134.

There is no import tax on sports equipment in South Africa.

Yet the same fins in the States retails for US$62.50 !!!

I enquired with the Scubapro rep in SA and he confirmed the prices
that I have been quoted.

Do you smell a rat ?

Rgds

Monty

monty@scubadiving.com stopped playing nethack just long enough to say:
>
>Yet the [Jet] fins in the States retails for US$62.50 !!!

I don't think that's the US retail price. Leisure Pro currently has
them for $61.95, so the US retail price is probably closer to $120-130
(which is still under the claimed SA dealer cost of $134).

>I enquired with the Scubapro rep in SA and he confirmed the prices
>that I have been quoted. Do you smell a rat ?

Where SCUBA gear pricing is concerned, there is *always* a rat. It
doesn't make any sense, and I don't know how the manufacturers and
dealers continue to get away with it.

-JimG

--
Jim Greenlee (jkg@cc.gatech.edu) Let the bridge computer speak
College of Computing LOAD YOUR PROGRAM! I AM YOURSELF!
Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA 30332 No computer stands in my way

Richard,
As with most things, some places will be able to do deals on specific
brands/ products, so no one place is an ideal 'one-stop-shop' (sadly).
However, go-dive, Derby, are not to bad, and some of their offers are damned
good! For our over-seas readers: not too sure about delivery/exchange
rates. The scuba store (already mentioned in another post) is also pretty
good for EEC customers.
Look at: http://www.godive-uk.com/
All the best.....
Dave

"Richard Smith" <richard.smudge@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:mCR2b.1060$K95.714@news-binary.blueyonder.co.uk...
> Can anyone tell me if any specific country is cheaper in buying scuba
gear,
> especially online sales. If so, where and what are the web site
addresses???
>
>

Jim.Greenlee@cc.gatech.edu wrote

> >Yet the [Jet] fins in the States retails for US$62.50 !!!
>
> I don't think that's the US retail price. Leisure Pro currently has
> them for $61.95, so the US retail price is probably closer to $120-130
> (which is still under the claimed SA dealer cost of $134).
>
> >I enquired with the Scubapro rep in SA and he confirmed the prices
> >that I have been quoted. Do you smell a rat ?
>
> Where SCUBA gear pricing is concerned, there is *always* a rat. It
> doesn't make any sense, and I don't know how the manufacturers and
> dealers continue to get away with it.

Sure you know:
1. New divers are a captive market. Shops that arrange for training promote
the equipment they sell and the prices they sell it for.
2. The manufacturers support retailers that sell their equipment. Scuba
Pro, which was mentioned in the post, says they won't honor a warranty on
equipment not sold through an authorized shop at an authorized price.
Halcyon does the same.
3. Several equipment manufacturers warranty repairs only through authorized
shops and, even for paid maintenance and repair, will only provide parts to
them.
4. A good portion of the diving public supports buying from a local dive
shop and trashes purchases from discount operations, a pretty significant
fact for an industry so dependent on word of mouth advertising.
5. The manufacturers, dive periodicals and some of the most vocal dive
organizations promote a "out product is the only product" attitude, almost
always to the benefit of higher priced equipment. If the trademark is
granted, DIR will soon mean Halcyon and there are lots of DIR wannabes.

Lee

>
> -JimG
>
> --
> Jim Greenlee (jkg@cc.gatech.edu) Let the bridge computer speak
> College of Computing LOAD YOUR PROGRAM! I AM YOURSELF!
> Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA 30332 No computer stands in my way