Regulator Cost Analysis

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There is a certain degree of false economy with regard to both getting your regulator serviced via mail and by “saving” money by purchasing equipment on line rather than from the local dive shop.

LP stays in business with low market, high volume and, compared to a brick and motor dive shop, low levels of customer service. In contrast a local dive shop stays in business with a high markup on a low volume of sales but seeks to make that increased cost worthwhile by offering a higher level of customer service combined with local knowledge and expertise regarding local conditions, etc. Admittedly some shops do a better job of this than others, while LP has it pretty easy as they serve you only with low prices and makes no bones about it, so people expect less from them and if it arrives and is not dead on arrival they are more or less happy.

What this means to the average diver is that they can save $100 or more up front by purchasing a regulator on line, but they also have to accept that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Scubapro for example does not offer the free parts for life program on regs purchased from other than authorized dealers who do not, by definition and dealer agreement, sell things on line or by mail nor are they able to discount more than 10% below retail.

Some divers will say that it is not fair or not good business for a local dive shop to charge substantially more than an on-line retailer for the same product and these same divers would feel very vindicated if they knew that the average markup over dealer cost was around 100%. The thing is they do not consider that the shop has to pay for the merchandise up front and then stock it for months so that prospective buyers can look at it, try it, discuss it with the sales staff and then walk out the door with it the same day when and if they decide to purchase it. That level of service costs money as does the overhead in having and maintaining the shop’s service area, classroom, sales floor, compressor, rental department, etc.

From the shop’s perspective, these divers often come in, look at a regulator. Try it, discuss it with the sales staff and then go buy the same model from leisure pro. Then when it needs service or adjustment they more often than not come back to the shop because they are leaving on a dive trip next week and expect the shop to provide service as they are a Scubapro dealer. Most shops will do it, but don’t be surprise if you see a 100% markup on parts that would have otherwise been free if you bought it there and don’t even consider complaining since you are getting a level of service you cannot get on-line (and don’t forget that you already saved all that money buying it on line – and there is after all no free lunch).

In their defense, a few shops are really tired of being used by divers who take advantage of their showroom and sales staff service and then buy on-line and will consequently not service on-line gear at all as they feel they owe no loyalty to on-line equipment buyers who show no loyalty to local businesses or respect the costs involved in providing that level of service. It’s a little extreme and a little vindictive and may not be in the shop’s long term interest, but it is a free country. You have a right to make an informed choice to buy online or locally and to accept the savings or costs as well as the potential consequences or benefits of that decision. In turn, the LDS has a right to provide service to whoever they want, as long as it does not involve a civil rights issue and so far on-line buyers are not a protected minority group.

Some shops do an excellent job of competing with on-line retailers by taking advantage of close out deals that are not subject to pricing restrictions, by offering perks such as 10 free air or nitrox fills with each major equipment purchase, or by offering really good package deals where they meet the minimum price restrictions on controlled items by practically giving away the non price controlled items they are sold with in the package. So it is always worth your time to see what the shop can offer in terms of both price and service before considering buying on-line. This may include some of the more intangible things like calling the good or more recent customers first about a great deal on a dive boat spot this weekend that came up due to a last minute cancellation.

When you consider all the money you will spend over the life of a regulator or your career, the $100 you save buying on-line is peanuts, so you need to look carefully at the longer term costs and benefits.

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Similarly, skipping an annual service is not always as cost effective as it appears. A Mk 2 first stage for example may go 5 years without service if it is well care for, little used and properly stored. First stages have a long shelf life as the seat rests off the orifice when the regulator is not pressurized. So if it is clean, dry and dust free, it will be fine even after several years on the shelf.

The same is not true for most second stages as the seat rests on the orifice under spring pressure. A nicely tuned R190 for example will develop an excessive seating groove in not much over a year and will develop a slight freeflow. An R190 tuned to breathe harder may last a little longer but the same problem will eventually occur. The reg can be adjusted to breathe harder and/or the seat can be flipped to get you another year or two of use, but some minimal skill and tools are required to adjust the reg and access the seat. The alternative is to store the reg with the purge depressed, but then that introduces dust, moisture and creepy crawly things into the system.

More importantly, servicing a reg is cheap compared to repairing it. You may save money by skipping a service or two but that savings stops when you discover your reg does not work (or when the tech who eventually services it discovers a problem) because there was apparently water in a tank or the dust cap was less than tight when you rinsed it and the resulting corrosion has had another year or 2 to damage critical (and expensive) areas of the reg.

There are also the indirect costs of skipping an annual service such as the cost and inconvenience to you when your reg dies in the middle of your next dive trip. You are going to most likely miss at least one dive even if a loaner or rental reg can be found and with a 5 day trip with 8 to 10 dives costs $2000, that non working regulator is essentially costing you at least $200 per missed dive. Even on a one day 2 tank boat dive costing $125, if it dies while gearing up for dive one, you are out $125 plus travel expenses and if the problem occurs prior to dive two, you are still out half that amount.

You also have a choice of servicing options – mail it out, have it serviced locally or do it yourself.

If you service it locally it will probably cost $20 to $25 per stage for labor plus parts (if you are not covered under a free parts for life program). But it will be adjusted the way you want it, and will be readjusted until you are happy with it and if you have a peculiar preference in reg performance the local tech can set it up that way for you.

If you go the send it off route, you are going to pay for shipping both ways for the initial service and also for any later adjustments. That cost will more than outweigh any savings on possibly lower labor charges or parts costs.

Doing it your self is a great option – for some divers, but not others. It requires a reasonable degree of mechanical ability and some knowledge about the specific regulator. It also requires an investment in specialized tools. So for the average recreational diver with one reg serviced annually, $200 in tools and the time needed to learn what needs to be learned may be a bit much to save $60-75 per year on labor (and you will be buying your own parts – often off e-bay at about twice the dealer cost). For a technical diver with numerous regs it may be very cost effective while for a diver who likes to work on mechanical things it may not be cost effective but may just plain be fun to do it yourself.

So again, the diver needs to carefully consider all the short and long-term costs, benefits and consequences of a decision to service a reg or skip a year as well as deciding where to have it serviced.
 
5 Years without service?

Haven't heard of anyone going that long, any test data on that?

It appears from your profile that you may work in a dive shop.

I have only my personnal experiences with regulator service to draw from. In my first 4 years of diving, I had problems with professionally serviced regulators each time I had them service (3 different shops). Since I started DIY, I have been maintaining about 8 sets of gear. I have come to expect at least 2 years of trouble-free service from a regulator after an initial service. I only replace seats if they are giving me a problem. My impression over the last 10 years is that I am getting at least 5 years of service from both HP and LP seats with my infrequently used Mk2s doing noticably better than that. As I recall, I have replaced one of my two Mk2 seats in 10 years. I have had at least 2 incidences of slight leaks from an ambient chamber on BP 1sts (a Mk20 and a Mk10). In the case of the Mk20, the internal o-ring on the piston had failed and the piston was replaced. In the other case, it appeared to be the HP piston o-ring but I replaced both. I have replaced HP seats on all 3 of my Mk20's due to IP creep, all before they resulted in 2nd stage free flows.

Five years without service on Mk2/R190 seems quite feasable but I would expect to have to tweak the tuning of the R190. With MK5s and Mk10s, I would expect to have to lube or replace the HP piston o-ring in that time. Mk20s will probably require a complete service due to IP creep but seat life may be extended by a good cleaning and lubing of the piaston and seat. SP 108, 109, 156 and older G250s may benefit from some tweaking of the cracking pressure. The G500 and S600 might also get away with just tweeking but they got new seats because my wife and daughter dive them.

What is clear to me is that the MFGR recommendations for service are excessivly conservative for divers who take good care of their gear. But there are not many dive shops turning down the annual labor charges. And, unfortunately, there are some taking money without providing the full service and others causing more problems than they fix or prevent.
 
Not that I have any need what-so-ever to defend Darryl and his shop, I can say that I have met his co-owner, Dallas. We frequent the same great dive op - Osprey Charters, so I get a chance to meet a lot of local folks.

Dallas overheard me discussing the need for something not easily obtained in Canada,...it happens a lot.

He offered me some assistance with that, and he also gave me a business card, which I promptly put in my portfolio. He/they seemed to me to be the type that will indeed go a bit out of their way to help out.

Another plus side to that coin is the recent rise in the Canadian dollar. The costs in Canada have not yet reflected this, which leaves an ever wider margin in favour of us Canadians shopping the US side. The result of that is since Darryl's shop is about 45min away from my house is, he's now widened his potential local sales to include us cross-border shoppers.

In fact just last night I dropped 5-Bills shopping state-side. A month ago I did another 3-4. Canadian retailers cannot or, in my mind will not, compete.

<off topic>

As far as the Scuba Pro contract stating the minimum pricing,.....I just checked, Leisure Pro is still selling Scuba Pro gear. So when you realize that scuba pro is screwing you over after getting you to sign on the dotted line, maybe you'll realize there's two parts to losing a dealership. Doing the deed of selling below the minimum, and actually getting caught doing it.

Since it seems you're not selling too much S/P as your prices are too high, you may as well start competing and turning some sort of profit. What's the worst that is going to happen? Lose the dealership?...Maybe..? Why worry, you weren't making any money off of it anyway where you? Is there not another reg manufacturer around?

Get creative or roll over.

Scuba Pro (in this case) doesn't give a rats behind about you and this has been well documented. Why you care what they think or why you feel the need to hold up your end of some bogus agreement when they've not done the same for you, is way beyond me.

My guess is if you even got close in price, your clientelle that is inclined to shop on-line would indeed buy it through you for all the positive reasons that typically come bundled with dealing with their LDS.

</off topic>
 
What this means to the average diver is that they can save $100 or more up front by purchasing a regulator on line...........

From the shop&#8217;s perspective, these divers often come in, look at a regulator. Try it, discuss it with the sales staff and then go buy the same model from leisure pro. Then when it needs service or adjustment they more often than not come back to the shop because they are leaving on a dive trip next week and expect the shop to provide service as they are a Scubapro dealer. Most shops will do it, but don&#8217;t be surprise if you see a 100% markup on parts that would have otherwise been free if you bought it there and don&#8217;t even consider complaining since you are getting a level of service you cannot get on-line (and don&#8217;t forget that you already saved all that money buying it on line &#8211; and there is after all no free lunch).

In their defense, a few shops are really tired of being used by divers who take advantage of their showroom and sales staff service and then buy on-line and will consequently not service on-line gear at all as they feel they owe no loyalty to on-line equipment buyers who show no loyalty to local businesses or respect the costs involved in providing that level of service. It&#8217;s a little extreme and a little vindictive and may not be in the shop&#8217;s long term interest, but it is a free country. You have a right to make an informed choice to buy online or locally and to accept the savings or costs as well as the potential consequences or benefits of that decision. In turn, the LDS has a right to provide service to whoever they want, as long as it does not involve a civil rights issue and so far on-line buyers are not a protected minority group.

If it only were $100 we were talking about. Shops could probably easily make up that kind of difference with various service perks or other disounts. I bought my first Mk20/S600 from a overseas "authorized" scubapro dealer online for $330 when the USA MSRP was about $600.

The "it's a free country" rational is a two way street. Shops who are willing to mistreat customers deserve to be mistreated by customers by becoming the internet shoppers' dressing room.
 
As far as the Scuba Pro contract stating the minimum pricing,.....I just checked, Leisure Pro is still selling Scuba Pro gear. So when you realize that scuba pro is screwing you over after getting you to sign on the dotted line, maybe you'll realize there's two parts to losing a dealership. Doing the deed of selling below the minimum, and actually getting caught doing it.

Since it seems you're not selling too much S/P as your prices are too high, you may as well start competing and turning some sort of profit. What's the worst that is going to happen? Lose the dealership?...Maybe..? Why worry, you weren't making any money off of it anyway where you? Is there not another reg manufacturer around?

Get creative or roll over.

Scuba Pro (in this case) doesn't give a rats behind about you and this has been well documented. Why you care what they think or why you feel the need to hold up your end of some bogus agreement when they've not done the same for you, is way beyond me.

My guess is if you even got close in price, your clientelle that is inclined to shop on-line would indeed buy it through you for all the positive reasons that typically come bundled with dealing with their LDS.

</off topic>

Shops do not have to risk their scubapro dealership to get creative and compete effectively with Leisurepro. But many of them don't want to compete. They want the high profit margins as if Leisurepro doesn't exist.

Mk2/R190 $150 and LP and $280 at LDS? How about an air card for 25 fills or 15 free tank rentals. How about 50% off annual service cost for the next 5 years? Notice all these perks don't "cost" the shop their face value and also work to bring the customer back into the shop for more buying opportunity. I know one shop that offerd FREE service for life. Even I thought that might be excessive but he does have a fairly mobile customer base so it seems to be working OK.
 
Shops do not have to risk their scubapro dealership to get creative and compete effectively with Leisurepro. But many of them don't want to compete. They want the high profit margins as if Leisurepro doesn't exist.

Mk2/R190 $150 and LP and $280 at LDS? How about an air card for 25 fills or 15 free tank rentals. How about 50% off annual service cost for the next 5 years? Notice all these perks don't "cost" the shop their face value and also work to bring the customer back into the shop for more buying opportunity. I know one shop that offerd FREE service for life. Even I thought that might be excessive but he does have a fairly mobile customer base so it seems to be working OK.


Now you're getting in-line with my "Get Creative" approach aren't you :wink:

I was just trying to preempt the usual whine-and-sob story of minimum pricing and not being 'allowed' to compete.

Where there's a real need to get around something, there's generally a way to do so if you really want to.

As with you, I believe getting pi$ $y with a customer is just plain bad policy in general, and will just bite you in the a$ $ in the end. If there's any fighting to be done from the retailers POV, it should be with their suppliers, not the guy across the counter who's actually paying their wages. YMMV.
 
I sympathize with ScubaPro shops who are trying to make a go of it by playing by the rules and find that customers are using them as a fitting room and then buying elsewhere.

If it was my shop, I would be royally pissed!

My gripe would not be with the customers, I would be pissed as hell as ScubaPro. They are not giving you what you need to compete with other retailers who are selling SP products, and they are not doing much to stop the flow of those products to those retailers. Your beef is with ScubaPro, not the customer who is out there seeing what's available in the marketplace and then deciding where to purchase.

As a customer, I can find the biggest price break on regulators online when I'm looking for ScubaPro or Aqualung. Try finding a sweet deal on a Zeagle, or Atomic, or Oceanic. You can find a few deals, but you have to look hard and the difference isn't all that large. If those manufacturers can help their dealers compete, then why can't SP and AL do it? Instead ScubaPro offers their dealers a free parts for life program that savvy customers see right through.

I'd be pissed....really pissed....at ScubaPro.

RE: mail order reg repair - many places pay return shipping, and it's not that hard to learn to adjust a 2nd stage. But you already knew that.......

Rich
 
This message is for everyone...

Be honest with your LDS and you will get farther. AWAP has a point that they prob will not match LP's price but they will make an effort. Dealers are bound by Minimum Advertised Price. Your LDS will be penalized for showing you a price lower than MAP, you can haggle the price down but the sticker must read MAP. Punishment for violating MAP policy can beas harsh as losing the line. LP and other internet suppliers refuse to play fair, but b/c of their high sales manufacturers won't serve any real punishment.
As for the soft goods, Mask/Fins/Snorkel/etc, the prices can't be that much of a leap. Make your LDS an offer.

In Closing, I have had customers show me leisure pro quotes. I have matched some and come close on others. So let your LDS know that you are price shopping

P.S. not using your regulator does as much damage to it as diving it regularly. Itis LIFE SUPPORT, if you are not serviceing it anually at least bring it in before a big trip. Also, manufacturers don't recognize a LP warranty.
 
There is a certain degree of false economy with regard to both getting your regulator serviced via mail and by “saving” money by purchasing equipment on line rather than from the local dive shop.

There "can be" (not "there is") false economy or there can be real economy, the devil is in the details. But your post if full of misleading points.

- You mention the higher level of customer service and local knowledge at local shops. Sometimes this is true, though I've found the advice from guys like Larry at Scubatoys far superior to anything at my "local shops" (one exception notwithstanding). And it raises the question as to whether one *needs* that service and advice. If one doesn't, why pay for it?

- You mention "free parts" programs yet LP claims to match mfgr warranty including free parts. Whether they do or not in practice, I cannot say firsthand. But there are many "online" retailers that are authorized dealers for many other brands. Scubapro and Aqualung are no longer the "last word" in scuba gear (if they ever were).

- You mention the LDS overhead but most online retailers must carry a far higher level of inventory, and they too pay for it first. Most local shops carry a representative sampling of products and offer to "order it" if your size is not on hand. Hey, I can "order it" myself. And we have heard from several online retailer owners here who have asserted that their online segment involves much higher "overhead" than their retail shop segment.

- Some shops are indeed competitive and offer other perks to offset price. We're not talking about those shops. What part of that is so hard to understand? We're talking about the many divers who have no such local shop that meets the criteria of fair, competent, and competitive. Having some divers with great local shops piping up doesn't change that.

- You minimize the $100 savings by costing it over a lifetime. First, one can justify anything if one costs it out that way. Hey, why not send me $100? It's only like $2 or $3 per year over your adult life. Second, the reg is one of many components in a kit. Rinse and repeat several times for your BC, computer, exposure suit, lights, reels, etc.

- You concede first stages are pretty sturdy but second stages wear on the seat in a year or two. OK, just get your second stage serviced. It's not "all or nothing".

- You talk of trip interruptions and lost dives. I have seen far more divers lose dives because their regs had "just been serviced" than because they had skipped service. Your LDS will not be there on the boat for you. The best insurance against lost dives is backup equipment. Which you can more likely afford from the online savings.

- You speak of shops refusing to service online gear, well they are just killing themselves. As the demand for such service increases, more and more online retailers are getting better and faster at providing it. I can get my entire reg set serviced at Scubatoys for under $65 (with shipping both ways) and have it back within 10 days, usually less. Some local shops will do it faster, many won't though.

- You factor in shipping costs for online service but don't factor in gasoline costs for local service. Have you noticed the cost of gas lately?


No one here has ever said that buying online is right for everyone or that you will always come out ahead. No one here has ever said that skipping service is always the right thing to do. Your whole post is a straw man. The point was and is that a diver can take steps to eliminate all the problems you raised. A diver can research his gear purchases and dive trips. A diver can rinse his gear properly and check it carefully. A diver can carry backups and build a good save-a-dive kit. A diver can plan his service needs and not wait until the week before a big trip.
 
This message is for everyone...

Be honest with your LDS and you will get farther. AWAP has a point that they prob will not match LP's price but they will make an effort.

That may be true for your shop but it's not true with many shops. We have seen countless posts here by shop owners and the divers who have encountered them that speak otherwise. Honesty is not always your best policy. Divers have often reported getting lectured or blackballed for even considering online purchases.

Too many owners equate "give us a chance at the sale" with "give us the sale no matter what". A chance to compete means you might lose. Are you prepared to accept that gracefully and not be a sore loser? If a diver walks into your shop and asks you to match an LP item, and for whatever reason decides the LP offer is still better, are you going to accept that and not get upset? Like I said, maybe you are but many owners are not.
 

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