Recreational Dive Light Manufacturers:Behind the Times

[Nemrod]

I have a Schwinn, Guercetto and my love, a blue 1984 Pinerello, just did 25 miles on it before sitting down here. Schwinn failed to change, continued making gas pipe bicycles at a premium price, ignored the MTB craze, opened a factory in Europe somewhere and then went bankrupt. No mystery there.

But, we need to, as a country, begin to undo the morass of red tape, regulations and taxes and punitive laws that kill entrepreneurship and small business and drive it to India and China.

Still, I don't understand what makes the light stop operating at 25 feet? Please tell me more, just so I can understand.

One of the problems with the dive light market and some of the entrenched players is that they are heavily invested in cheap plastic molded cases/processes and for the high power LED stuff you need heat sinks and fins etc to keep the lights from heating up. I don't think they want to change, like Schwinn, gas pipe worked for years, shouldn't plastic cases and incandescent bulbs? My brand "I" LED light conversion did not work well because it would get hot and also I could not use the batteries it needed thus my buying the P7 to play with.

N

 

[cool_hardware52]

Well to get back to the OP's post-He is talking about dive lights, not bikes.

We got a bit side tracked. Back on post. What about dive lights? Could be interesting to hear.

At the risk of being repetitious, if the OP's unhappy with the state of dive lights he can stepup and make changes.

or not.

Tobin

 

[fireflock]

I dive, and I ride bikes (MTB mostly, but also road).

As nothing but a consumer, I'm consistently frustrated by the price/performance difference in the offerings between the two sports. Bike lights get better and cheaper every year, while scuba lights are either very old technology or crazy expensive. I can't even find what I would call a decent light anywhere in most dive shops.

At the same time, I can't help but wonder what kind of terrible year this will be for US bike light manufacturers. 2 out of 3 new bike lights I see on the trail this year are an import from China (Magicshine). People don't seem to mind the price/quality tradeoff when they're getting twice the light for half the price.

 

[mdb]

He is just expressing an opinion-just freedom of speech. Perhaps his post will inspire someone-maybe you- to do the "step up".

No need to put someone down for their thoughts.

 

[cool_hardware52]

He is just expressing an opinion-just freedom of speech. Perhaps his post will inspire someone-maybe you- to do the "step up".

No need to put someone down for their thoughts.

Who's putting anybody down?

If you aren't happy with anything it's up to *YOU* to see it changes.

If you don't like where you live....move.

If you don't like your leaders, get involved with politics.

If you don't like the local stores shop elsewhere or open your own.

If the current dive lights aren't what you'd like them to be build your own, import what you like, etc.

There are still opportunities in America.

Tobin

 

[Nemrod]

I think the OP made some valid observations, he did not bash a specific company or individual. As has been noted, the current players can change or become extinct as with the Schwinn analogy. Some people already have 24X7 jobs they enjoy and are not positioned to start a business. They are instead the customer and ultimately, the customer is the boss, as a consumer, he is not happy with what he finds on the market in terms of technology, price point and quality.

N

 

[cool_hardware52]

I think the OP made some valid observations, he did not bash a specific company or individual.

I haven't called for the OP to be censured. He can make all the observations he wants to.

Some people already have 24X7 jobs they enjoy and are not positioned to start a business.

If people are comfortable in their current careers and don't have sufficient imperative or passion or need to start a company or create a product to fill a perceived need then they may have to be content with the status quo.

That's just the way life works. You can't have everything, you can't do everything, you have to pick and choose what's important to you.


Tobin

 

[Nemrod]

I haven't called for the OP to be censured. He can make all the observations he wants to.

If people are comfortable in their current careers and don't have sufficient imperative or passion or need to start a company or create a product to fill a perceived need then they may have to be content with the status quo.

That's just the way life works. You can't have everything, you can't do everything, you have to pick and choose what's important to you. Tobin

Tobin, I certainly applaud your efforts and willingness to go the distance, to start a business and deliver excellent products that people enjoy using. I am not going to get into one of our back and forths, I have a date with the suture removal kit and my wife is calling, that is preferable to arguing with you about things we largely agree on . And I have a headache.

Have a great holiday and Christmas season.

N

 

[boomx5]

GT was never quite the same after Richard Long was killed.


Tobin

Yeah...I think that was the beginning of the end for them. I actually had a chance to meet him at the ABA Grands one year; nice guy, but a shrewed business man. I remember when Powerlight went and started outsourcing their frames to an overseas manufacturer; the quality had a noticible decline. It is however hard as a consumer to justify the additional expense in buying something made on our home soil if you can get relatively the same product made overseas cheaper. If I was a manufacturer and put in the same position needing to stay afloat or competative in the current and changing market place, I may make the same decision.

 

[Skinsfan0260]

Your argument is lame for an internet board if you are implying that I can't have a valid opinion regarding the dive light industry unless I start a dive light business.

This is why I never complain about the air service I receive when traveling. I cannot afford to start up a airline to validate my criticism.