West Marine Scuba Shops-Within-Stores - What to you think?

[RJP]

Hey Jersey Boy! You get your gas fills online too??

I'm afraid I don't understand your question/point.

Are you suggesting that online equipment sales is NOT an issue for bricks & mortar dive shops?

 

[redacted]

I'm afraid I don't understand your question/point.

Are you suggesting that online equipment sales is NOT an issue for bricks & mortar dive shops?

No. I think he is saying that if you buy your gas at 7-11 then you are obligated to do your food shopping there also.

 

[rick00001967]

Hey Jersey Boy! You get your gas fills online too?? Howzit work --a tank valve dongle wireless transfer fill-whip to your USB port???

as much as i understand the point you are trying to make, i must say that i am starting to get tired of hearing this type of argument. i have an interest in keeping our local dive shop going as i enjoy being involved in our small local dive scene and helping with various training classes.
but with that said, i don't think the fact that if a lds is the only source for gas fills, it should give them licence to take advantage of the local divers by charging prices that are sometimes double (or more) what anyone could easily find at an online retailer.
and lets remember that most, if not all, online retailers are just web sites for real brick and mortar stores. they have just been better at adapting to the new business models required to be successful today.
maybe some of the struggling shops should have changed the way they do business 10 years ago instead of complaining about how the internet was killing their business.
for us up here, i put a lot of the blame on manufacturers and our federal government. import costs for canadian distributors are sometimes way too high and it makes it nearly impossible to compete with u.s. competitors. some manufacturers have ridiculous differences in the list prices of their products from country to country while others have adjusted their pricing and put tight controls in place to make cross border shopping less attractive, therefore protecting their retailers north of the border.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Hey Jersey Boy! You get your gas fills online too?? Howzit work --a tank valve dongle wireless transfer fill-whip to your USB port???

Unless West Marine/Port of Los Angeles San Pedro can service all ScubaPro/Aqualung Regs & equipment of LA County Sheriff, Fire & Port Police Agencies; and USC/Wrigley Science Center Catalina Island -then Local Dive Shop Pacific Wilderness that's been here over 25 years servicing/certifyimg the community's Scuba Divers will be out of business (not!). . .

You can get your fills from the same place you get your hydros. PHMSA - Cylinders - Authorized DOT Cylinder Retesters: Domestic We have already reached a point where a diver never has to step into a LDS ever again. Manufactures like HOG understand this and make their products so they can be serviced without a LDS if you choose.

I'm afraid I don't understand your question/point.

Are you suggesting that online equipment sales is NOT an issue for bricks & mortar dive shops?

No. I think he is saying that if you buy your gas at 7-11 then you are obligated to do your food shopping there also.

as much as i understand the point you are trying to make, i must say that i am starting to get tired of hearing this type of argument. i have an interest in keeping our local dive shop going as i enjoy being involved in our small local dive scene and helping with various training classes.
but with that said, i don't think the fact that if a lds is the only source for gas fills, it should give them licence to take advantage of the local divers by charging prices that are sometimes double (or more) what anyone could easily find at an online retailer.
and lets remember that most, if not all, online retailers are just web sites for real brick and mortar stores. they have just been better at adapting to the new business models required to be successful today.
maybe some of the struggling shops should have changed the way they do business 10 years ago instead of complaining about how the internet was killing their business.
for us up here, i put a lot of the blame on manufacturers and our federal government. import costs for canadian distributors are sometimes way too high and it makes it nearly impossible to compete with u.s. competitors. some manufacturers have ridiculous differences in the list prices of their products from country to country while others have adjusted their pricing and put tight controls in place to make cross border shopping less attractive, therefore protecting their retailers north of the border.

Gear and especially regulators are not just economical commodities, they are first and foremost "vitalities" --critical life support equipment that I don't go cheap on.

All my regs are bought from LDS Pacific Wilderness San Pedro because they are authorized dealers and have the knowledge & expertise to directly service that equipment. If they have the ability to competently do yearly service on all of LA County's Fire, Sheriff and Port Police Police, and the USC/Wrigley Science Center on Catalina-- all of their Scubapro Regs in volume, then I'm willing to pay an extra premium for that service. (And yes they do onsite Tank Hydros too).

Time is money Y'all; this IS the real & most basic dynamic commodity --if you've got the knowledge, skill, ability and most of all --TIME!!!-- and your own network of supply chain manufacturers to help you confidently purchase and work on your own personal gear, then good for you. . .

LA County Public Service, Port Police and USC/Wrigley Marine Science divers don't have time to shop for, service & repair their gear by parcel post or the Internet --especially critical gear like regs-- nor do they have time to go traipsing off to DEMA like y'all. Hence the economics of the Local Dive Shop, of which Pacific Wilderness San Pedro has the most centralized mainland location for fast turn-around drop-in delivery & pick-up, as well as the best service/repair techs in all of LA County. And typically they have the best retail prices in town for us regular recreational divers, because of all these yearly high volume purchase/service order contracts with the County Gov't.

Can you all understand that objectively? Can you really get that without adding some glib rhetorical remark insulting & wasting the time, effort and experience of the LDS professional, as you go online to get that Reg for a cheaper price instead?? Do you really expect them to then service that Reg you bought online instead -under warranty??? C'mon. . .

 

[RJP]

Gear and especially regulators are not just economical commodities, they are first and foremost "vitalities" --critical life support equipment that I don't go cheap on.

So, you're suggesting that a set of regs purchased from a B&M dealer at MSRP are more reliable or will perform better than the exact same set of regs purchased online at a 20% discount?

Fascinating hypothesis.

I wonder if you can make them perform even BETTER by paying MORE than MSRP.

 

[redacted]

Gear and especially regulators are not just economical commodities, they are first and foremost "vitalities" --critical life support equipment that I don't go cheap on.

All my regs are bought from LDS Pacific Wilderness San Pedro because they are authorized dealers and have the knowledge & expertise to directly service that equipment. If they have the ability to competently do yearly service on all of LA County's Fire, Sheriff and Port Police Police, and the USC/Wrigley Science Center on Catalina-- all of their Scubapro Regs in volume, then I'm willing to pay an extra premium for that service. (And yes they do onsite Tank Hydros too).

Time is money Y'all; this IS the real & most basic dynamic commodity --if you've got the knowledge, skill, ability and most of all --TIME!!!-- and your own network of supply chain manufacturers to help you confidently purchase and work on your own personal gear, then good for you. . .

LA County Public Service, Port Police and USC/Wrigley Marine Science divers don't have time to shop for, service & repair their gear by parcel post or the Internet --especially critical gear like regs-- nor do they have time to go traipsing off to DEMA like y'all. Hence the economics of the Local Dive Shop, of which Pacific Wilderness San Pedro has the most centralized mainland location for fast turn-around drop-in delivery & pick-up, as well as the best service/repair techs in all of LA County. And typically they have the best retail prices in town for us regular recreational divers, because of all these yearly high volume purchase/service order contracts with the County Gov't.

Can you all understand that objectively? Can you really get that without adding some glib rhetorical remark insulting & wasting the time, effort and experience of the LDS professional, as you go online to get that Reg for a cheaper price instead?? Do you really expect them to then service that Reg you bought online instead -under warranty??? C'mon. . .

I do go cheap, but plan and conduct my dives so a regulator failure is only an inconvenience rather than a serious threat to my life.

I did try an LDS at first, but found mostly high prices and poor service.

My local car dealer is happy to service my car that I bought elsewhere. Why should a scuba dealer be any different?

 

[RJP]

Can you all understand that objectively? Can you really get that without adding some glib rhetorical remark insulting & wasting the time, effort and experience of the LDS professional, as you go online to get that Reg for a cheaper price instead?? Do you really expect them to then service that Reg you bought online instead -under warranty??? C'mon. . .

Sadly, I'd expect a great many short-sighted LDS's to turn a diver - and their money - away if they came in for service with regs bought elsewhere.

 

[Rich Keller]

Gear and especially regulators are not just economical commodities, they are first and foremost "vitalities" --critical life support equipment that I don't go cheap on.

Time is money Y'all; this IS the real & most basic dynamic commodity --if you've got the knowledge, skill, ability and most of all --TIME!!!-- and your own network of supply chain manufacturers to help you confidently purchase and work on your own personal gear, then good for you. . .

If you believe that regs are "critical life support" why would you delegate something so important to someone else? I am ultimately responsible for my own safety and that includes knowing everything there is to know about the equipment I dive. The training is simple and the amount of time it takes is not as much as you seem to think. I would rather put in the time then give it to someone else and just hope for the best.

 

[Kevrumbo]

So, you're suggesting that a set of regs purchased from a B&M dealer at MSRP are more reliable or will perform better than the exact same set of regs purchased online at a 20% discount?

Fascinating hypothesis.

I wonder if you can make them perform even BETTER by paying MORE than MSRP.

No Jersey Boy . . .if that particular Local Dive Shop has the market & service expertise to deal in quality volume with College & University Marine Biology Departments; Film & TV Industry; County/State Gov't Fire & Police; Commercial Divers --all in San Pedro/Long Beach, two of the busiest commercial ports in the US and pass discount economics to ordinary Scuba Divers like me, then they get my business.

 

[redacted]

No Jersey Boy . . .if that particular Local Dive Shop has the market & service expertise to deal in quality volume with College & University Marine Biology Departments; Film & TV Industry; County/State Gov't Fire & Police; Commercial Divers --all in San Pedro/Long Beach, two of the busiest commercial ports in the US and pass discount economics to ordinary Scuba Divers like me, then they get my business.

sounds like a good shop. Unfortunately, it is far from the norm.