mdb:
You will not be surprised. The brands you mentioned all sell directly to LP-some may not admit it. You are completly covered.
I may have to quote this post many times from here on out. BTW, if you haven't looked at the occupation of the above poster, it's: President, Apollo Sports USA, INC. He is "The Man." One of my Scuba Board pet peaves is posters that staunchly defend the "Man" as being innocent in this discussion. I hate it when people say stuff like, "Scuba Pro (insert your favorite man.) wants me to sell at this price to protect me!" LOL!!! Thanks for your honesty as usual mdb.
I have purchased many times from LP. EVERY TIME this topic comes up, I have to clarify that LP items that aren't "authorized" still DO come with a warranty. LP offers a warranty equal to what the "Man" would offer BUT you have to deal DIRECTLY with LP to get warranty service, NOT the "Man." This may or may not be something you are willing to do, depending on where you live and how long you can go without your gear. Some will argue that you should just buy two of everything from LP for the same price that your LDS sells it for and then you don't have to worry about the time it will take. Now if you are lucky to have agreat LDS that you feel comfy at, then why not give them a chance to compete. That may be worth it to you, or not.
BTW, I even get my regs service annually at LP for three years now, and they do a fine job and all for $39.99. Can't beat that! I also live in NYC so LP is somewhat of a LDS for me. Maybe not for you, so there ya go.
Basically what will happen here is MANY LP haters will now tell you NOT to buy from LP. Most can't give a great reason. Some will give you strange and incomplete stories that border on slander and heresay. Most of these people, you will find, are affilliated with a LDS, and therefore can't give you a balanced opinion. Most of these people have never visted LP and don't even realize that they have a store front. In the end, you can't blame people affiliated with LDS's for defending themselves and trying to protect what they love, as long as they don't slander and lash out for no good reason. They do sometimes forget that LP is a business and not an evil dragon, lol.
All that said, if you shop around, you will find that many LDS's will match LP prices. That's a win win situation for the both of you. Do your research, decide what you might like to buy and how much you can spend, and then visit some shops and ask them to price match or get close if they have what you want. If not, some LDS's also have an internet store (Scuba Toys and others) and are a great option as well. They offer authorized at internet prices. There you have it. Good night and good luck.
BTW, this board SUCKS lately! Maybe as bad as SD.com! What is this deal?
