Huish Outdoors acquires Oceanic / Hollis

[Steve_C]

Oceanic/Aeris/Hollis now absorbed my Huish.

With so much overlap between the Huish Outdoor lines, BC's, regulators, computers, fins etc.
the lines will consolidate, perhaps some will disappear.

In the meantime, it may be best to buy from Aqualung, Scubapro, Sherwood.

New diver certifications were reported down over 10% last year,

Best to stick to the tried and true brands who will survive and be able to offer parts and service
for the coming years.

Reasonable advice but big fish eat littler fish. Judging from what one sees in other industries there is nothing to guarantee that some of the tried and true will not be gobbled up in time also.

 

[W W Meixner]

Oceanic/Aeris/Hollis now absorbed my Huish.

With so much overlap between the Huish Outdoor lines, BC's, regulators, computers, fins etc.
the lines will consolidate, perhaps some will disappear.

In the meantime, it may be best to buy from Aqualung, Scubapro, Sherwood.

New diver certifications were reported down over 10% last year,

Best to stick to the tried and true brands who will survive and be able to offer parts and service
for the coming years.

If you look at the list of companies that have failed and have been purchased by the "salvage scavengers" there are no tried and true companies left...if BARE and Suunto to name only two were not "tried and true" industry leaders then I don't know who were...

It's no secret that our beloved sport as an industry is lying "back-up" in the water and I don't think it's going to change any time soon...

One of our prime shop owners has taken to running back and forth to Cuba every two or three weeks to conduct training and host recreational charters and he can't convince me that this is anything more than sheer drudgery and it's only being done as there is no longer sufficient local business...and that's a premier shop located on the outskirts of a city boasting almost 3,000,000 people...in an area with the worlds largest fresh water lakes...

You can no longer rely on any of the manufacturers...especially those who sunk fortunes into rebreather research and development...

As dive gear consumers we now need to focus on the stable retailers...and forget all about favorite brands...

Dive Safe...W...

 

[Freddoodman]

Your comment*

 

[Steve_C]

located on the outskirts of a city boasting almost 3,000,000 people...in an area with the worlds largest fresh water lakes...

Cold freshwater lakes. A significant number of recreational divers are coral reef warm water divers. I have met many many divers who are not interested in any other type of diving.

 

[divedrewsf]

Huish is one of the absolute worst companies I've ever had the displeasure of dealing with. Utterly ruined some good lines...and their arrogance around providing parts for Atomic regs is just a joke.

Shame Bob Hollis is such a bad businessman. Oceanic was a great line.

 

[W W Meixner]

Cold freshwater lakes. A significant number of recreational divers are coral reef warm water divers. I have met many many divers who are not interested in any other type of diving.

Hey Steve...Sucks to be them...
I'd be happy to partner up with you if you ever want to make a trip up to Ontario to dive the 19th Century Wooden wrecks in Tobermory...Attached photo is ''The Arabia''

Warm water...shallow reef divers don't know what their missing...
I dive the wrecks off Beaufort and Morehead City NC regularly...nothing beats our cold freshwater wooden wrecks...
I'd be happy to show them to you...
Dive Safe...Warren

 

[Steve_C]

Hey Steve...Sucks to be them...
I'd be happy to partner up with you if you ever want to make a trip up to Ontario to dive the 19th Century Wooden wrecks in Tobermory...Attached photo is ''The Arabia''View attachment 486762
Warm water...shallow reef divers don't know what their missing...
I dive the wrecks off Beaufort and Morehead City NC regularly...nothing beats our cold freshwater wooden wrecks...
I'd be happy to show them to you...
Dive Safe...Warren

Sounds fun. Have done a few dives out of Vancouver. 49 degrees. Dove wet (10/14 hooded wetsuit). Was comfortable and fun. What are your temps and depths?

 

[W W Meixner]

Sounds fun. Have done a few dives out of Vancouver. 49 degrees. Dove wet (10/14 hooded wetsuit). Was comfortable and fun. What are your temps and depths?

Hey Steve...
The morning advanced charters visit all the wrecks...Arabia...Forest City...Niagara II that are at the outer limits of recreational depth...the Forest City sets on a steep incline with the intact stern a approx 150 ft...everything worth seeing can be seen from 130'...the afternoon OW charters are for the shallow wreck sites...Sweepstakes...City of Grand Rapids...W. L. Wetmore...and there is also a ''shore dive'' deck that is in an area called ''The Tugs''...there are four wooden tug boats in this area...''the Alice G'' is nice to see as all the machinery...steam engine...boiler...drive line are all intact...the Alice G is a nice 10 min swim from the POE...with an impressive ''canyon'' drop-off en-route...

The deep wrecks are cold...at depth maybe only 6/10 degrees above freezing...dry suit diving...or at the very least...a good 7 mm that doesn't flush any water...I dive full time up here with a DUI CF 200 dry suit system...

Georgian Bay is crystal clear...it's a wonderful dive location...great shop...Divers Den...with fabulous boats...

There's good accommodation in Tobermory...I stay at ''Adventure the Bruce Inn''...The Crows Nest...right in town has excellent food...

Best...
Warren...

 

[bobfmdc]

SB News Feed A new article has been posted

Huish Outdoors acquires Oceanic / Hollis

View attachment 407785


Continue reading the Original Article.

I hope this works out better for Hollis and Oceanic owners than it has for me with my Atomic Reg. I have been trying to get Atomic tech people to respond to me on factory service for my 12 year old Atomic titanium reg and get only voicemail with no return calls, no response to my emails, not love at all.

Any suggestions?

 

[bobfmdc]

I have already had a very good experience with Oceanic service since it was taken over by Huish. Good communication, timely service.

See my comment on Feb 11, 2019 about trying to get in touch with Atomic techs on factory service. Where did they go?