Newly certified, looking for gear... abroad?

[Efka76]

Unfortunately all trading system between US and EU is done in such way that in many cases it is not worth to buy goods from US if you are in EU and vice versa. I and based in Europe and often I could see very good deals on electronics in US, however, if you add shipping costs, duties, VAT, then usually prices become higher than in Europe. Also, there are many questions whether imported goods would be serviceable under US warranty in Europe.

Based on that I would suggest to you to look for diving gear in US. I would expect that before Christmas many companies should be providing various discounts. Also, another suggestion would be to dive a bot more and buy gear that you really need and clearly know what fits to you.

 

[tmrqs]

To close the loop on this thread, I ultimately decided to order abroad: the difference in price was significant enough that I pulled the trigger.

Knowing what I wanted and looking for specific references, it made comparison easier. I chose to get:
- Scubapro Litehawk BCD
- Scubapro MK11 1st stage & C370 2nd stage
- Scubapro R0195 Octopus
- Scubapro Compact Gauge

The best pricing I could find in the US (delivered with taxes included) was $1,360.
Getting these delivered from Europe (customs & shipping included) cost me $857 - about 37% off.

Of course YMMV and the math may not always make sense depending on the brands and promos available, but it worked here.
Thank you all for the feedback and advice, it was very much appreciated.

Now on to take all that gear underwater in 3 weeks!

 

[formernuke]

To close the loop on this thread, I ultimately decided to order abroad: the difference in price was significant enough that I pulled the trigger.

Knowing what I wanted and looking for specific references, it made comparison easier. I chose to get:
- Scubapro Litehawk BCD
- Scubapro MK11 1st stage & C370 2nd stage
- Scubapro R0195 Octopus
- Scubapro Compact Gauge

The best pricing I could find in the US (delivered with taxes included) was $1,360.
Getting these delivered from Europe (customs & shipping included) cost me $857 - about 37% off.

Of course YMMV and the math may not always make sense depending on the brands and promos available, but it worked here.
Thank you all for the feedback and advice, it was very much appreciated.

Now on to take all that gear underwater in 3 weeks!

If you find yourself in the MA, RI, CT area let me know we can go diving.

 

[Marie13]

Fixed it for you.

OP

Back around 10 years ago this was one of the most talked about things on SB.

Scubapro and aqualung will not recognize warranty for stuff bought overseas, it's only been recently that they allowed online sales at all. It used to be that LP sold what was called Grey market and SP and AL wouldn't recognize warranty from them, LP is now allowed to sale these as a authorized dealer and the prices show that.

For buying overseas I recommend against it for 2 reasons.
1. A lot of them won't ship to US
2. You can't fill a tank by USB

I recommend finding a good local shop and ask them to work with you. That way you can always get air fills

If someone is a vacation diver, this argument won’t carry any weight with them.

 

[formernuke]

If someone is a vacation diver, this argument won’t carry any weight with them.

Good point, I'll rephrase it. That way I can get fills.

 

[Dody]

Due to the impact of the pandemic on the economy, there is a lot of discounts in the internet in Europe right now. Some companies are even going bankrupt and sell at loss. I purchased my full gear directly through Aqualung HQ in France two weeks ago and guess what? The next day, I found some items at half the price in a couple of french internet sites. Could have saved almost a thousand bucks.

 

[GF99/99]

Due to the impact of the pandemic on the economy, there is a lot of discounts in the internet in Europe right now. Some companies are even going bankrupt and sell at loss. I purchased my full gear directly through Aqualung HQ in France two weeks ago and guess what? The next day, I found some items at half the price in a couple of french internet sites. Could have saved almost a thousand bucks.

Yes, especially with the holiday coming up there are several good deals in Europe on dive equipment.

Also it is a lot easier to order dive gear from the EU and have it shipped to the US than people think. All you do is order on the website just like you would in the US. If it is under $2,500 you do not have have to pay any US import tax and since your buying it from an EU website and your using an American credit card and sending it out of the EU you do not have to pay VAT and all the prices you see listed on EU websites include VAT so really you will be paying 20% less than what is listed on the website. If you need it fast request DHL, you should get your items within a couple business days. You would also be surprised that shipping from the EU to the US is actually pretty reasonable.

 

[Bob DBF]

The next day, I found some items at half the price in a couple of french internet sites. Could have saved almost a thousand bucks.

That's why I stop looking, for a while, after I buy a peice of gear. No sense taking the fun out of a purchase, besides I look the same day I buy and if there isn't a deal, it's the best I can do.

 

[Jake 10]

Has anyone been refused service by a local DS in USA for any equipment or gear bought in EU ? Please note I'm not looking for names or companies, just want to know if there have been some push back on service.

 

[formernuke]

Has anyone been refused service by a local DS in USA for any equipment or gear bought in EU ?

I have heard of some that will charge a small amount for assembly or tuning.