Scooter rental?

[sheahanmcculla]

Scooters are fun...but expensive!

What do you think of the idea of a shop renting scooters? We all can not shell out $3,000 -$5,000 for a new scooter, but if one could rent one for the weekend; would the intrest be there? I have seen scooter rentals advertised on the east coast and overseas but not around here.

Lets say you had a trip planned for the Diamond knot, and you wanted to see as much as you could during your short bottom time. Would renting a scooter be a bad idea?

Any thoughts?
Sheahan

[brownick]

I think I remember A2Z Scuba renting scooters a while back. Not sure if Amy would like to weigh in regarding profitability or other challenges faced.

[BDub]

You have plenty of friends with scoots, Sheahan

My guess is not many shops would want that kind of liability. You can get into trouble pretty quick on a scooter. It'd also be tough to ever get a full return on the investment of that much money, especially considering how much wear and tear would be placed on them.

[loanwolf]

If you are renting them then the whole infrastructure for teaching them needs to be put in. You can only rent to people who are certified for a DPV, insurance reasons. I have tried to get several shops to do it here over the last 2 years with no luck. Lighthouse used to years ago rent scooters, cameras, and metal detectors. The return on investment is not their for them to make the commitment any more. We just do not have the volume of divers in the area that rent them now. Even trying to fill dive boats is almost impossible anymore.

The SeaDoo Explorer is a great scooter for the money at just over $600 and will do anything you want for recreational and light tech scooter dives. One does not have to spend $4000+ dollars on a scooter if they do not need a full heavy tech scooter. If you do get one make sure you do not get one of the knokoffs that were imported last year.

[Mattleycrue76]

Liability sure can be a funkiller. Hopefully the prices for used scoots will come down over the years. I mean looking at the Dive Xtras stuff I don't see how it will be any less relevant or useful 5 or even 10 years from now. All of the internal components can be serviced or exchanged pretty much indefinitely. In that sense, Lithium batterys and Cudas and such are the best thing that could happen to the used scooter market (from a buyers perspective).

Someone should start a layaway plan for scoots...

[loanwolf]

Someone should start a layaway plan for scoots...

You can though Lighthouse if I remeber corectly it is 90 day layaway same as cash or 12 month payment schedule they have done this for over 20 yrs now, I dont remeber the details you would have to talk with Jason about that. They can get you a Dive-X, Farallon, Maco, Torpedo, SeaDoo, and a few more models. I do not know of any other shop in the area offering terms for gear purchase.

Does anyone else???

[CaptnJack]

DiveXtras offered a 12 months same as cash plan a few years ago through some probably now defunct bank. Ask them about financing, at least at one time it was feasible. Or buy a used short SLA Gavin for $2K-ish

Whatever you do, skip the Makos/Teknas for here in Puget Sound. I had one, its gonna leak, and you will spend your life keeping it going with saltwater threatening it every dive.

[Raydar]

DiveXtras offered a 12 months same as cash plan a few years ago through some probably now defunct bank. Ask them about financing, at least at one time it was feasible.

GMAC. Though it was ended at the beginning of the year. Not enough interest to justify the account maintenance fee.

[Raydar]

How much are you willing to pay to rent a scooter for a day/weekend?

In that sense, Lithium batterys and Cudas and such are the best thing that could happen to the used scooter market (from a buyers perspective).

We do our best.

[sheahanmcculla]

How much are you willing to pay to rent a scooter for a day/weekend?

Hadn't really thought that far. I would pay $40/$50 day or $80/$100 weekend I think.

[airsix]

I would pay $40/$50 day or $80/$100 weekend I think.

If you think you'd rent at least once per month here's something else to think about:
A Sierra standard package is around $3,800, right?
At 6% interest over 5 years that works out to about $75/mo.
Would you rather pay $75 to rent one each month, or pay the same per month (for 5yrs) to own it?

[Raydar]

I would pay $40/$50 day or $80/$100 weekend I think.

If you think you'd rent at least once per month here's something else to think about:
A Sierra standard package is around $3,800, right?
At 6% interest over 5 years that works out to about $75/mo.
Would you rather pay $75 to rent one each month, or pay the same per month (for 5yrs) to own it?

Don't forget that you can sell that scooter for $2-3K after diving it for a few years.

[Mattleycrue76]

Don't forget that you can sell that scooter for $2-3K after diving it for a few years.

This is the reason that I see a rental fleet as feasible. A business could purchase the scoots at wholesale, use them for a year and then sell them for about $2500. So in essence the cost to the business in terms of devaluation is about $75-$100 per month. Rent the scooter out two days a month and you break even. The rest is profit.

I'm not accounting for service work or replacing parts because I think they're (the Dive Xtras scooters) built solidly enough to run fine for a year without any major problems.

Also a great way for a shop to sell some scooter C card classes

The only thing that I would fear is liability.

[sheahanmcculla]

I would pay $40/$50 day or $80/$100 weekend I think.

If you think you'd rent at least once per month here's something else to think about:
A Sierra standard package is around $3,800, right?
At 6% interest over 5 years that works out to about $75/mo.
Would you rather pay $75 to rent one each month, or pay the same per month (for 5yrs) to own it?

I like the way you laid it out Ben, but I am a person who HATES debt. 5 years is a long time. I would rather loose a little money while renting, and save up for one.


I don’t understand how a scooter would have any more liability then a regulator or dive computer. As long as you take the training, and sign the waiver, what’s the difference?

[Mattleycrue76]

The biggest difference is that a dive computer or reg is only problematic if it fails. A Scooter (or a drysuit for that matter) can be dangerous if the user makes a mistake or is improperly trained.

I'm sure you can shield yourself from the liability somehow, I'm just not sure what it would take.

[ljjames]

they rent scooters in the tropics all the time, but generally the less expensive type. a scooter can be a money maker there. charge 125 for a DPV class so they can rent the scoot, then charge 100 bucks a day for the rental. if the scooter cost you the shop a grand, and there are fun places to scooter (both scuba and snorkel) you'll make it back pretty quick...

the "tech" scooters are an entirely different matter.. 5 or 6k is a HUGE investment for a dive shop. the return on it just isn't there in our waters. They are nitch market. A warm water diver looks at a torpedo or an apollo and 'gets' how it's supposed to drag them through the water... tow behind is not as 'user intuitive' which equals 'less fun' to the novice. Wear and tear and the potential for damage is FAR more of an issue with a scoot than it is a reg or a BCD or a tank. and a reg/bcd/tank is ridiculously cheap by comparison. Same with a drysuit. In the same way, a drysuit bought specifically for rental is unlikely to pay for itself before its seals need to be replaced from cracking. The maintenance for a rental drysuit is more trouble than its worth (we rented them when i had my shop) you have to make sure they don't leak, valves work, etc etc etc etc...

ask underwater sports, they rented apollo's for years, they rent drysuits...

[CaptnJack]

This is the reason that I see a rental fleet as feasible. A business could purchase the scoots at wholesale, use them for a year and then sell them for about $2500. So in essence the cost to the business in terms of devaluation is about $75-$100 per month. Rent the scooter out two days a month and you break even. The rest is profit.

But there are really only "6" days left in a month to make that profit. And you need to sell it for the $2500 which may or may not pan out depending on what's been released on the market in the meantime. If you don't sell it and hold onto it for a few extra years instead you're looking at replacing the batteries (probably killed due to deep discharges and delayed recharging) and other higher cost maintenance.

Considering most shops are still pushing BCs that don't even support a tow behind scooter, I don't see tech scooters being rented anytime soon.

A cheap seadoo pull behind for $100 day really only appeals to the warm water tourist. PNW divers are too cheap.

[Mattleycrue76]

PNW divers are too cheap.

True dat.

[sheahanmcculla]

You guys are fun squashers!!! :naka:

[airsix]

PNW divers are too broke.

There, I fixed it for you.

PNW diver's aren't cheap, they just spent the money already. $1,200 light, 2 drysuits, 4-20 cylinders, 3-5 reg sets, 4 masks, spools, reels, SMBs, classes, more classes, a thicker hood, glove rings, new better glove rings, rockboots, wetsuit boots, turbosoles, Chuck Taylors, back to rockboots, jetfins, turtles, jetfins again, another SPG, custom hoses, the right custom hoses, another class, 3rd drysuit, fill cards, gas, two backup lights, two more new/better backup lights, drysuit repairs, UW camera housing, new camera to replace the one that drowned, spare um... everything, gas, new tailgate, $400 underwear... (some even go off the deep end and buy a compressor and boat )

[CaptnJack]

PNW divers are too broke.

There, I fixed it for you.

PNW diver's aren't cheap, they just spent the money already. $1,200 light, 2 drysuits, 4-20 cylinders, 3-5 reg sets, 4 masks, spools, reels, SMBs, classes, more classes, a thicker hood, glove rings, new better glove rings, rockboots, wetsuit boots, turbosoles, Chuck Taylors, back to rockboots, jetfins, turtles, jetfins again, another SPG, custom hoses, the right custom hoses, another class, 3rd drysuit, fill cards, gas, two backup lights, two more new/better backup lights, drysuit repairs, UW camera housing, scooter, new camera to replace the one that drowned, spare um... everything, gas, new tailgate, $400 underwear... (some even go off the deep end and buy a compressor and boat )

fixed for you too

a boat is required equipment btw

[CaptnJack]

You guys are fun squashers!!! :naka:

Have all the shops been PMing you their $2 Cuda rental deals??

[loanwolf]

You guys are fun squashers!!! :naka:

Have all the shops been PMing you their $2 Cuda rental deals??

Holly crap you made me snort with with this one I laughed so hard.

[Nwbrewer]

PNW divers are too broke.

There, I fixed it for you.

PNW diver's aren't cheap, they just spent the money already. $1,200 light, 2 drysuits, 4-20 cylinders, 3-5 reg sets, 4 masks, spools, reels, SMBs, classes, more classes, a thicker hood, glove rings, new better glove rings, rockboots, wetsuit boots, turbosoles, Chuck Taylors, back to rockboots, jetfins, turtles, jetfins again, another SPG, custom hoses, the right custom hoses, another class, 3rd drysuit, fill cards, gas, two backup lights, two more new/better backup lights, drysuit repairs, UW camera housing, new camera to replace the one that drowned, spare um... everything, gas, new tailgate, $400 underwear... (some even go off the deep end and buy a compressor and boat )

I like how you threw new tailgate in there. That does seem to be a PNW shore diver issue doesn't it?

[John Rawlings]

I like how you threw new tailgate in there. That does seem to be a PNW shore diver issue doesn't it?

Yeah....I laughed when I read that! I hauled my old salt-eaten, rusted tailgate to the dump about a week ago. The reaction of the dump employee was "Holy Crap! What happened to that?!!!"