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Bryan
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Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 11:40 am
First Name: Bryan
Location: Wesley Chapel Florida
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Why can't I buy an Argonaut Kraken ?????

Wed Aug 19, 2020 11:46 am

WHY CAN'T I BUY AN ARGONAUT KRAKEN? I want it immediately, delivered tomorrow, lifetime warranty and for $99.95 with free shipping.
1. COVID 19 has changed all of us .....Don't need to tell anyone that but just in case you live under a rock....Businesses have closed or are still not back at work. 3 of the vendors that make parts that go inside the Kraken, Phoenix and Cyclone are NOT WORKING.....which means even if I was pushing wheelbarrows full of cash to their door they are unable to answer. They are small and medium sized manufacturing companies and I'm not going to waste my limited resources trying to find new ones or to look overseas.

2. COVID 19 has made liquid capital virtually unobtainable for someone like me. The cost to produce a run of the Argonaut Kraken regulators is HIGH!  For you OG's of the Kraken scene you know I had to crowd fund the 1st run of them because it was so costly to produce. Until I can borrow short term money at an interest rate of less than 20% they won't be made. Only a fool would work their ass off to produce something only to pay back a bank.
 
So until we get this whole global mess straightened out that is the state of things here......I know I'm not the only one reading this who is going through a similar situation.  So please have some patience and I'll get back to it just as soon as it's possible. I don't like disappointing customers anymore than they like to be disappointed but this is how the cow eats the cabbage at VDH right now. I hope this clears this up and will help to curb the BS emails and posts I have been reading about my eminent demise. 
Doing it right should include some common sense, not just blindly following specs and instructions. .Gary D, AWAP on SB

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Ron
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Re: Why can't I buy an Argonaut Kraken ?????

Wed Aug 19, 2020 1:56 pm

I feel like a lot of consumers would benefit from a couple of basic business classes. VDH is a small business. It's not Aqualung or Scubapro. Not that it would matter if it was. Hell, Brooks Brothers just went bankrupt and they've been in business since 1818.

Sometimes I feel like we could solve this if Internet access required a basic 4th grade math test. That would weed enough people out :lol:

"Reduce these two fractions to least common denominator." That right there, hundreds of thousands weeded out.
The impossible missions are the only ones which succeed. -JYC

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luis
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First Name: Luis
Location: Maine

Re: Why can't I buy an Argonaut Kraken ?????

Wed Aug 19, 2020 8:48 pm

Thanks for the post Bryan.

Good luck.
Luis

Buceador con escafandra autónoma clásica.

SeaHuntJerry
Master Diver
Posts: 420
Joined: Sat Jul 02, 2005 12:45 am
Location: Minneapolis

Re: Why can't I buy an Argonaut Kraken ?????

Thu Aug 20, 2020 10:26 pm

Hi Bryan,
Thanks for the post.My friend just bought a Argonaut Kraken last week from a guy near me in Minnesota.he was a lucky Cow for :) sure!
Take care,Jerry

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seakrakken
Master Diver
Posts: 107
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2005 4:47 am

Re: Why can't I buy an Argonaut Kraken ?????

Fri Aug 21, 2020 8:28 am

I really feel very fortunate that I was able to score a Krakken as late as I did!
I found mine on SB and was even luckier still when it came with a VDH backplate!
At that point in the game neither were available.
I have posted pics elsewhere on the forum of it with its original red hoses and DSV.
I still keep it in the bright yellow case I got for it at Harbor Freight.
AK16-001 is safe at home in my Dive Locker.

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Chris
Master Diver
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First Name: Chris
Location: Coos Bay Oregon
Contact: Website

Re: Why can't I buy an Argonaut Kraken ?????

Sun Sep 27, 2020 3:06 am

Ron wrote:
Wed Aug 19, 2020 1:56 pm
I feel like a lot of consumers would benefit from a couple of basic business classes. VDH is a small business. It's not Aqualung or Scubapro. Not that it would matter if it was. Hell, Brooks Brothers just went bankrupt and they've been in business since 1818.

Sometimes I feel like we could solve this if Internet access required a basic 4th grade math test. That would weed enough people out :lol:

"Reduce these two fractions to least common denominator." That right there, hundreds of thousands weeded out.
My sixth grrade teacher had a class activity with a home made theme song called "Money makes the world go round." The lesson was on suply and demand. I was part of a group that manufactured sheet metal for air planes(paper). I had to mak it better than my competitors(class mates), and convince the plane manufacturers to buy my product. The plane folders had to do the same but to get those in class buying comercial planes to buy theirs over the other plane manufacturers. Wish he had also taught us about some plane builders bribing officials to pass laws against competitors.

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Bryan
Plank Owner
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Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 11:40 am
First Name: Bryan
Location: Wesley Chapel Florida
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Re: Why can't I buy an Argonaut Kraken ?????

Mon Dec 14, 2020 11:37 am

I'm still alive an kicking......I'm going to take a few days off of my normal job to strip old varnish off my woody boat....I know you are all totally envious!!! While I'm watching varnish dry I will try to play catch up on some housekeeping items on the Forum and the website store.

Argonaut Kraken.....Where do we stand ??? I am trying to source some internal components that I'm out of and have been for a while and I may be able to assemble a few of them.

LONG TERM......It will take a large influx of capitol at an affordable interest rate, VENDORS to all go back to work and the time to do it on my part.

When the 1st series was released in 2014 it took a crowd funding effort of 26k and somewhere around 40k from private investors and myself behind the scenes for some 4 years prior in development before it got released. Not sure if that means anything to anybody, just to give you an idea of the rope I'm trying to push uphill.
Doing it right should include some common sense, not just blindly following specs and instructions. .Gary D, AWAP on SB

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couv
Master Diver
Posts: 453
Joined: Tue Jul 18, 2006 10:26 pm

Re: Why can't I buy an Argonaut Kraken ?????

Mon Dec 14, 2020 9:39 pm

Well Big Guy, it's good just to hear you are alive and kicking AND will get around to doing a few hobby-ish things.

All the best,

Couv
A sincere THANK YOU to all at VDH who make this wonderful resource available and to all the thoughtful contributors.

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Bryan
Plank Owner
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Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 11:40 am
First Name: Bryan
Location: Wesley Chapel Florida
Contact: Website

Re: Why can't I buy an Argonaut Kraken ?????

Wed Dec 16, 2020 10:55 am

See Argonaut Kraken in the website store........Won't make it in time for Santa but it will get there! :D
Doing it right should include some common sense, not just blindly following specs and instructions. .Gary D, AWAP on SB

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Bronze06
Master Diver
Posts: 666
Joined: Tue Jul 01, 2014 5:33 am
First Name: Russell
Location: Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

Re: Why can't I buy an Argonaut Kraken ?????

Sat Apr 17, 2021 2:03 pm

Wow, I’m just 64 miles from you
"Where'd ya get that ol' thang, don't cha' know them thare things ill kill ya!"

Live From the Red Sea,

Russ

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Chris
Master Diver
Posts: 495
Joined: Thu Mar 28, 2013 1:44 am
First Name: Chris
Location: Coos Bay Oregon
Contact: Website

Re: Why can't I buy an Argonaut Kraken ?????

Wed Apr 21, 2021 10:41 pm

Im still seeing a lot of empty stores on the west coast waiting for suply. One of the saw shops has a list of 60 people waiting for a new saw to come in. And that is from Stihl.

stevieb
New Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Oct 06, 2019 1:50 pm
First Name: steve

Re: Why can't I buy an Argonaut Kraken ?????

Wed Jan 26, 2022 5:09 pm

I have a Kracken that is incredible and has the original orange hoses. I believe it is serial #45 that I may let go of for the right price.

bassboy134
New Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2022 11:13 am
First Name: Travis

Re: Why can't I buy an Argonaut Kraken ?????

Wed Feb 16, 2022 7:19 pm

stevieb, PM and email sent. I’m interested.

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Chris
Master Diver
Posts: 495
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First Name: Chris
Location: Coos Bay Oregon
Contact: Website

Re: Why can't I buy an Argonaut Kraken ?????

Wed Mar 23, 2022 11:28 pm

So are there still problems in supply with the Kraken parts? Haven't seen any updates for a while, but we still have some supply issues on the west coast.

scott232
Diver
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 3:23 pm
First Name: Scott
Location: Hawthorne CA

Re: Why can't I buy an Argonaut Kraken ?????

Mon Aug 07, 2023 9:42 pm

My favorite regulator ever ! Glad I got one pre COVID.


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