Pricing dive gear affects everything — from how much you earn per sale to how confident divers feel shopping with you. However, pricing can get tricky with minimum advertised price (MAP) policies, online competition, and customers ranging from first-timers to pros.
Flat markups don’t cut it anymore. Successful dive shops use retail pricing strategies based on how their customers actually shop — keeping margins healthy, inventory moving, and value clear from beginner kits to high-end gear.
Here are seven ways to approach pricing that support steady sales and long-term customer trust.
Keystone markup, or doubling the wholesale cost to set the retail price point, is a common starting point in dive shop retail. But if you apply it across the board, especially to high-end products and services, you risk pricing yourself out of sales and losing ground to online competitors.
Use keystone markups as a guide to your retail pricing strategy:
Apply keystone pricing to low to mid-priced items: You can price accessories, snorkels, and gloves with a 100% markup where competition is low.
Scale back on premium gear: Adjust pricing on luxury brands, buoyancy control devices (BCDs), regulators, and computers to maintain competitive prices with online retailers.
One of the best ways to use keystone markups? Let your sales data lead. Bump up prices on bestsellers while easing off of slow-movers or gear that’s easy to price check online. Pricing isn’t one-size-fits-all — your numbers will tell you where to adjust and where to hold steady.
If you stock premium gear from brands like Scubapro or Aqualung, you probably work within the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) or MAP policies. These rules limit how you price gear publicly, but they don’t stop you from adding value in other ways.
Respect MAP boundaries: Keep each brand’s in-store and online pricing guidelines to maintain relationships with top suppliers and avoid penalties.
Add value where it counts: Offer extras like free regulator servicing, exclusive accessories, or loyalty points. You may not be able to offer a discount, but you can make the full ticket price feel like a better investment.
Lean on expertise: Help buyers compare models and determine what works for their dive goals, especially when features aren’t easy to decode. Personalized advice can make your dive shop the obvious choice — even at full MSRP.
These policies might keep you from offering the lowest gear prices, but strong service and support give customers more than one reason to choose your shop over the competition.
Not every diver walks into your shop with the same background or budget. New divers are often overwhelmed by gear and unsure where to begin, while experienced divers tend to know exactly what they want and are ready to spend. Your pricing should reflect those different mindsets!
Keep wide margins on entry-level gear: Stock affordable fins, masks, and wetsuits with healthy markups. Beginners care more about price than brand — and they’re less likely to price check every item.
Price high-end gear to compete: Keep margins lean for seasoned divers buying regulators, dive computers, or tech kits. These customers compare specs and prices, so competitive pricing helps close the sale.
Guide with signage and staff cues: Talk to customers to help them find gear that matches their skill level. Make sure staff can confidently guide first-timers and pros without upselling or confusing them.
When you price based on experience level, it’s easier to match customers with the gear they need at a price that works for them and protects your margins.
Sometimes all it takes is making someone feel like they’re getting a deal. Strategic pricing choices can influence perception and make high-ticket gear seem more reasonable, especially for newer divers or buyers who are on the fence.
Here’s how to use psychology to your advantage:
Use left-digit bias to shift perception: List a dive computer at $399 instead of $400 to make the cost feel smaller. That subtle shift can reduce hesitation and help close more sales without changing your actual margins.
Anchor with premium gear to highlight value: Place your mid-range fins or regulators next to high-end models. The comparison makes mid-tier gear feel like the right pick. It works exceptionally well during peak travel season, when shoppers are ready to spend.
These tactics don’t undercut your retail pricing strategy — they work with it. When you shape how customers see the price, you help them justify the purchase without slashing your margins.
Rental gear doesn’t stay on the shelf forever, and if you’re not reselling it, you’re leaving money behind. With a dedicated resale strategy, you can bring in revenue while serving budget-conscious divers.
Here’s how to make it work:
Set depreciation rules: Discount rental gear by 20-30% after one season, with deeper cuts after two seasons.
Label gear clearly: Include condition, age, original value, and how many dives it’s been on. Transparency builds trust.
Target new or occasional divers: Use pre-owned gear as a low-cost entry point for those not ready to commit to full retail.
With the right pricing, used gear turns into a second sale — not a loss.
Loyalty perks and volume discounts reward divers for frequenting your shop, spending more, or referring friends, without undercutting your margins. Making them part of your retail pricing strategy encourages repeat purchases and builds stronger long-term customer relationships.
Here’s how to turn loyalty into long-term revenue:
Reward bundled purchases: Pair discounts on accessories with core gear like wetsuits or dive computers to increase total spend.
Build diver tiers or club perks: Design loyalty programs that award points toward fills, repairs, or exclusive training access.
Use a point of sale (POS) system to automate perks, track spending habits, and apply discounts or bonuses based on real buying behavior.
Tracking profit by stock keeping units (SKUs) is important, but it can be misleading. A product might look like it’s making good money on its own, but if other similar items in the same category aren’t selling or have low margins, the whole group might be less profitable than it appears.
Use category-level tracking for more data-driven pricing. This helps you:
Category insights show the bigger picture, putting you in a better position to price for profit, not just for volume.
Retail pricing strategies only stick when you have the right tools to apply and manage them. An all-in-one POS system, like Dive Shop 360, can help you manage every part of the sales process — from the register to repair tickets to course sign-ups — in one integrated solution.
Dive Shop 360 links up your in-store checkout, online shop, class schedule and bookings, and gear repairs. And with more than 120 vendor catalogs built into the software, you can set prices fast and use custom reports to review what’s working and what needs adjustment.
You can also send email reminders, sell gift cards, and follow up on trips or certifications. Dive Shop 360 integrates with QuickBooks and Smartwaiver to keep accounting and waivers organized without extra steps for your staff.
Schedule a live demo to see how the top-rated dive shop POS solution can help you price confidently, sell more, and stay in control of your margins.