Liability

[SFreihof@aol.com]

I have often wondered why, in an era of things like Jet Skis and Snowmobiles,
there is no personal sub market.  Why hasn't someone done with subs what
Piper did with airplanes?  There is Sport Subs in Canada... a semi-dry
design, but few others in a sport sub, and the few that are available are $$$
expensive!  It seems to me that liability concerns, (i.e. product liability
insurance) must be the restricting factor.

I note that there is a parallel in the aircraft industry.  Cessna and Piper
both quit building single engine airplanes because of prohibitive product
liability costs.  I heard that Cessna was paying $80,000 per unit in product
liability premiums, and thus the cost of the airplanes became prohibitive.

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) members, and Burt Rutan in
particular, have been selling airplane kits for years.  There are obviously
ways to circumvent the liability concerns for kit-built planes.  Why is there
no sub equivalent?  Why is a simple sub, even a semi-dry sub, so damn
expensive to buy?

My question here is this:  Is liability killing the sub market?  Why are
there not sub units available equivalent to small aircraft, and why no kit
subs (except maybe Kittredge and Sport Sub) available to the motivated
builder?  And isn't there any way to develop a market?

Is liability the stumbling block here?  What other hazards are preventing
this market from developing?

Hmmm... seems most of you all are full of answers, and I seem to be full of
questions.  I'm not sure I'm very helpful to this group... but I certainly
hope I can stimulate some of you heavy thinkers into some deep discussions...

Keep making bubbles....

Stan Freihofer
SFreihof@aol.com