Welcome to the Unified Diving Industry Forum

[SDE Dennis]

When I posted I got this message.

Thank you for posting! Your post will not be visible until a moderator has approved it for posting.

 

[cerich]

What was censored?

pete, I have a large post waiting to be approved, please don't lose it! I hate typing long posts!

 

[cerich]

Hi Dick,

Glad you are here finally as well!

As virtually anybody who has spent a few minutes on Scubaboard will know I've been a vocal critic of the DEMA organization for a few years now. I certainly haven't been alone in the industry and indeed a few folks have been right alongside me on that issue. More surprising to me was the degree of support I got within the industry from people afraid to voice their dissatisfaction. I refuse to be afraid of a industry organization! I have contacted DEMA many times to voice my concerns and ultimately felt they were on a course that would not change no matter how apparent the reef ahead.

When I heard thru the grapevine about three weeks back that Dick was talking with some other industry folks regarding trying to convince the DEMA BOD to change some horrible policies and actions they have made. I immediately contacted him and offered my support, then I started bothering every industry person I knew to do the same

We have the opportunity here to effect real change and it is important to us in the industry trying to do and share what we love while supporting our families and also to all of yo divers and those that may someday be. It's also vital to have divers as ambassadors of our aquatic realms that so few get to see yet we get to explore with such wonder. Without some type of "industry" support that last would be very difficult.

This is very much a grass root plan, one that will require a great deal of thought and effort from all of us, industry and divers, casual and fanatics! I'll say what so many in the industry know but have been reluctant to say our loud, we've haven't done our best by you, we haven't listened well and indeed we haven't always treated you well.

This start a listening process, listening to dealers, instructors(affiliated and independent) and most importantly from the divers, what do YOU need and how can we best serve your needs? I expect a sometimes painful conversation, sometimes lively and alway enlightening to come out of this.

I want to plead with my fellow industry members, many of who have been somewhat reluctant to engage in venues like this to engage now. It isn't the time to be a wall flower and from somewhat bitter high school experience being a wall flower doesn't get you much action....

 

[drbill]

Dick, good to see you here.

From my perspective as a diver of nearly 50 years, one thing I see that seems to be sorely lacking is training to enhance thew diver's experience underwater. No, I'm not referring to equipment (although your DUI drysuits have certainly enhanced the experience for a number of my friends who have less "bioprene" than I do).

I'm referring to giving them reasons to continue going under week after week, year after year. There's only so much practicing of skills one can do (although "some" need more than others). There's only so many certification levels one can achieve unless one plans to go pro.

The reason I'm thinking of is a better understanding of what they are seeing under water. I know I continue to submerge day and night because I almost always see something new and different each day. I see a new species (or really notice it for the first time) or a new behavior. I get an opportunity to record same on film. I find questions I need to return to my books to research.

DEMA is (as its name states) an EQUIPMENT-oriented entity. Equipment can only keep one's attention for so long. If we focus on developing a better understanding of what a diver actually sees going on underwater, we will give them more reasons to keep diving.

The Naturalist specialties are often a joke.... in part because those who teach them are instructors who may be very proficient in teaching about equipment and skills (unlike me) but less knowledgeable about the critters they see. I have observed instructors doing such classes misidentify things ranging from elk kelp (calling it bull kelp instead) to not knowing what a torpedo ray was (or calling it a thresher shark in one case).

Give newly certified divers a better understanding of what they are seeing underwater and I think the "drop out" rate will decline. Retailers can market new and better classes (going well beyond the usual Naturalist level) to their students as a possible profit center if well taught.

Just my two cents (all that is in my pocket since I discovered a hole in it yesterday).

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Welcome to ScubaBoard, Dick. As an independent instructor, I for one am very glad to see this happening. The main reason I did not join DEMA as a pro member is that I see them as an organization devoted to the well being of a few. The reason I teach for the agency I do is that I have just as big a voice and as many votes on important issues as the instructor who owns a shop and certifies 50 divers to my 6 or 7. I am glad to see an industry group being formed to give those of us who will choose to support it the same voice. If an independent instructor has the same amount of input(votes) as a major manufacturer only good can come out of it. If the industry wants to sell gear they need to get back to those who stand the best chance of providing the customers. The instructors and shops that push and encourage local diving. Local divers buy gear. Those of us who started out thrilled to just be in a local quarry of lake and dive it often spend the money on regs, bc's, drysuits, etc. The industry is lucky if they get a few weekend wonder vacation divers to drop several grand on equipment compared to the students who had comprehensive instruction and were encouraged by example to give the local sites a try. Well trained local divers will dive longer and more often, take more classes, and again buy more gear. They will be the future of the industry.

In today's economy there will not be as many exotic trips, high priced one dive vacations requiring a person to get certed, and needing a DM to hold their hand. There will on the other hand be those looking for new challenges at home. Those home sites will require these people tp buy gear and seek out the training appropriate to do these local sites. They will need more training with no one there to babysit them, they'll need to have their own equipment( it only makes sense time and money wise to do so), and they'll look to those who can provide this.

They can also be encouraged by seeing videos, commercials, and ads featuring divers in local quarries, lakes and the like. The looks I get when I say that at times you can have 100 foot vis in Lake Erie are priceless! 100 foot in there? You're kidding right? No I'm not. The problem is that up until now these programs like "Be a Diver" seem to focus on warm, exotic destinations. How does that help DUI, White's, OS Systems, etc? How does it help the LDS that has a quarry with fish, boats, graveyards even, in their backyard? It may bring in some people but if the focus would shift to local diving and the numbers there increase( hopefully well trained ones, not rototillers with fins) everyone will benefit in the end. Instructors get the students who now see that, yes, they can afford to dive and don't need to fly halfway round the world to do it. Shops see increased gear sales- good for manufacturers as well! And the dive travel industry can only see more numbers as a result of the increased customer base. Win, win, win all the way around.

I hope that in the coming times with Unified Diving Industry the focus goes to where it will benefit the many as opposed to the few. That is what it seems is happening now from my point of view. Why shouldn't smaller manufacturers have the same voice as the big guys. The big guys were once small as well of maybe sometimes that gets forgotten in the dive industry as it does in so many other facets of society. Please let's not lose site of that with this. Without us little guys, the big guys have no one to sell to.

 

[Dick Long]

Bill
I have always thought we should have something like Bird watching. Where people log in the different species they see. There soon will be a forum asking what Divers want the industry to supply. Please make sure your voice is heard. Think of this as an aircraft carrer. Once they decide to change course and turn the wheel it takes a while to get a course change. But if we are both consistant and persistant it can and has been done..
Dick

 

[SeaLevelScuba]

Welcome aboard Dick, this initiative is truly refreshing from a standpoint of one cannot do it alone, as the time comes, any support or assistance we can provide we will.

Schott

 

[Scott L]

Thought this was kind of funny. Check out the third page of PADI's USA home page slide show for their handle on today's diving trends.


http://www.padi.com/scuba/

 

[The Chairman]

You've lost me. I don't see this link. How about a direct link?

 

[Wookie]

You've lost me. I don't see this link. How about a direct link?

It's the third flash on this page. The poster is wanting us to see the domestic reef with the cavernosa head, the lion fish, and the diver sporting every dangly gee-gaw found on the Innovative or Cetacea scuba rack at any LDS.