You can either complain or do something about the problem: The choice is YOURS!

[Soggy_Diver]

These will not save the industry, but here are two concrete things that I would pay for as a regular diver:

First, a Rescue refresher course every year or two. Rescue was a great course. But the rescue and first aid skills are both challenging, so some maintenance would be useful. I would rather not pay the full fee to do the entire course over, but a one day refresher every year or two is something I would be willing to pay for.

Second, a freediving course. To get a freediving course currently, I would have to travel--that is probably the situation for divers in a lot of cities. I don't think that there would be enough demand in our city for the local dive shop to offer this on a regular basis, and I as far as I know, the instructor is not qualified to offer it. But I wonder if it would pay for the local dive shop to organize a freediving course each year, bring in a qualified instructor from an organization such as AIDA or Performance Freediving for a weekend, charge the students, and take a cut of the price for themselves.

Just a couple of ideas.

 

[84CJ7]

My random thoughts.

Most people won't dive in cold or mucky water where the colors for all the sealife look like they were chosen from the US Army paint catalog.
Most people now can't afford to go anywhere that doesn't fit the above description.
Most people that do get into diving in less interesting places often tell me the same thing when they quit, they are sick of having to wear all the heavy cold water gear and there just isn't enough for them to see, the adventure of it has worn off and its just a chore.

Most of the divers I see are in unacceptably bad shape for what is a physically demanding sport, so everything is more of a struggle for them even when they are properly trained and they tend to use more air and get more stressed.
Of all the people I know the list of those that are good enough for more than light tropical diving physically, and more importantly mentally, is somewhere between short and nonexistent.

I could have bought a decent used motorcycle for what all my gear cost me and I don't even have super fancy tech stuff. I would get more use out of the motorcycle. Many single dive trips cost more than a complete set of gear.
Scuba diving would be a very low priority for a lot of people if the money got tight.
Most of those one shot divers that don't return are that way because they are tropical only and get certified for a trip and can't afford to make the same trip again. Not much you can do to keep them diving after that no matter how you sell it.

In all honesty I can't even explain to myself why I want to go diving here (money makes "here" the only option), maybe because it is one of the few things left that is actually a challenge for me.
The piles of rules and regulations and the expense and hassle of getting out to any of the boat only sites on the great lakes will probably eventually kill it for me as well.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Most people won't dive in cold or mucky water where the colors for all the sealife look like they were chosen from the US Army paint catalog.

Not true for all cold or mucky water locations ... we've got cold water, and plenty of muck to dive in, but with lots of critters and color. I post pictures on SB often from what I like to refer to as my "local mudhole".

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[flots am]

So why isn't that happening now if it is so easy?

My best guess is that shops feel the other brands offer either more profit or an easier sale, but I actually have no idea.

The regs are readily available on Alibaba and extremely inexpensive.

---------- Post added June 19th, 2014 at 03:19 PM ----------

Your perspective, however, is at odds with that the industry believes. In the week-long seminar on scuba Marketing I sat through, the statistics used indicated that long term viability came from an operation's ability to build long term relationships with its customers.

That's true, but unfortunately isn't happening. It's like saying "eat your vegetables and brush your teeth after every meal" A nice idea, but few people do it.

If it were actually happening, anyplace with water would need a parking lot the size of a stadium just to hold the people lining up to dive. People just don't dive much after being trained. SCUBABoard is an anomaly, not a representation of the diving community.

SCUBA Diving takes money, effort and free time has to compete with everything else. The only reason anybody is complaining about SCUBA is because they've tried to turn it into a business.

You just don't hear anybody complain that "not enough people take evening walks" or "the dropout rate for bird-watching is too high". Nobody cares about that because they're not trying to make money on it.

Everything is what it is. A new TV show isn't going to change anything. It would take something really major to give it broad appeal. The equivalent of what Watergate, and Woodward and Bernstein did for journalism.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

You just don't hear anybody complain that "not enough people take evening walks" or "the dropout rate for bird-watching is too high". Nobody cares about that because they're not trying to make money on it.

... actually there's probably more birders in the country than divers ... and it's a fast-growing industry that generates in excess of $30 billion a year in the USA alone. So to say nobody cares is hardly accurate ... some places like Florida spend a lot of money promoting bird-watching as part of their eco-tourism offerings. They have businesses, associations and trade shows much like scuba diving has. They even made a popular movie about it a few years back ("The Big Year"). I have a friend I've been doing dive trips with for years who probably spends more on her birding addiction than she does on scuba diving ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Mike]

A new TV show isn't going to change anything.

I think you finally boiled it down to what you really mean after all is said and done.

 

[billt4sf]

Over the past few years I've heard a lot of griping, bellyaching and complaining over how our industry is in an economic backslide. .

Let me try again -- is there any actual data that support the contention that the scuba industry is in decline? And is the decline in LDS's, or tour operators, or manufacturers, or all three? Domestic US, or international? That might really give us some clues as to why. Because what I seem to be reading in this thread is lots of interesting speculation.

- Bill

 

[The Chairman]

I don't have hard data and I've explained this earlier. I've asked for it, but the people who are supposed to supply me with it don't like ScubaBoard. That being the case, I've heard most manufacturers complain about business, and that's internationally. I've heard a few resorts complain. I've heard a number of LDSes complain and seen many go out of business. All but one dive op here in the Keys feels business is way up, but they also feel it was way down for a while. It's no where near what it used to be for most of them. If you don't feel there's a problem, there's really no need to support this. If you do see a problem and want to make a difference, then it's one avenue that is open for you to try to help. I don't have a dog in this particular fight in that I am not a part of the people doing the Kickstart campaign. I voted with my dollars and am trying to appeal to others to do the same.

There's lots of reasons for not seeing the problem. It could be you never thought about it before. It could be that a few of us who have been in the scuba industry a number of years are having old fart's myopia and we don't see things clearly. A few have indicated that they would rather any more people in the water, which is it's own, self-centered myopia. You can give as little as a dollar or as much as you would like... or not. Most are sincere in their questions, but there are always a few ask-holes who act like they know the industry when they aren't even in it. What can I say? They're entitled to their opinions too. Me? I see an endemic problem. It's largely self inflicted, but it still needs to be addressed. I would rather not just stick my head in the sand and watch the fun evaporate along with the sport.

 

[boulderjohn]

These will not save the industry, but here are two concrete things that I would pay for as a regular diver:

First, a Rescue refresher course every year or two. Rescue was a great course. But the rescue and first aid skills are both challenging, so some maintenance would be useful. I would rather not pay the full fee to do the entire course over, but a one day refresher every year or two is something I would be willing to pay for.

Second, a freediving course. To get a freediving course currently, I would have to travel--that is probably the situation for divers in a lot of cities. I don't think that there would be enough demand in our city for the local dive shop to offer this on a regular basis, and I as far as I know, the instructor is not qualified to offer it. But I wonder if it would pay for the local dive shop to organize a freediving course each year, bring in a qualified instructor from an organization such as AIDA or Performance Freediving for a weekend, charge the students, and take a cut of the price for themselves.

Just a couple of ideas.

And good ideas they are.

A rescue refresher is easy enough. It doesn't take any changes. Every scuba operation includes a refresher course already. All you have to do is go to the operator and say you want a scuba refresher that focuses on rescue. I know that if you did it in our shop, you would be set up for it in about 5 minutes.

A free diving course would also be very good, and I bet a lot of shops would be glad to offer them--all they would need is a real free diver to teach the course. They are much rarer than you might think. We all teach free diving as a part of the OW course, but it is pretty minimal, and the people who teach it are rarely true free divers. I teach the OW version, but I would take a real free diving course myself if the shop with which I am associated had someone with the qualifications to teach it.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

there are always a few ask-holes who act like they know the industry when they aren't even in it.

One of the "pros" thinks the customers aren't part of the industry? I think you might have just found some insight to your perceived problem.