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SO... some shops in Arkansas won't let you dive off their boat unless your gear is serviced by them OR is tagged as having been serviced by a "professional" Had me afraid to crack a 2nd stage open and clean it before I moved to Florida.... "oh don't do that, bring it to us, we'll fix it" Seeing how regulators are life support equipment anyone that uses said equipment should have a basic knowledge of how to do basic repairs/check ups... I mean Pilots have to do pre-check's before flying their planes... divers should be at the same level...
Talked to a cave instructor one day that didn't even know how to open his 2nd stage when the diaphragm collapsed on him... REALLY.... I cracked the 2nd stage, showed him the collapsed diaphragm, fixed it.. then told him to have someone who was qualified to go on and fix the issue... because I didn't want his liability.... but HONESTLY ?????
Local shops that are far from dive sites are always going to try and hold their customers hostage to buying from that shop... its human nature.
Talked to a cave instructor one day that didn't even know how to open his 2nd stage when the diaphragm collapsed on him... REALLY.... I cracked the 2nd stage, showed him the collapsed diaphragm, fixed it.. then told him to have someone who was qualified to go on and fix the issue... because I didn't want his liability.... but HONESTLY ?????
Local shops that are far from dive sites are always going to try and hold their customers hostage to buying from that shop... its human nature.
@cerich
I get it, and wholly agree. That being said, I cannot support a bad business model or support bad behavior. Regrettably, where I am, there are a dwindling number of options, mostly due to my items above......
I am not a business man, thankfully, and I don't in any way claim to have the answer, but the conditions that exist now are not good. And yes, the manufacturers & distributors are a big part of it...
This is one of the only industries I know of that MSRP is for real.....
I get it, and wholly agree. That being said, I cannot support a bad business model or support bad behavior. Regrettably, where I am, there are a dwindling number of options, mostly due to my items above......
I am not a business man, thankfully, and I don't in any way claim to have the answer, but the conditions that exist now are not good. And yes, the manufacturers & distributors are a big part of it...
This is one of the only industries I know of that MSRP is for real.....
OP
I said in my blog that if a shop isn't good, find one that is or operate without, because I agree, why support a bad business?
Bubblesong
Contributor
Our local dive shop posted a bitter "you are not our brand representative" that they received from a large brand, due to not selling any for a year. It seems the LDS rentals were a different brand, so that is what all the students kept buying.
There has to be a better marketing move than a manufacturer sending pissy letters to dive shops about not making sales! Cripes, the dive shop WANTS to sell more, so offer carrots, not sticks?
There has to be a better marketing move than a manufacturer sending pissy letters to dive shops about not making sales! Cripes, the dive shop WANTS to sell more, so offer carrots, not sticks?
OP
typical, the reps job is to tie up as much of the open to buy dollars and force the shop into the brand ecosystem using credit terms, friendships, FUD selling, free trips, better pricing levels and so forth. The rep is betting that having that brand in the store is important enough that the store owner will fold and buy rentals, or the other possibility is they have another shop opening close by and that shop is ready to do a big opening order. Often a rep will promise exclusive dealerships in a area, then will have to be a dick to force the "exclusive" (which is normally a handshake with the rep, not the brand so it really means squat) dealer to dump the line when the rep has a bigger fish on the line.
drrich2
Contributor
One issue is the good LDS may have a piece of gear you could get by with just fine, but not the one you really want. Whether it's a reg. you can get self-service kits for, a dive computer with an intuitive interface & other features you're enamored of, a particular corrosion-resistant dive knife, etc... Many LDS's cannot match the inventory of a LeisurePro, etc...
Beyond price, there's convenience, and it's not unique to scuba. I live in a small city (~ 33,000 people) with a Walmart super center at the other end of town; not all that bad to get to. But you know, I'm an Amazon Prime member; I can shop online, read some reviews & view star ratings, and have the package show up at work in 2 business days so I don't even have to drive anywhere to get it.
For many people, the LDS is a bit farther off than that. In my case, there happens to be one on a turn off of the road I drive to work on, and they've got a dive quarry, so there is that...but it's not the usual situation for most.
Richard.
Beyond price, there's convenience, and it's not unique to scuba. I live in a small city (~ 33,000 people) with a Walmart super center at the other end of town; not all that bad to get to. But you know, I'm an Amazon Prime member; I can shop online, read some reviews & view star ratings, and have the package show up at work in 2 business days so I don't even have to drive anywhere to get it.
For many people, the LDS is a bit farther off than that. In my case, there happens to be one on a turn off of the road I drive to work on, and they've got a dive quarry, so there is that...but it's not the usual situation for most.
Richard.
OP
you seems as focused on gear sales as the LDS model as too many LDS's are.
There are 5 potential "standard" profit centers for a dive shop, many only rely on one (gear sales). If you have a decent shop but no gear ya wanna buy, support one of those other areas. If it makes sense of courseI am not advocating buying crap just because or that isn't needed or wanted. I am saying that when you have a great shop, support them when it makes sense, and that good service deserves to be rewarded.
Bubblesong
Contributor
...
The business model for scuba needs to change, no question about that. One aspect that needs to change is the model for scuba instruction.
The "$199" scuba course was invented as a loss leader, the idea being that gear sales and travel would make up the bulk of profits for a shop and that air fills and courses would be sold at cost, or below cost. Instruction was typically taught by instructors that were working for "the love of the sport."
The last brick and mortar shop I taught for lost $15 a student after paying the instructor, the YMCA for the use of the pool, and NAUI for textbooks and certification processing fees, but the owner hoped to make up for it by selling a basic skin package to every student. Unfortunately for her, almost every student that took a course their last year in business showed up with basic gear (mask, fins, and snorkels) that were bought online.
The business model of selling instruction and air at break even, or a loss, and then making up for it with gear sales is dead.
So what does that leave the dive shops with?
Training, service, and experiential events are probably the future of dive shops.
Training: the $199 course needs to go away. Instructors and shops should be fairly compensated for a professionally run course. Prospective divers need to understand that the time their instructor spends with them has value. This means that the ponzi scheme of scuba instruction needs to collapse too (I can go on rant about this for a long time).
Service: shops should be able to charge a reasonable amount for servicing your gear. If you buy components online, and are uncomfortable with assembling them yourself, the shop should be able to charge you a reasonable amount for their labor to assemble them.
Experiential events: There's a lot that can fall under this umbrella. Discover Scuba Programs, Bubble Blower parties, etc. I think there's potential here, and I think more shops would do well to push DSD's than open-water certification. Let's look at sky diving as an example, I know several people that have done the one shot tandem jump for the experience.
I also think that shops could do well to organize monthly club events -- picnics at dive sites, river clean-ups, etc. Those events will help drive people into the shop and keep them diving.
The business model for scuba needs to change, no question about that. One aspect that needs to change is the model for scuba instruction.
The "$199" scuba course was invented as a loss leader, the idea being that gear sales and travel would make up the bulk of profits for a shop and that air fills and courses would be sold at cost, or below cost. Instruction was typically taught by instructors that were working for "the love of the sport."
The last brick and mortar shop I taught for lost $15 a student after paying the instructor, the YMCA for the use of the pool, and NAUI for textbooks and certification processing fees, but the owner hoped to make up for it by selling a basic skin package to every student. Unfortunately for her, almost every student that took a course their last year in business showed up with basic gear (mask, fins, and snorkels) that were bought online.
The business model of selling instruction and air at break even, or a loss, and then making up for it with gear sales is dead.
So what does that leave the dive shops with?
Training, service, and experiential events are probably the future of dive shops.
Training: the $199 course needs to go away. Instructors and shops should be fairly compensated for a professionally run course. Prospective divers need to understand that the time their instructor spends with them has value. This means that the ponzi scheme of scuba instruction needs to collapse too (I can go on rant about this for a long time).
Service: shops should be able to charge a reasonable amount for servicing your gear. If you buy components online, and are uncomfortable with assembling them yourself, the shop should be able to charge you a reasonable amount for their labor to assemble them.
Experiential events: There's a lot that can fall under this umbrella. Discover Scuba Programs, Bubble Blower parties, etc. I think there's potential here, and I think more shops would do well to push DSD's than open-water certification. Let's look at sky diving as an example, I know several people that have done the one shot tandem jump for the experience.
I also think that shops could do well to organize monthly club events -- picnics at dive sites, river clean-ups, etc. Those events will help drive people into the shop and keep them diving.
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