So you don't buy clothing or shoes or coffee or dine at resturants? The dive shop business is the least "net profitable" business.
Restaurants have 50 people working non stop...my LDS has 1 guy who sits behind the counter and surfs the internet.
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So you don't buy clothing or shoes or coffee or dine at resturants? The dive shop business is the least "net profitable" business.
Restaurants have 50 people working non stop...my LDS has 1 guy who sits behind the counter and surfs the internet.
I owned 2 restaurants, managed 2 others. The markup on most food is 600%. The payroll was a fraction of what it costs a dive shop in payroll.
Look, buy or don’t buy from an LDS. I don’t care. But you’re paying 100% markup no matter who you’re buying from on MOST things. Not even close on tanks, computers, scooters, rebreathers, and about a dozen other items, but like I said in the beginning. We are a super successful shop in that we’re the only one around in 45 years. The owner makes $35k per year. I make whatever I teach. The employees make $10/hour and no one is getting rich. If you think you’re getting raped at those income levels, buy a compressor and HOG or Deep 6 gear, and keep moving. And we will too.
I did not mean to cause waves. I've never been to your shop so please don't take anything I've said as a personal attack. It's not, it's souly based on my very small perception on what I have locally. I doubt that your shop is ran anywhere like some of the ones up here....and not all LDS are bad. I think someone else mentioned it, in today's day and age they will have to innovate or slowly fade away.
I own my own compressor and I own and service my D6 regs. If I lived near your shop, this may not be the case, but it is what it is.
I promise I didn’t take offense. It’s hard to get tone from text. I know there are bad shops out there. It’s the reason we get to stay in business. But if no shop stays in business, yours is the only answer. And entry level ain’t cheap. Own your own compressor, service your own gear.
it’s the reason I bought a compressor and booster for my hangar. It was looking like someone was going to buy our shop. And I wanted to be able to supply my needs. The owner has been in very poor health for years and spent most of this month in the hospital. Frankly, I just can’t bear to see a 45 year long legacy from a guy who has been a father to me, go down the tubes, so I’ll likely be buying the shop soon.
At any rate, this is a passion. Unlike most dive shop owners, I have a pretty strong background in business. I hope one day you’ll come and visit. I’ll buy you lunch and you can tell me whatcha think.
I love this community. Except cave divers. Those guys are aholes. Lol
GUE?1200?!?!?!?! Holy Christ
IIRC, some time ago, there was a dive shop near Toronto that was advertising what, on first glance was an obscene amount ($2000+) for their OW course. If you read the fine print, however, the course was in the middle of winter and it included airfare and hotel for 4 days in Nassau to do the open water dives.1200?!?!?!?! Holy Christ