Advice for starting a dive charter business?

[johndiver999]

Is the OP a diver? Not that it is essential, but on the other hand, if he is not a diver and has not done a good bit of local diving, he may benefit greatly from gaining that kind of perspective.

Dealing with divers and all their problems, their heavy gear (that beats the hell out of a boat and crew) and all the many safety issues and increased supervision and monitoring that is required - versus say fishing might be surprising, if someone hasn't seen all this stuff first hand.

I assume the season would be May through October at best. I would be most worried about the relevant weather windows and seasonality of the venture. People can more easily fish after a storm when the visibility is zero, but divers aren't gonna want to go in those conditions (even if it is flat calm) and if you take out too many people in crappy conditions, the captain will be blammed.

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

The person you really need to listen to, the EF Hutton of dive boat charters, is @Wookie. When I open my dive center, I hope to invite @cerich and @Wookie to come over (I will set each of them at a place right on the beach) and critique/advise on how I can do things better (I will work for other people before I open). I will tell my employees that Chris and Frank overrule anything I say.

You obviously understand that you are in the hospitality business, so following Frank's advice and checking the numbers, I expect you to be quite successful. I hope to swing by one day before I make my move, dive with you, and buy you dinner to hear about your experiences good and bad.

Great to hear this Kosta.... Hope your plans are for here in the PAC NW. We can really use another quality charter OP.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Great to hear this Kosta.... Hope your plans are for here in the PAC NW. We can really use another quality charter OP.

Greek islands. On an island with unreported ancient wrecks nearby per an old sponge diver.

 

[RedSeaDiver2]

Greek islands. On an island with unreported ancient wrecks nearby per an old sponge diver.

Nice! I'm slowly working towards doing something in the Red Sea.

 

[rx7diver]

Do you have skills and knowledge to get a stubborn motor running well enough to get back to port?

Will you have an on-board compressor? If so, can you get it running if it becomes recalcitrant during a charter?

Do you have someone to back you up if you are unable, yourself, to run the boat for a scheduled trip?

Do you have a list of competent people who can serve as a mate? (I'm thinking a 6-pack worked by a captain and a mate.) The mate needs to be a skilled diver and needs to be able to run the boat, too, I think.

ETA: Do you have anyone who can do front-office duties (e.g., take reservations) and run errands while you're out on a charter?

rx7diver

 

[Justin Phillips]

This is a pretty awesome thread. So many good gotchas have been thrown out. I want to do the same thing in the next 8 years or so. Want the boat a well oiled machine with great space for all divers gear and have the divers have an amazing experience. I will keep following this for sure.

 

[azstinger11]

Greek islands. On an island with unreported ancient wrecks nearby per an old sponge diver.

I can’t wait for you to get this open, really want to check it out. Also sure you’ll run a top notch center.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I can’t wait for you to get this open, really want to check it out. Also sure you’ll run a top notch center.

The one advantage of living in Seattle with its crappy weather, the wife is more and more eager about moving to Greece and agrees that we need to buy land soon. Fortunately, I have good contacts who are well connected on that particular island. Plus my godsister lives on a nearby island whose husband is from a family of builders (and one of the richest on that nearby island). I will tell you, building in Greece (legally) is complex. One example is that Greek government archaeologists have to sign off that there are no antiquities on your property.