Al Hornsby Resigns

[Thalassamania]

My class used to pump over $50,000 into the local LDS economy in the dead of winter, (over $100,000 for the year) with no expense for carrying inventory or anything else besides filling out out a price sheet. I even copied the sheets and distributed them. I suspect that we did more to keep LDSs in business than anyone other group in the area.

 

[gcbryan]

I'm surprised that there aren't more Sport's Chalets. I don't live in CA and have never been to one but aren't they a sports chain that also sells scuba gear? Why hasn't that concept caught on in other parts of the country?

I understand the possible downside but given the current state of affairs I see more upsides than down. If you can't stay in business selling just scuba gear then sell other recreational equipment as well.

I do think everyone is right, pushing local diving is what is missing at the industry level.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

I'm surprised that there aren't more Sport's Chalets. I don't live in CA and have never been to one but aren't they a sports chain that also sells scuba gear? Why hasn't that concept caught on in other parts of the country?

I understand the possible downside but given the current state of affairs I see more upsides than down. If you can't stay in business selling just scuba gear then sell other recreational equipment as well.

I do think everyone is right, pushing local diving is what is missing at the industry level.

Your ready for scuba to be at Walmart? Gander Mt. here tried that, twice. Failed miserably

 

[fisheater]

I'd love to see REI scuba.

 

[Leadking]

I'd love to see REI scuba.

but could you afford it?

 

[Leadking]

Your ready for scuba to be at Walmart? Gander Mt. here tried that, twice. Failed miserably

Gander Mountain was selling spear guns here where it's illegal to spear. They had a whole wall of them. Also selling 3 mil suits. The morons must have thought everyone dives in Florida. They deserved to go out of the scuba business.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Your ready for scuba to be at Walmart? Gander Mt. here tried that, twice. Failed miserably

Gander Mountain's hiring process for scuba instructors was a joke. I took the online interview one day. Having worked at World Watersports/Divers Direct, I was interested in a possible "real" career with full benefits doing what I love. I don't know how many questions like, "If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be," and other psycho-babble, I had to navigate. I can't remember if they only wanted PADI instructors or what, but the process up until I ceased applying was the silliest thing I've done since elementary school.

Sports Chalet was very friendly in Los Angeles. Completely pro PADI, but the kids working there were pleasant and you would have thought the doubles I had rented from Hollywood Divers for a week were stone tablets from the Holy Land.

Corporations wanting to cater to divers would do better not to align themselves with one agency, but provide support for instructors and divers from all major agencies. That was one of Divers Direct's biggest blunders. Not a single PADI instructor in the store in Key Largo was active status. WW/DD wouldn't allow others to teach and lost thousands each day in education.

 

[gcbryan]

Your ready for scuba to be at Walmart? Gander Mt. here tried that, twice. Failed miserably

How about having it in a store that you like to go to.
REI probably would be too expensive but that's a store that I like going to.

 

[liquidvisions]

I find all these comments very interesting, does anyone remember when the DEMA show was a huge display of diving products and a small corner was dive travel? The last show I attended was nothing short of a travel exibition.
Do you remember when there were no instructor factory's that could take a non diver from zero to hero in 6 months?
Look at the caliber of instructors coming into the market, look at the caliber of new divers we are seeing more and more of, bad instructors train bad divers, bad divers get soured and turn t another activity.
Any instructor who has come out of one of these factory's have little actual dive experience other than taking courses.
What's wrong with our industry? The same training agency that promotes this crap, the same agency that controls the market and is set to unvail at Dema next month changes which will allow
instructor candidates to complete part of their course online.
Less work for the intructor trainer same amount of revenue.

 

[PhilEllis]

How about having it in a store that you like to go to.
REI probably would be too expensive but that's a store that I like going to.

Scuba diving equipment simply does not offer enough return on investment to interest most big box stores. If they capture 100% of the local market at retail, they still don't have anything. In WalMart, I can promise you that 20 feet of shelf space dedicated to queen sized bed sheets would produce FAR more revenue than 60 feet of shelf space for scuba gear. Distribution of scuba gear through small, niche local stores and specialty sports online stores is the only viable option.

As much as we might criticize the manufacturers and stores that traffic in scuba gear, we have to admit that they choose the best available distribution model.

Phil Ellis
www.divesports.com