Bittersweet day

[cappyjon431]

Today is a bittersweet day for me. After three years of owning and operating my dive shop, today is my last day as owner and operator. I have sold the shop and the new owner takes over Monday (I am giving him 4-6 weeks of training starting Monday). I am happy to have sold the shop, but I will deeply miss the amazing staff and guests I have been priviledged to work with over the years.

I sold because what attracted me to owning my own shop in the first place has not materialized as expected. I have not dived for over a year (with the exception of a few training dives), I am tired of 10-12 hours days, seven days a week. I put my heart and soul into the business, but at the expense of not being able to actually "enjoy" living in paradise took its toll.

I did not sell because the shop was not profitable. In three years of ownership I have raised our certifications over 30%, and our fun dives went up over 25%. The shop showed a profit in each of the three years that I owned it. The growth actually overwhelmed me, I thought I would be able to go out and lead dives and do some teaching, but I have been so busy actually running the shop and working with our staff that my plans never materialized. For those that say that the dive industry is in a decline and it is not profitable, I would argue that it can be if you are willing to put in the hard work and provide top-notch customer service.

So what's next? I have not figured it out at this point. I know that I want to take a year and actually enjoy living in the tropical paradise and work on applying to CD school (I need to audit 4-5 IDCs). The new owner has expressed an interest in hiring me to do all the professional level training.If that doesn't work out, I guess I could always move back to the States (I miss cave diving!) and go back to teaching college English.

I am not really sure why I posted this, but it feels good to get it off my chest.

 

[bjf123]

Best of luck in whatever the future holds for you.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

It's very frustrating to find that "the business of diving is not diving," but it sounds like the possibility of working for your shop will be a win-win! You just need to know when not to cross the line as the former owner, but there might be no one better to take your love of the business into the field. In fact, staying out of the shop as much as possible might be a good idea. Bringing your owner attitude to make sure divers are having a good time in the field might be worth its weight in gold for you regarding classes and tips and help grow the business which would help grow the number of potential students you have. That's from the untitled me.

The international training director of the Americas me wants to add that if there is anything that I, or PSAI, could do for you as a dive professional please don't hesitate to contact me.

The former English major me and cave diver would also be willing to be your college teaching assistant!

 

[Doc]

You were a good promoter of all operations& tourism in the region.

If more would take your lead on that, what a better place this would be.

Congrats and keep us informed. Teaching college English is a lost art and cause.

 

[The Chairman]

Good luck in all your endeavors, cappyjon.

Owning a dive business is a two edged sword. Down here in the Keys, I often ask a couple of the owners and captains how they are doing. A few of them give me this weary look and exclaim "Living the dream!" Sometimes a change of pace is all we need to get things into perspective. Sometimes we need to get out. I hope I can discern between the two if/when the time comes.

Moving down to the Keys has been a God send for me. I have lost 28 pounds and have been diving more. It was a wonderful decision on my part. I think it's important that we assess our situations from time to time and adjust. Some may need a small adjustment while others may need a more radical one like yourself. You never came across as being "burned out", so it's apparent you quit while you were ahead. Too many of us wait until we become a liability before we get the hint to move on. Kudos to you for beating that curve and maintaining your sanity.