Question “Concierge Diving” Is that a thing or marketing babble?

[Doc]

The phrase has been cropping up with some regularity.

I Googled it, hoping for a definition.

A lot of usage of this phrase on Twit Advisor, seems to be a big thing in Roatan. Who knew?

I clicked their links, read them, I saw no service offered that I am not getting as a universal at any other vacation-week type dive op.

And maybe elsewhere? The Caribbean seems to be a burgeoning market for this very special thing.

I really see it as having no real meaning, no real definition. Etymology? A blank.

In most destinations, I expect my gear and tanks to be loaded aboard, certainly in the Caribbean. Yet, some dive ops hang their marketing hats on this phrase. Is it gear carrying, reg set rigging, or rinsing, or ….. what?

Of those fellow SB posters who may be enticed to book by this phrase, what is it that they are going to provide to make your dive day better… something that is not common nor the norm for other providers?

Obviously, I think this is a marketing buzz-word, pure fluff, having no nutritional value.

Change my mind.

 

[Ukmc]

These are some funny choices. Thank you for making me laugh.
For me, concierge diving is when you come to dive with an outfit for a week. They pick up your dive bag from the room, bring it to the boat, I set up the gear. Then, I only worry about my mask, computer and camera (+/- reg). They rinse my gear unload it over night and set it up in AM…
I never had to un-kit in the water, but for those who need it, it should be a part of it. Fresh water shower on the boat and fruit snacks is a nice addition but not a must.

 

[MidOH]

I thought it was a derogatory term?

To take a stab at spoiled divers.

 

[Johnoly]

I understand that your question may be more for diver's on vacation rather than a local weekly diver.

Locally, We have 1 or 2 dive ops that will both unload & load your car's trunk of both tanks and dive gear, I mean drive up, pop the trunk release, and they will reach in and either unload or load..
There are people that will specifically book for that reason since it is not the norm in our local diving.

I also know of a handful of "Concierge Dive People" who have a long clientele list that goes WAY ABOVE that. They book the hotel stay, pick up from the lobby in a black Cadillac Escalade, drive you to the private boat, and act as your personal dive master/photog/videor. The Lunch/snack/beverages are all high end catered in to the boat. At the end of your trip, your gear is washed dried and packed in your luggage bag waiting at the front desk. Payment is usually done by sending an invoice to the client's office, no cash is ever seen .

 

[BoltSnap]

We have 1 or 2 dive ops that will both unload & load your car's trunk of both tanks and dive gear, I mean drive up, pop the trunk release, and they will reach in and either unload or load..
There are people that will specifically book for that reason since it is not the norm in our local diving.

This is beyond awesome. The worst part about diving for me is loading and unloading and lugging gear to/from boat/vehicle.

Where is this if I may ask? Can't be NY or NJ

 

[drrich2]

I would be enticed by the offer of concierge diving if my wife got back into diving and were along with me on a trip.

To me, there are a few different service level tiers relevant to this.

1.) DIY - the boat is sort of a water taxi. They drive you to the dive site, give a dive briefing, pool's open, no-added-charge dive guides aren't part of the package, bring your own gear and tank onboard, set up and break down your own gear. This is what I associate with California diving from my one liveaboard trip there years ago.

2.) Near DIY - much like that, except they may put a guide in the water (what I saw in Jupiter, FL), or a guide can be had cheaply (Olympus Dive Center in Morehead City, NC). Change your own tank out between dives, IIRC.

3.) Intermediate - you bring your own gear to the boat, the tanks might already be there, you might put your own tank on first, but staff might change the tank between dives to keep things moving.

4.) Concierge - they take your gear, put in on the tank (which is already there), may help you into your gear (e.g.: hold a BCD strap out to aid getting your arm through it), change tanks for you between dives, check to be sure your air is turned on, etc... Ideally, on multi-day dive trips, they keep your gear and you don't have to take anything off the boat if you don't want to.

There are other shades of gray, but that's a good start.

I don't mind any of the above, though I prefer concierge because I'm lazy and I don't have a really unusual rig, so I'm not too worried the boat crew will mess it up. It's like asking me if I were doing a bus tour on a cruise ship stop, would I prefer it if the driver pumped the gas or I had to. Not a hard call.

 

[Catito]

I thought it was a derogatory term?

To take a stab at spoiled divers.

I do not mind having my gear washed, dried, set up the next morning while on vacation. At home, after our dives, I usually spend an hour washing two sets of equipment, then, over the next couple of days, spend time rotating it as it dries before I pack it away until the next weekend. Give me concierge diving full time!!

 

[MidOH]

I wasn't judging. Didn't know it was a real thing.

 

[Catito]

I wasn't judging. Didn't know it was a real thing.

Love it. Ocean Frontiers in the Cayman Islands does it best. Walk off the boat, go eat, go to sleep. The next day, walk back on the boat. Washed and dried gear (your own) rigged and ready to go.

 

[Pressurehead]

I ticked one in the poll just for a laugh.
And it's at 87.5%.