Corona virus and impact on the dive industry

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

A lot of dive industry is classified as "small businesses" and they do not operate on a very high profit margin. Their second month survival depends on how much they make in the first month. For many in the industry, specially those in the Northern East Coast areas, timing could not have been worse. This was start of the "crop season" since diving is seasonal. It makes me wonder what would be the state of the industry in the post corona virus world. We could be heading towards another great depression and how is it hurting the diving industry?

Do you expect some of the smaller operations to go out of business? Care to share how you are witnessing Corona virus impacting the dive industry?

 

[Ben_3]

Some local dive shops have marketed sales to try and get a cash flow but that in equals lower profits. Not sure there is going to be many new divers for a while with a lot of people out of jobs.

 

[SandyRobinson]

I plan to stop by two shops in cave country tomorrow, one to get air and drop off a reg to be serviced and the other to pick up a tank that was serviced. Hopefully both shops are OK.

Saw this in another post somewhere (so not my idea) but I will try to make sure all of my regs and tanks are up to date on servicing, hydros, etc even if a little early. Figure anything will help these shops.

 

[formernuke]

A lot of dive industry is classified as "small businesses" and they do not operate on a very high profit margin. Their second month survival depends on how much they make in the first month. For many in the industry, specially those in the Northern East Coast areas, timing could not have been worse. This was start of the "crop season" since diving is seasonal. It makes me wonder what would be the state of the industry in the post corona virus world. We could be heading towards another great depression and how is it hurting the diving industry?

Do you expect some of the smaller operations to go out of business? Care to share how you are witnessing Corona virus impacting the dive industry?

As a north east dive . Season has not quite started yet. Water and air temps are still low for a lot of people up here. There is definitely some impact but not as bad as it will be in a couple months.

Some might close which is sad, I'm going to try and help but timing for me is bad (middle of home renovations and I've lost some income)

We will not know for sure till we see how it plays out better.

 

[60plus]

I have 3 dive holidays booked, Two in Canaries and one in Madeira. Tenerife in May is almost certainly no go, I am still hopeful for Madeira in Autumn and Lanzarote just after Christmas. All locations are at present locked down by their governments with no flights allowed. All these dive centers are totally dependent on visitors, I am hoping they can survive the period with no business.

 

[DXHI]

My upcoming trip to Belize this weekend was officially canceled Wednesday. I think the whole Covid Quarantine is being blown way out of the water unless there is something the gooberments aren't telling us. I'm more concerned how the locals are acting. One of my employees witnessed a fight over a 12-pack of Dr. Pepper the other day. Although I will say after doing some digging; looks like crime in Belize has really gone up exponentially in the past 24 hours.

Me and my lady friend still have trips planned for this summer we're still hoping to make.

 

[chillyinCanada]

My upcoming trip to Belize this weekend was officially canceled Wednesday. I think the whole Covid Quarantine is being blown way out of the water unless there is something the gooberments aren't telling us. I'm more concerned how the locals are acting. One of my employees witnessed a fight over a 12-pack of Dr. Pepper the other day. Although I will say after doing some digging; looks like crime in Belize has really gone up exponentially in the past 24 hours.

Me and my lady friend still have trips planned for this summer we're still hoping to make.

It's not being blown out of the water.

If we do this right, flatten the curve (or as our Canadian head of health wants us to do "plank it"), people like you that think it's not as big as it's being made out to be, will always say that you were right all along. I truly hope that you get to say that.

 

[rjack321]

Local shops here are hurting already after just a week. I expect some of the smaller ones that dont have a deep well of cash reserves to go under before this is over. They can't survive even 2 months with a 75+% reduction in business. But of course there are tons of other small and medium businesses that are struggling too, this isnt dive industry specific

We've already lost the majority of our charters and will probably lose another operator due to this major slowdown. People buy scooters now and personal boats vs. pay for charters.

 

[Marie13]

Here in the Midwest the season hasn’t started yet.

My local quarry is still planning on opening April 4. Not a ton of divers until mid-May under normal circumstances, anyway, due to weather and water temps.

Those shops that don’t have their own pools are unable to do confined water sessions with YMCA and municipal pools closed for the next several weeks, at least.

 

[DXHI]

chillyinCanada; I understand the principle of flattening out the curve; but the numbers that are being put out don't match the "911" scenario its being made out to be. Looking at how many cases are popping up; this has to have been in circulation for alot longer than being stated regardless of what the media and officials are willing to admit, and it was just brushed off as a bad or complicated case of the flu. Now that people are realizing what it is with the new tests its like someone calling the fire department after the house has already burned down. We're already way past the point of containment. The 2 big flaws no one is pointing out are, as soon as everyone comes out of "self quarantine " There is going to be a mass resurrgance of cases which is going to cause a second "spike" as there are still going to be carrier individuals; the second flaw is the tests being used have a 48% false negative result. Containment failed in the 1918 flu pandemic and unfortunately it will with this scenario as well.
I do agree symptomatic individuals should be responsible and stay home; seek appropriate medical attention as needed; and I'm certainly not trying to be insensitive to the elder population who is more affected.
Last year in the US alone 57K people died from flu or flu complications; and that doesn't account for the rest of the world. Covid-19 / Kung Flu / is calculating at a 4% mortality rate.
Current Flu numbers from the CDC there has already been 13 million cases this year across the globe and averages a 6% mortality.

The H1N1 virus several years ago affected 60.8 million in the US, and there wasn't this panic or quarantine mindset that is crippling the economy.

I'm certainly not wishing ill on anyone, and hopefully not trying to seem like a D!ck with this post. I truly hope no one on this forum has sick relative or worse yet someone close to them that has passed from this. But just stating the numbers aren't adding up and that's looking at this with a medical background.