DEMA review in Undercurrents

[drbill]

$3,500 in equipment? You can outfit yourself for MUCH less than that if you do a little research and are willing to live with some used gear (after all, if it is a dying sport there are a lot of newbies with equipment that has only been used for 5-10 dives). Let's see, my latest expenses:

$100 7mm wetsuit
$200 used SP BCD
$250 computer
$200 used SP G250/Mk10 reg
$050 fins
$025 booties
$050 Cressi-Sub Big Eyes mask
$010 snorkel
$050 weight belt
$050 hooded vest

Of course if you are diving warm water only, you can do with less than that!

I don't care about buying the newest equipment, but want good reliable stuff. I don't mind diving with used equipment as long as it has been checked out.

Heck, for $3,500 I could add an U/W video housing and camera AND a digital still camera and housing!

Dr. Bill

 

[Tom Smedley]

Does anyone out there really care or believe what Ben has to say?

 

[scubawife]

This is just my opinion, but, for the most part, what I saw with my one year subscription to Undercurrents was not unbiased opinions, but a bunch of people complaining more then telling it like it is. And the chapbook, well, it's not worth much more then the paper. Really, who's going to base their next trip on a review from 3-5+ years ago? To me, an honest review tells you the pros and cons, good and bad, then what you personally liked and thought. You don't get Hilton on a Super 8 budget, and you don't get Manhattan restaurant variety at an outpost that took you 3 flights and a 2 hr boat ride to reach.

As for diving being a dying sport, I doubt it. Any sport goes through periods of heigtened popularity. Diving is not cheap. Alot of people may try it, many will even get certified, but it will never be something for the masses. How many people have you met who got their C card and have never dived since? I think it's seen and will continue to see a steady growth but not an overwhelming boom and not a decline.

 

[Spratman]

Thanks to all for your input. Being a new guy and the type of person that needs to know how stuff works, and having not had enough experience to calibrate my BS-ometer, I'm looking to experienced people for their take on things.

gle: I'm glad things are booming in your neck of the woods. I'm also glad that your dive club doesn't mind geriatric divers...;-) As far as diving not being an extreme sport, I agree with TwoBitTxn. Insurance carriers don't like scuba divers, sky divers, or people that shoot bottle rockets out of their butts...Probably though, I would think that free diving would be classified in the extreme category.

Dr. Bill: I have no problems with used equipment, but at the present time, I'm not sure what size is correct for BC's and wetsuits. I don't want to get one too big or too small. I have a wetsuit that was used two or three dives, Akona 6.5 farmer john. The guy wants a $100 for it. It's tight when I hike it up as far as it will go, but still a tad baggy around the hips. If I had already owned some equipment and know what it is that I need for sizes, I might never haunt a LDS buying new equipment. Layman's jitters, I guess.

Finally, Tom and Scubawife, that is sort of what information that I was not so bluntly soliciting. I've read alot about Undercurrents and have the Chapbook, but I was noticing the same thing about old trip information. I'm not trying to disparage Ben nor the papers, because it's all information for me. It didn't quite seem the same opinion as Tech Admin posted in this forum.

I'm neither a troll nor a troublemaker. Just trying to build my information base.

Jack

 

[nauifins73]

Jack
Welcome to the Board - While I didn't make it to DEMA but, talking to those who did I got the impression that DEMA wasn't the same as in past years (the same opinion I got from reading Undercurrent) not the Dive industry in general. Several of the larger companies did not attend/set up booths. Not sure why - location maybe, difference in opinion with Board members, I just don't know.

As far as Undercurrent is concerned I rank it as my favorite diving magazine, with Dive Training a close second. Most articles are a matter of opinion & doesn't matter what the publication is - but I don't agree with the statement made above that "Uncercurrent's articles are of a complaining nature". Personally I find that very rare.

Just my 2 cents
Becky

 

[gle]

We like pretty much anybody that wants to get in the water. It is surprising how the older divers here can party even harder than the college students. Note: this is just my experience.

My comment about extreme sports was more in keeping with what TwoBitTxn had to say. I did a check in my lab. When you say "eXtreme Sports" people think of ESPN X-Games. I asked several other students and they all agree. Diving does not fit into the category. I don't mean to detract anything from diving. It is certainly a dangerous sport, probably far more dangerous than other extreme sports. Accidents can happen even when you do everything right.

Being a researcher, and generally trying to avoid doing said research, a few of us got together and discussed just how to break down the typical eXtreme sport. But rather than post the conclusions of a bunch of science geeks as to what constitutes an extreme sport, I will simply concede that diving is indeed an extreme sport. Who wants to hear a geeks view of sports anyway.

 

[Tom Smedley]

I did attend DEMA and despite the fact that the larger companies were not there was in my opinion not that much a factor. I attended a travel symposium and it was wonderful. Successful dive operations and wholesalers pooled together to make it a very informative day.

The travel folks were there in force and I picked up lots of great information from them too. Plus I won some great free stuff. Also, the manufacturers that were there seemed more relaxed and in tune to talking and showing you their products.

I did not like the Houston Convention Center as a place to have the meeting. While the facilities were adequate, the nearest thing to do was a cab ride away.

It was explained to me that the reason that Scubapro, US Divers, etc did not show up was in the past they have competed to have the biggest and best display versus just having a presence to interact with customers. They simply priced themselves out of the show - it had to stop somewhere but one couldn't pull out without all of them doing it. Perhaps in the future they will return. If they don't they will be depriving their customers of a valuable service. Convenience of being able to see the new products and to attend workshops and updates on repairing these products. Sure they said that they would pass their savings on to the customer but haven't yet.

You did right by asking instead of taking the word of a single person as gospel. The recreational dive industry isn't suffering any more than any other recreational business right now. The economy is hard all over.

 

[Spratman]

Thanks, Becky. I agree with most everything there is an opinion. I figure the more different sources I use, the better base I have to work with...

You ever dive Milford or Tuttle? I used to fish for catfish out there in 75-77, when I was stationed at Ft. Riley.

gle: Older divers are less concerned about how many brain cells are killed off during a tequila night.

I hear what you are saying....I work for a pharmaceutical research company and we've got some strange scientists in the labs....

By the basic definition, I agree that diving doesn't meet the criteria...

Tom: Thanks for that explaination. Is this a write off for your shop or you just go for personal reasons. Also, what do they charge for the convention?

Jack

 

[brucebowker]

Jack - I am originally from Milford, NJ Whereabouts near Allentown are you?

DEMA used to be Dive Equipment and Manufacturers Association. When they changed it to ... Marketing Association is when I feel that it started to decline. Price went up, show got fancy etc. Just one person's opinion. For years I had mentioed to whomever at DEMA they should separate the show with equipment on one side and travel on the other and get rid of the annoying on floor activites like the "fashion show". Again my opinion and actually quite a few others also.

Now there is a show trying to start called DiveBiz 2006 which will do exactly that. Not sure how successful it will be since DEMA will be a few months before it.

Bruce Bowker

 

[tonyd63]

SCUBA, like many other outdoor sports, has to compete with readily available video games, DVDs, cable TV, and junk food to get kids off their collective butts.

IF there is no appeal, the kids won't try it. Rollerblading, skateboarding, mountain biking, hiking, etc... all outdoor sports. All less expensive options for the younger generation. My passion for diving has transferred into my daughter and one of my nephews. These will be my legacies for the sport.

TwoBit

You hit the nail on the head with that one TWOBIT. If more parents would limit the kids to allot les time in front of the tv, they may have a chance in the future. We were always out doing active things. Playing football, diving, riding dirt bikes and so on. Most of them today don't even show an intrest in getting into an active sport. I just had to reply to this one.