DEMA- Understand the deficit of ETHICS of what we are dealing with

[theduckguru]

Jim, Do a search of the LDS's websites in you area. How many are marketing toward local options? I think you'll find the clear majority are marketing training, equipment and trips. The vast majority don't even mention local diving except in a training context.

As an independent instructor with limited advertising budget I have to be creative. I'm woking with the Girl Scouts now. I went to one local high school to recruit a student to do some art for me. The county SWAT team was there for a training exercise. Guess who handed out a bunch of cards. I visit my local military recruiting offices every couple of months like clockwork. Those guys rotate out all the time so there is a potential source of new students all the time.

If I had a video camera I'd try to put together one for local public access stations. Air time is usually cheap or even free. I hand out cards to everyone, everywhere. IF DEMA were to put together a local diving video that showed people that they can stay home and have a lot of fun and be available to instructors and shops for a more or less token amount think of the exposure it could get. Let the end users determine how they want to broadcast it and pay for that. I could not put it on my local network stations but if it played on a monitor at my local gyms or hospital fitness fairs it would reach those who might otherwise never consider diving. Run it on airplanes going to Aruba? Ok but what about the people who fly to Alaska, the Dakotas, Seattle, or freakin Pittsburgh for chrissakes. That is where local diving needs a boost.

Shops are failing and DEMA is, in a way, promoting that failure. How can the little LDS in SW Pa, Tennessee, or Kentucky afford to buy time - and frankly why would they want to- to run an ad that in effect takes business away from them after the inital OW class? No wonder classes are getting shortened and divers shortchanged. THey have to cut corners to get enough students to keep the shop afloat. I'd rather have 10 students a year that dive locally on a regular basis and come back for advanced training than 25 who I see for OW and then not again because they only dive resorts. The shop would rather see those 10 that buy bc's, regs, suits, tanks, etc.

Yet DEMA continues to ignore this segment of the population. I was going to get my DEMA membership when I became an instructor. But being unable to attend the show for numerous reasons and seeing that my membership and one vote were really meaningless in the face of entities that could buy dozens by coughing up a few more dollars I saw no point.

Some may say that at least I would have had a say as a voting member. BULL! How many members signed the petition last year, along with those of us who would have become members if they thought it would be useful, and were basically dismissed as malcontents and troublemakers? If some of the smaller companies were to form a new association that addressed the issues we wanted DEMA to address you can bet your hind end I'd join. And be as active as I am now as a voice for local divers, shops, and smaller maunfacturers or even more so with the added resources an association would provide.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

And that's the problem. They do this because tht is the way they were taught to. By trainers, agencies, etc that have that as their focus or are still back a few years when people had more disposable income. Again they are shooting themselves in the foot. If I had the money to invest I would open a shop or buy into one with the primary focus on skills and education based training using local diving to prepare divers who do not need babysitted. I'd do my best to gain acccess to local sites with outings, picnics, cleanups, etc. I'd also focus on carrying lines of gear that did not require me to push the top of the line stuff. The needs and means to acquire the needs of the diver would come first. Pipe dream unless I hit the lottery but I'm tired of the push to travel when it is at this time out of reach of more people than ever.

 

[Leadking]

I advise no one to ever think DEMA is going to "help" them. Take what DEMA does have to offer and see if it fits your needs. If there is nothing available for you, then develop your own tools.

Never sit still. My business philosophy was, if I went to lunch and the table was empty, I'd get lunch somewhere else. Sometimes you eat someone else's lunch.

Welcome to the business world!

 

[Cap335]

And that's the problem. They do this because tht is the way they were taught to. By trainers, agencies, etc that have that as their focus or are still back a few years when people had more disposable income. Again they are shooting themselves in the foot. If I had the money to invest I would open a shop or buy into one with the primary focus on skills and education based training using local diving to prepare divers who do not need babysitted. I'd do my best to gain acccess to local sites with outings, picnics, cleanups, etc. I'd also focus on carrying lines of gear that did not require me to push the top of the line stuff. The needs and means to acquire the needs of the diver would come first. Pipe dream unless I hit the lottery but I'm tired of the push to travel when it is at this time out of reach of more people than ever.

Jim instead of waiting to open a store look into a club. Houston has one called chum that gets people in local waters almost every weekend. They also stay very unbiased to the local stores neither for or against any local store.

Randy

 

[Wookie]

Jim instead of waiting to open a store look into a club. Houston has one called chum that gets people in local waters almost every weekend. They also stay very unbiased to the local stores neither for or against any local store.

Randy

One of the reasons CHUM (City of Houston Underwater Mariners) works so well is that no one really wants to lead it. Some of the founders are still club members, many have gone on to other ways to spend their time, but the key is that cliques aren't formed within the club. 4 or 5 years ago a club member booked a trip that was not club sponsored, but recruited from within the club membership, a definite no-no according to the by-laws. Let's just say it hasn't happened since. The trip leader (or Julie, from the love boat) is allowed to take the free spot, but usually doesn't. Commissions earned from a trip go back to the participants as a rebate, or are used for the tip. Officers are elected every other year (2 each year) and no one is allowed to stand for consecutive terms, preventing what I've seen happen in other clubs, the officers never turn over, and they are not welcoming to outsiders. CHUM has been going strong for 10 years or so, and I expect it to continue on. Other Houston clubs have been stronger, but tend to implode under the weight of the same old officers year after year.

The club specifically (it's in their charter) promotes local diving. As Randy said, someone's diving somewhere every weekend, and it becomes a gathering. The club mascot, a stuffed cat named "Wet", travels to most dive outings unless she is on holiday internationally, which happens often. The club organizes dives to the Dry Tortugas, Flower Gardens, Balmorah, Oriskany, the flooded missile silo out in West Texas somewhere, Cozumel (it's local to Houston), as well as the 10-15 local quarries/lakes. Membership is cheap (25 bucks a year) and includes voting rights and a t-shirt. Many of the club members come tech diving with me, although not as a club function, and they meet in a bar. Kids are welcome at club functions, but not meetings. It's the only club I'm a paid member of, and I'm proud to be there. It's the only club I've ever been a part of that doesn't degenerate to bickering amongst the members.

 

[The Chairman]

We need to make diving cool again.

Amen bro! Amen. If only everyone associated with diving would take on this mantra.

 

[Wookie]

Now people like to sit home and watch things where 50 years ago they wanted to get out and experiance things.

I disagree. We aren't making it easy enough for them to get out and experience things. It's easier to sit on your ass in front of the box. We as an industry make it confusing, lots of releases, lots of confusing hoses, lots of rules, etc.

When I was a resort instructor a hundred years ago, we included in the price of the resort a resort course (imagine that). We made it easy for them. Show up with a towel and bathing suit at 9 AM or 1 PM. We had the gear set up, we'd kneel in the shallow end and do some skills, and they were taught 3 major things; Mask clearing, Buoyancy control (now against PADI standards), and of course keep breathing and never hold your breath. If they enjoyed their time in the pool, they could go to open water (at 9 AM or 1 PM the next day) and I would hand them an octopus. Or a sea cucumber. Or show them a midnight parrotfish. They were welcome to repeat the open water portion as often as they liked, space available. Or, if they had time left, they could take the open water course for $250. I had 8 people in every class twice a day, and a conversion rate to Open Water of 10%. The resort offered all-inclusive golf, tennis, massage, Spa, bar, and 50 other distractions. We made it easy to go diving.

Amen bro! Amen. If only everyone associated with diving would take on this mantra.

The coolest thing I've ever done is breath underwater. Sometimes when I'm cleaning the bottom of the boat and have crabs and shrimp and crap in my wetsuit, and in my hair, and in my nethers, I stop and think "How fricking cool is this? I'm breathing underwater!" Then I scratch my nethers.

 

[Capt.Gene]

Sorry if I'm taking this off track, but my observation of both DEMA and the training agencys, after 30 years in this industry, is that they lack the clarity of a common mission statement.
All the advertising is aimed at taking share away from the competition instead of growing the market.
If the growth of the sport and industry it supports is really the mission why is there not a standardized curriculum being offered and taught at university level across the USA?
Where better to promote what this sport has to offer than to upwardy mobile 18-25 year olds?
My take away from observing the crowd at the last Orlando Dema was that this sport is getting very long in the tooth. Not much new blood walking around and a lot of old timers.
It's like scuba is trying to die of old age because we cannot embrace the future.

 

[CAPT KUJO]

BULL SHIITE! DEMA is doing everything it can to disenfranchise small manufacturers and kill local diving. THeir focus is on resorts, travel, and for the time being anyway cheap quick certs. Hopefully the new BOD member representing agencies will be able to affect some change there. Why is the be a diver campaign not promoting anything but tropical places that newbs who do not buy gear like drysuits, tanks, bcs, regs, etc. Why are they not showing quarries and coldwater diving that really supports the very people they "claim" to represent- the equipment manufacturers? Why are no DEM shows held in the NE or NW? Vegas for chrissakes? There is some great diving off NY/NJ. NC/SC. Seattle. Even LA. I'm sure they could find a place where the unions would not screw the exhibitors for an outlet or a table but they won't. DEMA needs to change it's name to DTA- Dive Travel Association. That is who they are really supporting now.

This is right on the money....One exception...I believe Las Vegas is a good venue, only because of the cost. It's easy to get to, cheap to stay and eat...and who's got time to do anything but walk the floor, make appointments, and attend seminars.
But you are so right on regarding Travel BS......as there focus; Manufacturers and dive shop owners (who have taken a MAJOR hit from the internet and economy already) are members of a worthless organization.