Dive Shop On Wheels Research
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Lots of places require various permits to operate any type of mobile business. The beaches near me, for example, require one. Even if you're a guy on the corner in a clown suit or a guitar player taking tips. Make sure you research that to avoid getting screwed. Roach coaches require different permits. Some from the state, some to operate in a specific location.
i agree with sam, it has been tried here to , didnt work.......as for dive shops giving you leads and courses , that WILL NEVER HAPPEN the only way it could work is advertise the hell out of it....thenit might work after a couple years , if you travel for a couple of fills thats a big loser, lds's sell air because they have to now you have to calculate vehicle repair /gas /insurance ......
if you mean jim at THE DIVE SHOP it wasn't a great success but he told everyone it was...i rember another guy advertising but i dont remember who it was
If you had a popular dive site and could navigate the red tape, I think it could work. The dive shop on Catalina Island has a trailer (or shipping container..can't remember which) that they rent tanks and weights out of. They may do fills too....again, it's been a couple of years.
They key is that they have a popular dive site to set up at and they are the only game in town. I'm not sure what else they offer, but I would think they would have save-a-dive items and gear rentals as well. They also have the back up support of a full shop close by for anything they don't have on hand.
I don't think driving around filling tanks would be profitable. Even if you charged $20 (I pay 5-8 depending on the tank monkey) a fill for an air fill- fuel, insurance, maintenance, and your time are going to cut into that pretty quick. Overhead would be lower than brick and mortar, startup would be lower too, but I still think you would need to be able to set up at a location, or locations, with dive traffic.
Throw in save-a-dive items, coffee, snacks, gear rental, coffee, tanks/weights, air fills, visual inspections, coffee, some basic tool for use(wrenches and screwdrivers for gear maintenance), and maybe sell coffee too. You might be able to partner with a dive shop for Rental equipment for a cut of the rental and avoid that expense.
Get lots of insurance, don't quit your day job yet. Give GREAT service and I see where it could grow to an online store and more.
On Edit- someone above mentioned dive lockers. Even if just big enough for a wallet, cell phone, and keys, I would use that service for $5 a day.
Good luck,
Jay
They key is that they have a popular dive site to set up at and they are the only game in town. I'm not sure what else they offer, but I would think they would have save-a-dive items and gear rentals as well. They also have the back up support of a full shop close by for anything they don't have on hand.
I don't think driving around filling tanks would be profitable. Even if you charged $20 (I pay 5-8 depending on the tank monkey) a fill for an air fill- fuel, insurance, maintenance, and your time are going to cut into that pretty quick. Overhead would be lower than brick and mortar, startup would be lower too, but I still think you would need to be able to set up at a location, or locations, with dive traffic.
Throw in save-a-dive items, coffee, snacks, gear rental, coffee, tanks/weights, air fills, visual inspections, coffee, some basic tool for use(wrenches and screwdrivers for gear maintenance), and maybe sell coffee too. You might be able to partner with a dive shop for Rental equipment for a cut of the rental and avoid that expense.
Get lots of insurance, don't quit your day job yet. Give GREAT service and I see where it could grow to an online store and more.
On Edit- someone above mentioned dive lockers. Even if just big enough for a wallet, cell phone, and keys, I would use that service for $5 a day.
Good luck,
Jay
I'm wondering if there is an analogy here -- and lessons to be learned -- from the growth of the food truck industry.
Food trucks have been around a long time (chuck wagons, ice-cream trucks), but the Great Recession was a kickstart for food trucks, and by 2010 it was exploding.
The key to success is foot traffic, convenience, cost, quality, and variety. One food truck serving tacos only is OK, but several offering a variety of foods brings in the crowds.
For a mobile dive shop, some lessons-learned might be: really popular dive sites (mentioned several times above), narrow but highly sought-after offerings (like fills and hoses, and things people forget, like masks, booties, and fins). I would not offer food and drinks, but would try and partner with one or more food trucks.
Food trucks have been around a long time (chuck wagons, ice-cream trucks), but the Great Recession was a kickstart for food trucks, and by 2010 it was exploding.
The key to success is foot traffic, convenience, cost, quality, and variety. One food truck serving tacos only is OK, but several offering a variety of foods brings in the crowds.
For a mobile dive shop, some lessons-learned might be: really popular dive sites (mentioned several times above), narrow but highly sought-after offerings (like fills and hoses, and things people forget, like masks, booties, and fins). I would not offer food and drinks, but would try and partner with one or more food trucks.
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