Seems that the dive industry in S. Fl continues to lose quality ops. In 2 weeks, the Spree out of Key West will be no more. It's a credit to the Capt. he was able to keep that op going for as long as he did. For those of you who never owned a vessel/commercial operation in S.FLA and the Keys, you can't imagine non-stop headaches.
Vessel and equipment maintenance are never ending... never ending; literally. That's just maintenance. There are also constant repairs that are usually more involved than first thought and always cost more than you planned. No matter how much you can do yourself, it is essential to have someone to provide quality work, with some urgency, at a fair price. Don't even ask what a marine mechanic will charge but you will you gladly pay whatever they ask. If you can find and keep a good one, congrats, because you have sorted through friends, fakes and You Tube experts. And down here, good luck getting anyone to work past 4 pm.
Then there are the customers! With a percentage larger than you might guess, your best is never good enough, and most difficult to satisfy. Nothing is quite right, bad viz, not enough fish, choppy water, strong current... or it would be better if... in an attempt to whittle the price down or weasel add-on features that are often laughable, all while you are expected to have a grateful ear to ear smile as they tell you they hold the sword of the internet bashing over your head. Then they stuff some foreign object in the head and bitch about the sewage back up, and finally stiff the crew, who are underpaid to start with.
Speaking of the crew, try finding quality help when the pay is too low to support the cost of living. Turnover is brutal. Training new help is endless. You can't believe the range of people who apply. From retired type A cops who are experts and can't wait to tell you what is wrong and how they are going to turn the operation around (Customers generally loathe them) to the perky college kid who turns out to be halfway through rehab and disappears the night before a trip. Then the "Friends" who "volunteer" to crew and then think they are the customers, and out comes that phrase, "I'm not doing that!"
After that is the administrative side, the Coast Guard, Customs, Federal, State and local, Taxmen, Tourism officials and trade shows, FWC, local municipalities and their ordinances, law enforcement, office space, dock masters, advertising sales people, organizations questionable and legit (sometimes hard to tell which is which) looking for handouts. Trying to keep up with the phone messages and emails and on and on.
Working with local suppliers for ship stores, galley supplies..... hell it's endless. And this barely scratches the surface. Did I mention the weather?
Finally there is the bank. I don't know if the wolves were starting to stir or coming to knock on the door down there. But they always lurk. I do know the day the sale is final and the change of command takes place, someone will have their best night's sleep in years.
If you think what the Spree did over the years is easy, fun and profitable, just wait and see how long it takes to fill the void.
