When you organize a trip you are the travel agent, travel guide, sometimes interpretor/consolate, security officer, nurse maid, dive leader, dive guide, entertainment specialist, equipment tech, concierge, IT consultant, videographer, photographer etc etc. I chuckled when I read this post. I want to know when the "free" trip comes my way. Yup. I don't always pay for my room, and sometimes get free rentals from the resorts I book, but when you add up all the time and effort that goes into running a good and safe trip that eveyone enjoys, if you break even, it was a good trip. Just my input. If someone found out how to make money off of trips, please let me know what im doing wrong. ( BTW, scuba trips are always more fun in groups than alone)
Do LDS get free trips? how do they go on all the trips?
- Thread starter Ladyvalea
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When anything goes wrong, anything - it's the trip leader who has to deal with it.
You can go alone, I have many times but think about this: Who is going to take care of your body if you have a land or diving accident or illness? It pays to have a dive buddy who is also a trip buddy so if you are too ill or hurt to tend to details, someone else can. I've seen 6 divers leave in ambulances over the years.
Yeah, it's required of their business. No trips, reduced interests, reduced business, then no scuba in Lubbock TX. :shocked2:
You can go alone, I have many times but think about this: Who is going to take care of your body if you have a land or diving accident or illness? It pays to have a dive buddy who is also a trip buddy so if you are too ill or hurt to tend to details, someone else can. I've seen 6 divers leave in ambulances over the years.
vladimir
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I agree with Saspotato--I don't see the value added. Of course, for those who do, have at it. I have always organized my own trips, some quite complex (helicopters in Australia, prop flights in Papua New Guinea, 3 or 4 destinations on one trip), and it's not that hard, even before there was an internet. I understand that it would be a lot harder to do for 12 people, but what good does that do me? And I don't get the reasoning that "the organizer has to deal with problems and complaints." Again, I understand that it would be a hassle to have to answer to a dozen whiners, but I don't generally have problems or complaints when I travel, and when I do they are usually easily dealt with. As far as I can see, the one value-added of an organized trip is the opportunity to dive with a dozen fellow Ohioans (if you're from Ohio, for example), some of whom you may be friendly or at least acquainted with through the dive shop. I can see how that might be fun. As for me, I am happy to travel alone or with my girlfriend and socialize with the people we meet, many of whom are more interesting than the Ohioans we left behind.
HowDidIGetIntoThis?
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As many have stated already, the LDS may get some financial benefit from the trip but it is probably not without expending considerable effort. I prefer to go on the LDS excursions because of the social aspects and I won't have to contend with insta-buddies. Added value because they may as well be calling the trip a course - there is always something new being discussed and debated.
The LDS is likely to benefit too because they'll bring along some new piece of gear for me to rent, with a high probability that I'll buy it. That's fine by me - collecting more gear is a part of diving too and a test drive is much more fun that looking at nice packaging in the store.
Overall, for my purposes the LDS gives good value for the money spent.
It may well be that it's because I don't understand their business, but it seems to me that it's the travel agents who get to make out like bandits on the group trips. They readily admit that I could get cheaper rates if I didn't do the tour but the message is essentially "do you want it or don't you?" Paying what seems like top dollar for flights doesn't sit well with me simply because there doesn't appear to be justification for it.
HDIGIT
The LDS is likely to benefit too because they'll bring along some new piece of gear for me to rent, with a high probability that I'll buy it. That's fine by me - collecting more gear is a part of diving too and a test drive is much more fun that looking at nice packaging in the store.
Overall, for my purposes the LDS gives good value for the money spent.
It may well be that it's because I don't understand their business, but it seems to me that it's the travel agents who get to make out like bandits on the group trips. They readily admit that I could get cheaper rates if I didn't do the tour but the message is essentially "do you want it or don't you?" Paying what seems like top dollar for flights doesn't sit well with me simply because there doesn't appear to be justification for it.
HDIGIT
BDSC
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The dive shop I work with a lot will make some pretty good money this year from dive trips. There was a group of 22 of us that went to Little Cayman in which 20 paid. Some of us booked ocean front and some did poolside rooms so I would say it all averaged to around $1800 per person for the week. So 20 x $180 resulted in a $3600 commission. Not bad for a few hours work.
That shop also has 16 people signed up for Cozumel in September and 18 going to Fiji in October. By the time all that travel is completed not only will the shop have earned several free trips for it's staff but will have made several thousand in commissions.
Good job too! Otherwise there wouldn't be a local dive shop.
Getting free trips is a perq. of the job for some of us in what is otherwise a rather low paid career. I organised a few trips back in Thailand for the shop I worked for and got to go for free - on my salary it would have been difficult to go at all and whilst I loved every minute of these trips (apart from one really crappy night on Koh Phi Phi!) it's still a bit of a 'working holiday'. It certainly wasn't as involved as Thalassamania's Seal spotting (or seal avoiding!?) trip but trying to co-ordinate 20 people and make sure everybody's got the right paperwork and tickets and stuff takes a bit of effort - I also worked as a guide myself on these trips and it can be a bit of a 24/7 job - especially when one of your customers passes out and ends up in hospital....
The price of the liveaboard for the rest of the customers was unchanged - in fact because of whom I worked for, they got a $150 discount anyway.
If divers want to book themselves that's fine - often you'll find that the LDS has better deals because they have arrangements with the organisations with which they dive. Some people prefer to have the whole thing taken care of for them - this is fine too. It's why we have a scuba industry in the first place!
Happy diving,
C.
JamMan
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I have only done 2 shop trips. The first about 15 years ago to Roatan when I was DM in training. Mostly just a traveler. Decent trip.
A year ago I led a shop trip to my favorite locale - Bonaire. Having been there many times I jumped at the chance to lead a trip for "free" (I did pay airfare). What a pain and will not necessarily do it again. It is work in planning and babysitting during the trip. In addition I did not get the chance to dive as I would normally desire. It was what the group wanted. On Bonaire shore diving is the norm but they all wanted to do nothing but boat dive no more than 2x per day then sun and shop. I wanted more diving and shore diving. Sorry about my luck. Stick to the group, plan dinner arrangements for all, run interference with the resort, etc. etc. etc.
It was work and I do not anticipate leading another trip for "free". It sounds exotic and all but like professional road warriors - travel loses its allure after a very short while.
A year ago I led a shop trip to my favorite locale - Bonaire. Having been there many times I jumped at the chance to lead a trip for "free" (I did pay airfare). What a pain and will not necessarily do it again. It is work in planning and babysitting during the trip. In addition I did not get the chance to dive as I would normally desire. It was what the group wanted. On Bonaire shore diving is the norm but they all wanted to do nothing but boat dive no more than 2x per day then sun and shop. I wanted more diving and shore diving. Sorry about my luck. Stick to the group, plan dinner arrangements for all, run interference with the resort, etc. etc. etc.
It was work and I do not anticipate leading another trip for "free". It sounds exotic and all but like professional road warriors - travel loses its allure after a very short while.
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