Does your LDS dive club charge for membership?

[texdiveguy]

I am not real big on 'organized' dive clubs per say.

I tend to enjoy small groups of divers or just diving solo.

I know of most the local DFW dive clubs and not one of them really interests me in what they offer...some very nice folks don't get me wrong.

Some divers need a lot of social activity in terms of monthly meetings/parties/blue water travel......that is cool if one enjoys that.

I know when I was associated with a LDS we offered almost monthly Diver Day Outs that were fun and casual....but it was not a club and were always open to anyone wishing to stop by....they seemed to be ok from the divers stand point even though the shop lost or broke even on their investment....I think the good will towards the shop was a plus.

I will stay a non dive club person, and not have to worry with the formalities that seem to always follow, and just concentrate on what I enjoy the most---and that's diving!

 

[TxIceDiver]

Well stated Troy.

I have been a dues paying member of non-shop affiliated dive clubs in the past. I was very active and diving a lot (as I still am) and voted their diver of the year one year. For a couple of years I was on the board of directors. It was good to know that there were people going to local dive sites and usually yearly to a blue water site. From time to time I would contact other members just to go out and dive. When I showed up, I intended to dive and got in the water. (one time it was a short dive due to an ear problem) I found that the monthly club meeting was a nice planning and social event, but for me the monthly outings was to show up and dive.

As I matured in my diving career, I found that I drifted away from the club because my priorities were changing and they didn't align well with the club behaviors. Basically when I had kids the logistics of dragging them along became very burdensome and my diving in general fell off unless I was teaching/DMing a class. When we went to the lake with the club, we just didn't know which crowd would show up, the kid freindly divers that wanted to dive or the divers with a drinking problem or the drinkers with a diving problem. (not that I have an issue with any of these as I have fallen into each of the categories) However with small children a the time we didn't always fit in with the crowd that was there, so we stopped attending. Also, I have been on staff with a dive shop for 15yrs, so I also found that just diving with the other intructors/dm's associated with the shop and going on shop trips took me to other types of diving that I found more appealing. (spearfishing in the Gulf, ice diving, other odd trips to weird locations)

Similar to what Troy said, for us it was always about the diving. Having good social activity around the event was an added bonus. However more times than not, out of the 25+ people that showed up, only 2-6 would get in the water, most were showing up for the social aspects of the outing. (which is fine) This was especially true in the cooler winter months. I understand that there are a lot of fair weather divers out there that don't want to be cold and are unwilling to put forth or don't have the $$ for the proper equipment to be comfortable in these conditions. I also think that this mirrors Texans in general, when it gets cold they tend to bail. (There are dive clubs in the north that dive every month/week even during the winter, they prefer the warmth, but just don't let the cold stop them)

I found that some of the local dive shops had a Divers Day Out, I found that this substitued nicely as a club type outing. (even though it wasn't) And the people that showed up intended to dive and it was a great opportunity for new divers to associate with more experienced divers and instructors and many times could take a specialty at the event.

Now that my kids are getting older and starting to get certified, I am considering joining back up with local dive club as it provides some of the social activities that kids like. Though I am considering promoting some scuba activities centered around teens to get them diving and socializing with folks their age, it makes it more enjoyable for them instead of hanging out with 'old' people. (will probably promote this through my kids scout troops)

As far as price goes. It was never a concern with me. Jeez they only charged $25-$35/year. This is hardly a burden and really shouldn't be for anyone involved in diving. I mean most divers (even those starting out) already have a considerable amount of money wrapped up in gear and training. what's a nominal fee for joining a dive club? I understand watching your pennies, but the people that complain over the club fee when it is $25/year are usually cheap anyway. (like my father in-law, won't give a waitess a tip because he believes that they are already being paid to do the job and why should he contribute to what they are already being paid to do) If they want to be active and meet some other divers joining a local dive club great way to do it.


_________________________
Randall Cook
MSDT

 

[Trixxie]

We have meetings once a month and serve food (which is provided by the store staff not by the store). We talk about upcoming trips, monthly store specials, conservation, sometimes have a guest speaker, let folks know about the specialty class of the month and anything else folks would like to bring up.

Nice group Welcome to East Atlanta Divers

 

[ReefHound]

Now that my kids are getting older and starting to get certified, I am considering joining back up with local dive club as it provides some of the social activities that kids like. Though I am considering promoting some scuba activities centered around teens to get them diving and socializing with folks their age, it makes it more enjoyable for them instead of hanging out with 'old' people.

Bingo. I think you get out of it what you put into it. The people that sit back and wait for the club to "show them a good time" are probably going to be disappointed. You have to step up and get involved. Rather than complaining that the events are not kid-oriented, simply make them kid-oriented.

It's also infectious. Attend monthly meetings and events regularly and you feel part of the group and know everyone and know what all is going on. Drop in every once in a blue moon and it's easy to feel lost and in the dark. It's like that with most activities or hobbies or friends, participate regularly and they are such a part of your life you don't know what you would do without them, participate sporadically and eventually they will slip away. Out of sight, out of mind.

I think one of the things that has made our club successful is that most events originate from the members. The board leads some events but members are encouraged and expected to step up and announce an event. Assistance with planning is always available and the membership doesn't demand professional performance.

 

[Papa Steve]

Our LDS doesn't charge . . but I guess it's not a formal dive club. . .at least I've never heard of it advertised as such.

They do:
Sponsor monthly meetings at a local restaurant,

Sponsor monthly dive trips. It may be just an informal gathering at a local lake or a formal, planned trip to the tropics.

Invite you to come by the shop occaisionly for free hotdogs and beer and just hang out.

Allow free use of the pool, if you plan it around classes.

Plan big, biannual events at a local dive haunt. Offering a weekend of planned events in and out of the water, lots of cool prizes, etc.

And many other events.

Does it promote people staying wet? I think it does.
Do they have other motives? I'm sure they do. Keeping people in the water keeps them purchasing gear and taking classes. And, I'm guessing that for an owner in the Scuba Pro, Aqua Lung, higher priced business model who is trying to compete with online pricing this approach is also used to help build customer loyalty.

I, for the most part, have been appreciative of the approach and have been able to meet some great people and develope some lasting friendships. My wife and I have also been able to dive with people that have been able to mentor us and help take us to the next level.

 

[FIXXERVI6]

You are assuming the term "growth" as being more divers than there are right now, as if that is to many. I think there are less divers being certified right now than in years past. As I have often use the term "you grow or you go". You are not the diver that we are talking about because you don't give a ****. Without new divers you have less scuba equipment being manufactured, less innovation, higher prices, and on and on and on. I care about getting new stuff, going new places, meeting new people, helping the environment, and bringing people into a sport I love. I have nothing to gain financially anymore from bringing new people into the sport, unless you count competitive pricing on gear, competition on dive packages to exotic locales, building new artificial reefs that I can dive and countless jobs that could be lost from a continuously shrinking sport. The dive industry has two sides.

The way I took the post was "divers pumped into the system" if that makes sense, not so much as scuba has a whole growing.

Growth is good for just about everything but when there is a mentality to force feed the system to get more out regardless of any other aspect, thats bad.

Technical diving is growing, thats good, cheaper gear, more variety, easier to find buddies etc.

But if you force feed that area to get money out of it, more people are going to start dying, thats my perspective on the growth deal, and I don't see it shrinking, when I first showed up to the lakes with doubles I was the only one it seamed like, now everyone has them and more and more people are showing up on the shores. This is my perspective from a person never behind a counter.

I used to go to a dive shop that had a club, they did not charge it was more of a volunteer pay. The purpose of the club was for other divers to meet other divers, not everyone goes to forums. The purpose of the club was driven by the shop patrons not the shop itself. I attended a few times and met people.

I think dive shops sponsering/having a dive club is great, its the shops providing additional services beyond the basic buisness function, thats important since a lot of scuba is social, look at the chatter on these boards, the get togethers, all the clubs. A shop that focus's primarily on sales and serivce with no club is missing 50% of the picture. There are plenty of divers that won't gravitate to these clubs, I'm probably one of those, but its not because I think its a bad idea or because they "suck" or any of that, I think they are a great idea.

With that said I don't feel that if a shop doesn't have a club they are a bad shop, I think they are just missing potential areas that could retain customers.

Back in the day a Bank came up with a new buisness model that focused on retaining customers instead of bringing in new ones because they noticed a lot of competition, it was a successfull buisness model. Dive clubs in my opinion could be fitted in as part of a buisness model for the soul purpose of customer retention.

Some people try the "scuba thing" and get hooked, clubs allow those people to expand on their hoby.

Another issue is shop A certifies a bunch of people, shop B has a club, A diver meets B diver on an internet forum and in turn meets all the B divers, chancers are A diver will be going to B shop because of the social aspect of scuba.

All above is my opinion.

 

[Debraw]

So if there are so many divers coming into the sport maybe there should be more particpation from the dive community at large to mentor all these new divers? It's really something anyone can do. I think I was reluctant as a shop owner to refer people to the scuba clubs. I was always worried they would either go to a meeting or two and wonder why I sent them to a bunch of bickering non-divers, or worse I was sending them to my competition! Dive Clubs have instructors in them willing to take them on a trip, instruct them on the trip and virtually cut the dive shop out completely. Then the dive club would come ask me for prizes for their events! How do we bridge the gap with dive clubs and dive shops? Each one needs the other.

 

[ReefHound]

So if there are so many divers coming into the sport maybe there should be more particpation from the dive community at large to mentor all these new divers? It's really something anyone can do. I think I was reluctant as a shop owner to refer people to the scuba clubs. I was always worried they would either go to a meeting or two and wonder why I sent them to a bunch of bickering non-divers, or worse I was sending them to my competition! Dive Clubs have instructors in them willing to take them on a trip, instruct them on the trip and virtually cut the dive shop out completely. Then the dive club would come ask me for prizes for their events! How do we bridge the gap with dive clubs and dive shops? Each one needs the other.

No bickering at our meetings, events, or even online forums.

The last part you say doesn't make sense. So the club might draw away some business on trips (which I concede) and classes (which I doubt)? Aren't dive shop owners always telling us these items are loss leaders and not profitable? Why would you care if your loss activities were reduced? I don't know any club that sells gear so you should not be losing any gear sales to clubs. In fact, by keeping more divers more involved in diving, the clubs should be increasing your gear sales.

 

[Wookie]

or worse I was sending them to my competition!

The diveshop that sends me to their competition (because they can't meet my needs) is the dive shop that gets my business for life! If someone cares enough about my needs to send me somewhere where I can get my needs taken care of will reap rewards far beyond the little item that I was sent somewhere else to purchase in the form of sales, referrals, and anything else I can do for them. Conversely, the diveshop that makes me wait while telling me that the item is on order, backorder, can't meet the minimum order amount, and I wait and wait for the item to come in will also get feedback and referrrals....

 

[FIXXERVI6]

So if there are so many divers coming into the sport maybe there should be more particpation from the dive community at large to mentor all these new divers? It's really something anyone can do. I think I was reluctant as a shop owner to refer people to the scuba clubs. I was always worried they would either go to a meeting or two and wonder why I sent them to a bunch of bickering non-divers, or worse I was sending them to my competition! Dive Clubs have instructors in them willing to take them on a trip, instruct them on the trip and virtually cut the dive shop out completely. Then the dive club would come ask me for prizes for their events! How do we bridge the gap with dive clubs and dive shops? Each one needs the other.

I would be perfectly fine with doing away with "certification classes" and moving to a "mentoring" type teaching for lots of diving - example cave diving, not talking about OW or PADI specialties.

But this doesn't work well with the agencies or shops, a new "money model" would have to be made.

I know this type of training has been spun before but got shut down due to politics, shame really

I myself have been mentored to and have done mentoring, I still have a srong desire to continue to learn but have no interest in cards, the only way I can get that is mentoring and personal research, and of course when I go places like Florida and sit accross the table from people like Paul Heinerth I keep my ears open as thats more valuable than any card I can buy.

- I'm sure that comment just gained me some popularity -

If SIS were to send people dive clubs that were not affiliated with SIS there is potential for SIS to lose buisness in that scenerio.

Edit: note just used SIS as pure example here