Does your LDS dive club charge for membership?

[Hemlon]

I am a proud Swamper because I genuinely like some of the other Swampers and I find the happy hours to be fun.

But when it comes to diving, like Texdiveguy, I am just as content to dive solo. I don't EVER want to have to feel compelled to buddy up with someone that I wouldn't normally dive with just because we are in a "dive club". There are some people that I just don't enjoy being around. If I don't like them on the surface, the chances are pretty good that I won't like them under the surface either.

Of course, that has come up when I've been on paid dive trips. I have never had an issue saying no if I'm paying my hard-earned money. Plus, when in (fill in the foreign dive site of choice name) the chances are good that I won't ever see that person again. In that case, I really don't care if my refusal to buddy up hurts their feelings. But saying no to a safe-diver-but-objectionable-personality person that I will potentially see month after month is a bit more difficult.

Second point: The dive clubs that I have seen always turn into proverbial pissing contests. (Note: This has been known to happen at non-diving happy hours...but of course, in THAT case, there is always cold beer to off-set the bad conversation.)

 

[Debraw]

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.

True, true, the trips were mostly a loss. I really just used to be wary of sending my divers away from the shop because the of the non-diving events I generally saw.

 

[Debraw]

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....

I used to blow people away when I would call other diveshops to check stock and then send them over there.

 

[~Scuba_Steve~]

Adventure Sports Club:

Yes, there is a membership fee both individual and family. I think it is a good way to foster loyalty to the shop. Membership for intructors and shop staff is optional. The club is it's own entity. Members get a shop discount. I'm not a member, namely due to the fact that I already have too much going on in my life and really don't need something else. If I join, I feel obligated to attend meetings, go on outings, and such.

TwoBit

I agree with twobit... I pay $25.00 a year and we BBQ at least four times a year free of charge, lol. So I kinda get my money back. Also it fosters freindships and such. I also agree with it takes time I am on the road s omuch it is hard to make all of the functions........but I try.....

 

[Hawkeye Mark]

Clubs have been invaluable for me. After I first got certified in 2000 I didnt dive much as frankly I wasnt very good. Plus I didnt know any other divers except those I got certified with. I first joined HUC in 2001 as the treasurer was a co-worker of mine. Up to that point I didnt know there were dive clubs(actually hadnt looked into it). My original instructor runs a couple of trips to Cozumel thru the shop he teaches at. The first year or two he kept telling me you need to go with me(I think he thought I needed supervision). But of course he wanted to fill his trips. I kept asking well how about going someplace else. Of course he wants to keep going back to the same place as its a free trip for him. Finally in 2002 when I was going to be laid off from my job the guy who was the treasurer and I decided to go to Roatan as it was cheap(2 for 1 on land). We marched in and told the boss we were going to be gone the same week. We had gotten screwed around quite a bit so we told him tough luck you will have to survive.

Anyway the got me going on HUC. Been on several club trips since. But the original instructor wants me to go with him now selling the point of his boat will have experienced divers only. Interesting how the world turns.

One of the guys on the first trips told me about ScubaBoard where I met up with Texas Swamp Divers which was great in getting together and doing lake diving where I could actually practice and cut down air consumption drop weight and get better control over buyoncy. CHUM came later.

In summary without clubs I probably wouldnt even be diving anymore. My wife cant dive(medical) and other than the guys I got certified with I didnt even know any other divers.

 

[cowjazz]

I find it odd though, and this goes back to the thread that started all of this, is that the biggest complaint I hear about dive clubs is that THEY DON'T DIVE! They may or may not go places and do things, but even when they do they don't dive. How can it be a dive club if the members don't go diving?

TwoBit

Let me tell you how...

In 2006 my wife and few other customers of a local dive shop were approached by the LDS owner during a trip. His shop had a dive club, and it was floundering. So, they took over in late 2006, and made a schedule of club events for 2007. They wanted a dive weekend once month. They quickly found there were few hard core divers that would show for the monthly dive outings, but they would have 60 plus people show up for non diving events. It was clear the club members did not want to focus on local diving around the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Only a few hard core divers were benefiting form the dues of many club members. They found the members wanted to associate with other divers at events that were nondiving related. So, they cut back on the monthly dive trips, and increased nondiving social activities. An interesting thing happened. More people started showing up for diving weekends. From speaking to other members, they were uncomfortable showing up at diving events when they only had a passing acquaintance with the people they may dive with. Once they fostered closer relationships with other members, they were more open to diving with others.

Still today, the members prefer the nondiving events. They use the events to discuss diving, trips, gear, other dive shops, and even organize trips not sold by the shop. There have been many members who stated they were certified years ago, and lost interest in diving until they started attending the club's nondiving events. By attending these events, their interest in diving was rekindled, and the diving industry regained a consumer that may have been lost. Too many people get certified, go on a trip, and never go diving again. The bottom line is the club listened to its members, and responded to what they wanted from their club. It is the club's club, not the shop's club, and not the officer's club.

The club is fortunate to be associated with an LDS owner who is involved with the club, but remains hands off. The dive shop will accept membership payments, but all money goes to the club (for that reason, I voted "No" in the poll). The LDS does not receive a penny from membership dues or fund raising activities. The LDS owner has decided not to direct the club on how to use the funds. The club is allowed to have speakers at monthly meetings that may ot may not benefit the shop. Members receive a significant discount at the shop, and the shop generously provides merchandise for door prizes at club events. The owner realizes the benefits he receives from supporting the club. The LDS supports the club, and the members support the LDS.

With this strategy, the clubs membership has grown, the LDS's customer base has grown, the number of active divers has grown and the club has been able to take on several charitable causes to benefit the community and environment. The growth in these areas would be much less if the club only focused on diving. A good mix of social activities and dive weekends has been the key to this club's success.

Yikes, I rambled a bit. Sorry about that.