Future of DiveShops?

[cerich]

OK. I said "industry marketing arm" etc, not knowing whoever was the group doing that kind of work for them. I still think all of the PADI, etc teaching agencies should either help out DEMA then or join on their own and push the advertising and marketing. If not, they are very short-sighted. They are quickly running out of people that want/need training, as I see it.

Just curious, and not disagreeing but what marketing efforts should the LDS, resorts be doing for the "bigger industry" or should they market their own business?

I disagree with quickly running out, there are more people and a smaller percentage taking training now than even 20 years ago, i see the potential pool growing of people that may want/need scuba training.

Right now we can't even get marine biology students to take up diving in any significant %, and Marine Biology is one of the "in" degrees. (why I have no idea, big student loans and no jobs is not that sexy to me)

 

[drrich2]

'Adventuresome' is a question in its own right. If memory serves from the other thread, 'adventure' often implies some danger to make it interesting/meaningful. I imagine that's why moray eels, barracuda, stingrays and sharks (reef sharks, so they don't scare people too much) feature in scuba ads quite a bit. This brings to mind the young and fit.

But some people are 'explorers,' mainly looking to explore an exotic environment/inhabitants. Some of these people don't want danger; think cruise ship 'pod people' on excursions with handlers visiting strange places with perception of high safety. This brings to mind the 40 - 60 year old cruise ship folks, many not into strenuous activity. And their wives may not want them doing something 'dangerous' (to family security).

The aging family man trying to reclaim his macho and the young surfer dude may be separate demographics. And I'm focusing on males, since from what I understand most divers are (not sexism; marketing to the easiest target) .

Richard.

 

[crosshairs]

How many customers "walk in" to DRIS, Leisurepro and Scubatoys every day?

Ive been to leisure pro many times..they have quite a nice selection to chose from in their store.

 

[cerich]

However, our travel division took more than 500 folks on trips last year and we'll blow by that number this year. We certified, provided continuing education and sold and serviced a lot of gear for them and others. Most of our certs are through SSI and our Omaha store is their number one, worldwide, in certifications for a single store. Our Springfield store is number 6.

Travel, for some reason many, many shops have goven up on travel the last dozen years...BIG MISTAKE. Plus the usual cheap Cozumel, Keys trips aren't gonna cut it. I have watched teh Atlanta market and Charlotte kill themselves not offering this.

If you are #1 and #6 with your location, you ARE doing something awesome, and SSI is sucking wind.

 

[drrich2]

Right now we can't even get marine biology students to take up diving in any significant %, and Marine Biology is one of the "in" degrees. (why I have no idea, big student loans and no jobs is not that sexy to me)

Are you trying? And how? An interesting example.

A discount on cert.s for the college's students might get your ad in their class. Perhaps you could work with the college to teach a course for credit? Some PADI courses can be used for college credit; roll OW, AOW & Nitrox into the mix and maybe 3 credit hours? Might save a nerd having to take some other P.E. course? Perhaps encourage the idea that diving experience and time in exotic oceanic locations might look good on a C.V. in a competitive field? Maybe a class dive trip to a location where there's a big graduate marine biology program they can tour one day?

Is there a local public aquarium a certified diver could volunteer at cleaning big tanks to make contacts & add volunteer hours to a CV?

Richard.

 

[MrCultureJammer]

Travel, for some reason many, many shops have goven up on travel the last dozen years...BIG MISTAKE. Plus the usual cheap Cozumel, Keys trips aren't gonna cut it. I have watched teh Atlanta market and Charlotte kill themselves not offering this.

I would never ever pay a dive shop to set up a trip somewhere for me, when I can certainly do it cheaper myself online, and avoid the middle man. Remember "travel agents?" They're all living under a bridge somewhere now, homeless.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Diveshop owners would be able to answer this for me but I am wondering how many dive shops actually go out to hotels, swim clubs and apartment pools to schedule free "Discover Scuba" sessions?" In my area it appears that scuba shops try to sell themselves with sign board marketing. They tend to think that if you have a shop with a sign that says "SCUBA" then people will walk in just out of curiosity. It may happen but there are a whole lot of people who would have to breath underwater to have that "calling."

Anyone wanting to comment on the usefulness / success of going out there and arranging "Discovery Scuba" lessons?

 

[cerich]

sure, discount it, that will work, after all it isn't like dive training and equipment is not already at a lower cost than it has ever been. But that aside, they are paying more for single textbooks than getting certified, that is not the problem.

Are you trying? And how? An interesting example.

A discount on cert.s for the college's students might get your ad in their class. Perhaps you could work with the college to teach a course for credit? Some PADI courses can be used for college credit; roll OW, AOW & Nitrox into the mix and maybe 3 credit hours? Might save a nerd having to take some other P.E. course? Perhaps encourage the idea that diving experience and time in exotic oceanic locations might look good on a C.V. in a competitive field? Maybe a class dive trip to a location where there's a big graduate marine biology program they can tour one day?

Is there a local public aquarium a certified diver could volunteer at cleaning big tanks to make contacts & add volunteer hours to a CV?

Richard.

---------- Post added November 16th, 2014 at 05:12 PM ----------

well done dive trips you aren't paying a travel agent, you are paying for an experienced guide, educator, entertainer and more.

I would never ever pay a dive shop to set up a trip somewhere for me, when I can certainly do it cheaper myself online, and avoid the middle man. Remember "travel agents?" They're all living under a bridge somewhere now, homeless.

 

[kr2y5]

I would never ever pay a dive shop to set up a trip somewhere for me, when I can certainly do it cheaper myself online, and avoid the middle man. Remember "travel agents?" They're all living under a bridge somewhere now, homeless.

This certainly does not match my experience... from what I can remember, for the dive shops on Long Island that I used to frequent back when I lived there, organizing exotic trips surely sounded like one of the top things keeping them busy, and they would be all booked up many months in advance of each trip. People were constantly either gone on a trip, about to go or just recently back from a trip, and bragging about the next one. Those organizing the trips seemed to be the ones with the most customers, and the most expensive items on display.

 

[dmoore19]

The shops around here have group trips planned and seem to be doing quite well as they are almost always sold out 8-10 months ahead of trip time. While you would "never" pay for one there are a lot of people that do. You either like the group trips or you don't but I am just not sure why a shop would want to rule out offering group trips. For people who are not well traveled, setting up a dive trip can be a time consuming task. Especially for the person living in the middle of the US and having just completed their OW certification.

It seems to me that the demographics change between geographic areas. Maybe that is where the problem is, besides the fact that the industry doesn't really do any advertising anyway.

I would never ever pay a dive shop to set up a trip somewhere for me, when I can certainly do it cheaper myself online, and avoid the middle man. Remember "travel agents?" They're all living under a bridge somewhere now, homeless.