How are the dive shops doing?

[cuddlefish]

So, how are all the dive shops doing? Have you seen a decrease in your charters? What about retail? If you see a drop, what are you doing about it? I know a couple of shops have gone out of business. I also know of a surprising number of other types of retailers and restaurants going out of business. Hopefully everyone is hanging in there.

 

[Shaka Doug]

Things seem to be extra slow here on Maui for everyone, not just dive businesses. Everything from restaurants to luaus to hotels to rental cars. Each seems to be hurting more than just the regular slump of September / October. The only guy I know who says he's doing well is my friend who's a bartender (go figure!).

I can recommend something to all businesses, especially those who utilize the internet for their business communication, that can quickly and easily help build your numbers. If anyone would like a demonstration, please PM me. It works amazing for me and I'm happy to say I'm the first guy on Maui using it for SCUBA.

The economic forecasters suggest that this isn't even close to hitting rock bottom n Hawaii yet. Don't wait until you're floundering to do something about it. Take the steps now to keep your business alive while others fade away. It's a lot easier to do while you are still viable than to wait until when you're on your last leg and grabbing at anything for a quick band-aid fix. I'm happy to share this info with anyone who's interested in being here for the long run.

 

[kidspot]

I know of one boat that is down a lil' bit more than 75% ... ouch - and several others that are down 50% or so over last year this time ... definitely a bit slower... But the water is still nice, gas prices are starting to drop finally (yay) and sunrise and sunset are still beautiful!

 

[DiveMaven]

We plan to do our part for the economy by not only doing our annual week long trip to Maui, but actually extend that trip to 13 days instead of just 8! Be interesting to see if we can feel any slump during the uber-high season of Christmas/New Years.

 

[Jack'sDivingLocker]

Luckily we had a very busy summer. Our Junior program brought in tons of kids for our scuba camps. We certified just under 200 kids over about 1 1/2 months. We do see a drop now. We haven't had to cancel any trips, though. We go out every day (except today...Ironman!). We are putting more effort into marketing. We are lucky to have quite a few mega repeat groups and private charters that seem to keep on booking with us. But, yes, we are mindful of our operating expenses and really need to run as efficiently as possible.

 

[Thyroidless4]

But definitely going thriftier than I would for a normal vacation. May camp some of my time there to save on rental to extend my trip. Everyone seems to be feeling it, unfortunately.

 

[DiveWestOahu]

i've found business is actually a little better than last year (which was a good year) although "tips" are definetly way down,, i'm up 3% overall,
1 shop and 1 charter boats have closed up last month,,,

 

[CaptFlyingDutchman]

So what is the casualty report? Who has gone under?

 

[Charlie99]

Some general background info on visitor arrivals:

Total visitor arrivals for Maui island were down 20.9 percent in August compared to the same month last year. But Maui's percentage drop in tourists for the month was not as high as Molokai (31 percent), Lanai (28.3 percent), the Big Island (22.9 percent) or Kauai (25 percent). Only Oahu's 18.1 percent decline in visitors for August was lower than Maui's.

From: State data verify lapse in visitor arrivals, spending - The Maui News

 

[CaptFlyingDutchman]

Hey I was in Maui for 4 days and did a total of 8 dives. So I am doing my part to help the economy.