How do diveshops profit from trips?

[tridacna]

I am retired on pension and opening up a dive shop. I am planning to go diving every other day until I can't anymore. It will cost me $600 a week to do that, not counting equipment and my steel tanks and compressor. Maybe some people will come to dive with me, and I can make a profit or break even, but I still plan to use my pension to pay for diving. Basically, I love to scuba dive and planned to be able to afford for it in retirement. Trying to open a dive shop without pension probably would go out of business.

Where is your dive biz?

 

[tursiops]

The numbers are not conducive to getting rich, but you can possible break even or make a little.

• You might get a free spot for every 10 divers; so for a 20-person trip you give one to a divemaster to be the trip leader, and sell the other. the one you sell might buy the airfare for the divemaster.
• You might get 10% commission on the resort and diving.
• You will get nothing from arranging air travel, so don't even bother. People have favorite airlines and frequent-flyer miles and many won't want you prearranged for flights anyway.
• You might get some bennies like extra boat dives, or free nitrox, that you can then charge for or provide at no cost to the travelers as an inducement to travel with you, or a combinatiion.
• You might be able to teach some courses on the trip.
• You might sell some trip-replated equipment.

It is all enough to make it worthwhile if you do enough of it to get good at it. It won't keep the shop open, but it might get and keep some people coming into the shop and becoming regulars.

It helps to work through one of the big dive wholesalers like Maduro or Caradonna.

 

[Richard Dayan]

Where is your dive biz?

Puerto Galera Philippines

 

[tridacna]

Puerto Galera Philippines

On my way there in November. I’ll buy you a beer.

 

[Richard Dayan]

On my way there in November. I’ll buy you a beer.

Ok perfect.

 

[WillieJustice]

I am retired on pension and opening up a dive shop. I am planning to go diving every other day until I can't anymore. It will cost me $600 a week to do that, not counting equipment and my steel tanks and compressor. Maybe some people will come to dive with me, and I can make a profit or break even, but I still plan to use my pension to pay for diving. Basically, I love to scuba dive and planned to be able to afford for it in retirement. Trying to open a dive shop without pension probably would go out of business.

I want to be you when I grow up.