How do Local dive shops stay afloat?

[RonFrank]

Excuse me? This dummy feels better when she puts her regulator in her mouth, knowing that is has been serviced by a reputable LDS and not worrying about saving ten bucks.

Becky

Purchased his regulator new online, and saved about $250. A buddy of mine purchased EVERYTHING from my favorite LDS where we both do our training, and to date he has had 1) inflator problems which resulted in ending a dive trip early, and a trip to the LDS for service 2) Two computer issues which resulted in us skipping a planned dive, and having the puter in for service for several weeks, and 3) a primary reg freeflow which just resulted in our having to surface, and then go back down.

Granted all of his equipment was serviced under warranty. However to date, my higher end equipment which I purchased on the net for less then he paid for middle line stuff has held up better.

I should not put his puter in that catagory, as it's a nice hoseless AI puter. And now I know, they break, so do NOT purchase a wireless AI puter without a warranty as his is less than a year old, and Oceanic has replaced the transmitter twice, and the entire computer once.

BTW, we both have our gear serviced at the same DS, and once his is out of warranty (one year) his service price will cost him as much as mine, and no, he does not get free service from the LDS just because he dumped a couple grand there, however they do seem to like him!!

 

[toodive4]

That was a general "2 second" response I gave. I was being to lazy to spell it all out... but maybe I have to.

LDS VS ONLINE

There are good and bad in both. There are excellent online retailers that are actually full service dive shops and offer full manufacturer warranties on the items they sell. There are also online sellers that sell junk. The same can be said of local dive shops. There are good LDS's and bad LDS's. Just because the LDS services your gear doesn't mean you should feel safe. Perhaps you are lucky and know for certain that the technician servicing your reg is qualified by the manufacturer to do so. He/she should be able to display a certificate from the manufacturer of the regulator you are having serviced that shows he has taken a course on how to service their regs. Have you seen proof of his certification on that brand? Every brand requires their own cert. If he/she is certified on Scubapro, that doesn't mean he/she is qualified to service Mares.
Do you see exactly who works on your reg?

I worked in a dive shop - dont any more because of the story I'm about to tell you. I walked in one day to find one of the local shop "ho's" in the repair room working on a regulator. When I questioned her as to what she was doing, she said the owner was showing her how to fix regs and she was in there by herself putting it back together. Now thank god it wasn't my reg or the "$#*! would have hit the fan. I later discovered that this had been going on for a while. No wonder whenever I had students in the pool I had regs freeflowing. I also through diligence discovered that the shop owner was working on all brands of regs... best part yet... he had only been certified on one brand.

So be careful... know what goes on behind the walls of the shop. Don't assume the happy face at the counter is doing what you think. These particular shop owners were not even installing the new kits for the regs... they were saving money by taking them apart, greasing them and putting them back together... another big no no.

I've bought from great online retailers at cheaper prices and had no problem with returns or service when needed. If you choose a reputable online retailer you will always save money without worries... Online retailers in general are less expensive and offer great service. questions will be answered by phone or email when needed. That is the first sign of a good online retailer. Do they have a phone and do they answer when you call. Check them out... then save money... and maybe even your life.

Excuse me? This dummy feels better when she puts her regulator in her mouth, knowing that is has been serviced by a reputable LDS and not worrying about saving ten bucks.

Becky

 

[RonFrank]

I went into my Local Dive Shop (LDS) the other day and the prices were so much more than on the internet. Now it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the internet doesn't have overhead, a store lots of employees etc.. Does anyone here buy their gear from LDS? If so what's the advantage?

The LDS has a much different market than the internet stores. This of course depends upon they type of Intranet store, and places like ScubaToys have the best of both worlds being a LDS that has great prices, AND offers their local customers full LDS facilities with training and air, etc.

The LDS I use is doing great. They run a very successful travel agency, have a very full service repair facility, sell a good amount of equipment, and KaChing, certified something like 1000 divers a year. At between $300-390 a student for certification (NOT including materials) that's gross of about 300K a year. Most students purchase personal gear from them, and that runs about $300 a student.

I just heard on the radio that they are sponsering some hot body babe contest in conjuction with Coors, so don't kid yourself, in the right market with the right business plan an LDS can do VERY well. The fact that a landlocked place like Denver has at least a dozen LDS's indicates that yes, they can do well.

Another misconception that people are under is that places like LP ALWAYS have the best prices on everything. The fact is that my LDS completes very well with online stores when it comes to small items. The reality is these items have huge markups, and it's not that our LDS has great prices but rather that LP does not. For example I can purchase a battery for my computer from any large discount chain for a couple bucks, and LP charges $4. Fish identification cards at LP are $6, and $6.99 at my LDS.

So those types of items that LP and other Internet dealers do not discount I tend to purchase from the LDS.

 

[redacted]

Excuse me? This dummy feels better when she puts her regulator in her mouth, knowing that is has been serviced by a reputable LDS and not worrying about saving ten bucks.

Becky

Just to clear up any ambiguity, what is a "reputable" LDS and how does a new diver go about finding one?

 

[scubabrandon]

And this means that they won't rip you off ??....LOL....OK.....you're the expert with 7 logged dives....

Maybe you are suffering from nitrogen narcosis so I'll post what I did before and maybe this time you can realize what was being said:

"Well working (ME) in an industry driven by advertising sales, I believe I have seen enough reports on what types of business take the word of mouth route and which purchase advertising. But like you said you dont know what you dont know....."

Meaning that I work in a business that deals with ad creation, commerical creation, and sales EVERYDAY. So again I believe I have more info on the national and local advertising aspect. I have stacks of paper work on what types of business owners buy advertising and which ones rely on mostly word of mouth and a small ad in the yellow pages. My ability to know the sales market has nothing to do with 7 logged dives, but hey its not your fault your ignorance is showing, you dont know what you dont know...remember? :11ztongue

Doesnt really matter, you do your short term thing and I'll do my long term thing. We both know who will be safer and better off in the long run...me.

 

[Derek S]

One point that many respondents keep bringing up is the "expertise" of the employee at the LDS. In many cases the "expertise" is sadly lacking in the employees. The owners/managers may have provided a high level of knowledge when starting the business, but it seems that as the business grows the management tends to start looking more at the profit margins and costs of doing business than they do the level of "expertise" of the day-to-day employee.

Please keep in mind that I am not applying this as a carte blanche condemnation of all LDS's, it's just an observation of many LDS's that I have frequented.

There is one LDS here in the Atlanta area that employs persons with whom I don't think I'd care to dive, much less rely upon for "expert" information or advice.

Many LDS employees are hired for three reasons, they are divers, they have a modicum of knowledge of the overall diving industry, and they work cheaply.

Keep this one tenet in mind, the sole purpose of a business is to make a profit. Now, how the business goes about making that profit is another matter.

the K

This post points out perfectly what I feel has happened to the lone "serious" LDS within a 20 mile drive of me.

 

[Firefyter]

Maybe you are suffering from nitrogen narcosis so I'll post what I did before and maybe this time you can realize what was being said:

"Well working (ME) in an industry driven by advertising sales, I believe I have seen enough reports on what types of business take the word of mouth route and which purchase advertising. But like you said you dont know what you dont know....."

Meaning that I work in a business that deals with ad creation, commerical creation, and sales EVERYDAY. So again I believe I have more info on the national and local advertising aspect. I have stacks of paper work on what types of business owners buy advertising and which ones rely on mostly word of mouth and a small ad in the yellow pages. My ability to know the sales market has nothing to do with 7 logged dives, but hey its not your fault your ignorance is showing, you dont know what you dont know...remember? :11ztongue

Again, I think you misunderstand me.... I'm sure you know your job, but I'm not sure that it applies very well to LDS's. That was what I meant with the 7 logged dives comment, that you're new to dive shops and diving in general, and that the dive market is different than other markets. I'm also glad you've found an LDS that is one of the good ones. They are few and far between. An LDS that offers competitive pricing and great customer service will survive, the others are just treading water, and it doesn't matter what type of advertising they do. I apologize if you thought I was slighting your professional ability, but I don't think it's my ignorance showing in this particular venue.

Doesnt really matter, you do your short term thing and I'll do my long term thing.

LOL...tell me this after you've been diving almost 20 years, and have seen several dive shops go under due to poor service and pricing....

We both know who will be safer and better off in the long run...me.

The jury's still out on this one, too...LOL

 

[sdstahl]

I shop exclusively at my LDS.

Do you also use your local travel agent or Expedia? Most travel agents have alot of valuable advice also.

 

[nauifins73]

I use my local travel agency also. I had to find one in Kansas City after the local one had to close. We have had a retail business, so I shop exclusively at local stores. I bypass Walmart & Target type stores also.

Becky

 

[Wayward Son]

If they're smart, they stay afloat through multiple strategies.

They run a solid business, take care of their customers without cheating them & blowing smoke us their asses. They provide excellent service, including on gear, training & so on. They make an effort to be competetive on pricing. They can't always match online prices, but they can make an effort. I'll pay a bit extra at my LDS, if it's a good shop.

They diversify. Maybe they own & operate dive boats. They sell to the local paintball bunch. They provide equipment maintenance & possibly customization to area fire depts, police, and military. If they're up where no one dives in the winter, they often cover a 2nd sport, such as snow skiing.

If they have the expertize, they provide support (gear, training, fills) to the tech divers. A lot of shops don't do this, so the ones who do may pick up business from a larger than normal region.

I'm fortunate that I have at least 2 good shops to do business with now. In the past, I have had a shop (in Nashville, I think he's gone now) that turned out to be so bad I simply would never do business with him again. Especially after the last con he tried to pull on my buddy & I. That was 21 years ago, I hope he's found his special place in hell by now.