Impact of Covid-19 on Rental Gear, If Any
- Thread starter KathyV
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My understanding is that younger folks are more interested in experiences than lifestyles. I would wonder if in the short term, they'll simply choose the experiences that don't involve possibly swapping spit with the previous renter.
Slightly on topic but mostly off (hey this is scubaboard after all)
I was talking to the owner of one of my local shops a little while back (when I was allowed to go there). I learned to dive here in New England in 2008 since then I have taken one dive trip to Roatan all my other diving is up here. Here is cold water (31-50 degrees F depending on time of year), we call 10 foot vis good, 20 foot is OMG.
We were chatting about business and the local divers. She said people that go through there fall into a few categories.
1. I'm taking this trip and I really want to dive just because (don't see them after OW)
2. I was here last year took a trip, loved the diving I'm going back, this time I want my own gear (see once or twice a year for gear service, book a trip, etc)
3. I love the water but I'll only dive in the warmer months (see in the summer for the warm air temps and what we call warm water ie 50)
4. This f&%^$ s^%^ rocks (see year round, eventually go tech and or instructor).
How does this pertain to this topic, well if I'm in category one I don't want to spend another several hundred dollars on my own mask, fins, snorkel (I personally find these useless anyways) I just want to take my trip look at pretty fish, take my pictures and call it a day.
So I'm not surprised that places in those warm, clear water places allow renting of the basic items, they get enough volume to stay open. Whereas the colder non tourist places rely on that little bit of sales to stay in business.
I was talking to the owner of one of my local shops a little while back (when I was allowed to go there). I learned to dive here in New England in 2008 since then I have taken one dive trip to Roatan all my other diving is up here. Here is cold water (31-50 degrees F depending on time of year), we call 10 foot vis good, 20 foot is OMG.
We were chatting about business and the local divers. She said people that go through there fall into a few categories.
1. I'm taking this trip and I really want to dive just because (don't see them after OW)
2. I was here last year took a trip, loved the diving I'm going back, this time I want my own gear (see once or twice a year for gear service, book a trip, etc)
3. I love the water but I'll only dive in the warmer months (see in the summer for the warm air temps and what we call warm water ie 50)
4. This f&%^$ s^%^ rocks (see year round, eventually go tech and or instructor).
How does this pertain to this topic, well if I'm in category one I don't want to spend another several hundred dollars on my own mask, fins, snorkel (I personally find these useless anyways) I just want to take my trip look at pretty fish, take my pictures and call it a day.
So I'm not surprised that places in those warm, clear water places allow renting of the basic items, they get enough volume to stay open. Whereas the colder non tourist places rely on that little bit of sales to stay in business.
I had a guy call me last year wanting to do an instructor course, I told him a price told him it includes all gas and extra gear he needed (so he wouldn't have to travel with weights and tank ) he said he would need ALL the gear , seems he went all the way to DM with out his own gear , after he told me he had only 25-35 dives I politely told him I wouldn't be the instructor for him right now and informed him he needed way more dives for me to consider him for one of my courses ........................
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