In Response to "a Unified Dive Industry"

[Wookie]

I'm likely gonna be on one of those trips with you next year, with The Scuba Connection here in NJ!

And I look forward to meeting you. I expect we'll see you at BTS?

That's kind of my point though. In plenty of other sports, you do not have to do that kind of legwork. We are talking about why the dive industry as a whole is sucking hind teet right now, right? How hard would it be for charters to add stuff to their web pages that dictates rates for some deeper water or more exclusive wrecks with a higher price? I'll pay the money, I just don't know that I want to spend my limited free time scouring the world for 4 other people to get on the boat. If I am going to pay you for it, then you should provide that service for me. Putting a thing up on your website that says "bring me 6 divers and you have the boat" runs people off and does not make you any money. How hard would it be for a charter or shop to have an email list or a signup list of people for those type of events?

How would you personally like me to reach out to you? I advertise on SB using a banner ad, my tech trips are well publicized on The Deco Stop, The Tech Diver, and Rebreatherworld. I have press releases through Scott Jones' publications Diverwire and Dive News Wire. I don't use print media because it's so expensive. That's why I rely on my LDS (like The Scuba Connection) to get my name out there for me. I cannot survive without the LDS. We tried very hard, as we didn't see the LDS doing there part to market for us, to book this boat ourselves. We fell flat. That's why I said earlier in this thread or in another that this charter boat CURRENTLY relies on the LDS for our existence. If you don't use an LDS for anything else, you won't find out about us.

Frank

 

[Wookie]

Hell Yes. Even for regular dives. I hate calling around when I should be able to look up a charter on line, see that you have a spot open and book my trip.

You call around and either can't find an open seat or they say 'Yea, we got a boat going out.' So you sign up and stop looking only to be called at the last minute and told 'no one else signed up so we aren't going.' ***? I was the only one and you couldn't have given me more warning!

OK, rant over...I'll go back to my hole now.

And that happens to us, too. We had 3 divers signed up for a Labor Day charter for 5 months. In the last 30 days before the trip, we still had 3 signed up. I asked them to move to a 4 day trip that was right after, paid most if not all their ticket fees, gave them the 4 day trip for the price of a 3, and had a happy customer at the end of the day. But no-one ever asks that question. If we do cancel for lack of customers, we try our best to give 2 weeks notice and a full refund. Hurts sometimes, but I've never heard a complaint.

It's OK, you don't have to stay in a hole.

Frank

PS. I have one of the easiest online booking systems in the business. Give it a looksee.
www.spreeexpeditions.com

 

[Slonda828]

And I look forward to meeting you. I expect we'll see you at BTS?


How would you personally like me to reach out to you? I advertise on SB using a banner ad, my tech trips are well publicized on The Deco Stop, The Tech Diver, and Rebreatherworld. I have press releases through Scott Jones' publications Diverwire and Dive News Wire. I don't use print media because it's so expensive. That's why I rely on my LDS (like The Scuba Connection) to get my name out there for me. I cannot survive without the LDS. We tried very hard, as we didn't see the LDS doing there part to market for us, to book this boat ourselves. We fell flat. That's why I said earlier in this thread or in another that this charter boat CURRENTLY relies on the LDS for our existence. If you don't use an LDS for anything else, you won't find out about us.

Frank

Here's how:

You put a dive trip on your web site that appeals to someone like me. You figure out a wreck that someone who is 30 and physically fit would want to do. That is how you make money, because that is your job. YOU do the legwork, because that is what I am paying you to do. I am random chucklehead diver, with girlfriend. I go onto your website, I find a trip that I like (your 2009 schedule is bone empty on your web page). I sign up my girlfriend and I, then you find the rest of the people. How you do that is your problem, not mine. Then I go on my charter and have a good time. Then I tip you handsomely. That is how every other organization of which I am a part works. Kayaking, climbing, organized runs, mountaineering, and many other things all work that way. You also pay someone to make your website look top notch. If I am going to pay good money, then your site needs to look like it is worth my money. That's how you personally reach out to me.

Oh yeah, and since I am not an oceanographer or underwater historian, you find wrecks that are cool. You explain to me where they are, and why I want to pay you to let me dive them.

 

[Wookie]

(your 2009 schedule is bone empty on your web page).

2009 is empty because it's over. Try 2010.

 

[OldNSalty]

I'll book with you if I'm ever in Key West again Frank.

 

[Slonda828]

2009 is empty because it's over. Try 2010.

Nope, it's not over for me. I am going to pay someone to take me out on a boat at least 6 more times before 2010 starts. That right there is money that you could be making. Sometimes dive related businesses seem like they do not want to make money. I am not sure if that is because divers make bad businessman, or because most businessmen to not dive...

 

[Wookie]

Oh yeah, and since I am not an oceanographer or underwater historian, you find wrecks that are cool. You explain to me where they are, and why I want to pay you to let me dive them.

Any of these appeal to you? http://www.spreeexpeditions.com/PDF/techdiving.pdf

 

[Wookie]

Nope, it's not over for me. I am going to pay someone to take me out on a boat at least 6 more times before 2010 starts. That right there is money that you could be making. Sometimes dive related businesses seem like they do not want to make money. I am not sure if that is because divers make bad businessman, or because most businessmen to not dive...

Ahhh. Liveaboard? 4 or 5 days at a time in winter weather? Enjoy yourself. But don't come complaining when your liveaboard charter cancels the trip in forcast 8-10 foot seas like we had here all week.

 

[Slonda828]

Any of these appeal to you? http://www.spreeexpeditions.com/PDF/techdiving.pdf

Honest to God man, that looks great. Here's the thing though:

-What wrecks are we going to dive?
-Why are we diving these wrecks?
-When?
-Can I just sign up my girlfriend and I?
-How far in advance are you going to plan this? (I work for the gov, so it takes time to get a 4 day pass)


I love your boat, and your trips look awesome. It you put one up on your site for 2009, and it is not 6 days long, I'll go. I may even be able to drag my girlfriend if the Army allows it. Your first scheduled event is in MAY of 2010. That's almost 7 months away.

I feel (maybe wrongly) that you owe me stuff like that. Your job is to do all the dirty work for me, so I can dive and have fun. I know it sucks, I've done it a little bit. But I want a guy to find me a nice wreck that isn't covered in cattle boats that I have not dove 15 times. I want the information on that wreck, so I know where I am going and so I can explain to my old lady why it is cool and worth her X amount of money. I want a DM that actually knows the name of the wreck and maybe (God forbid) 2-3 minutes of real history about the wreck. I am willing to pay for that. I want to be able to find some of that stuff on your page.

 

[Wookie]

Honest to God man, that looks great. Here's the thing though:

-What wrecks are we going to dive?
-Why are we diving these wrecks?
-When?
-Can I just sign up my girlfriend and I?
-How far in advance are you going to plan this? (I work for the gov, so it takes time to get a 4 day pass)


I love your boat, and your trips look awesome. It you put one up on your site for 2009, and it is not 6 days long, I'll go. I may even be able to drag my girlfriend if the Army allows it. Your first scheduled event is in MAY of 2010. That's almost 7 months away.

You're telling me. I have to survive that long (we do stuff in the winter other than diving).

Are you looking for day trips, liveaboard, weekend, training, tech, we will do a 3 day wrecks of the Florida Keys Dec. 11th. Vandenberg, Spiegel Grove, and Duane. You're right, it's not on the website because we filanized it last night. The flyer is here.: Dive The Wrecks Of The Florida Keys On the weekend after DEMA, we have a three day advanced nitrox and deco procedures trip with Oceanic Ventures Inc. out of Houston, 3 days of diving. It's not on the web because it's a closed charter, but they might have space for you. I don't know because the boat is closed. I can get you contact info if you're interested, but it's 3 days of nothing but Vandenberg. The Deco Stop is considering a 2 day tech trip to the Vandenberg, Wilkes-Barre and Curb. We haven't finalized it yet, so it's not posted.

The old adage in the industry is that $100 worth of trip takes a month to sell. So, yes, we have trips scheduled for next May, and we're late on those. As this thread is all about, the industry is changing. More and more folks do not plan their diving until the last minute. An operator pulls his hair out trying to balance the needs of the few who have signed up with the realities of last minute bookers. If I take the gamble that I'll get enough to run a trip, I could lose money (and when we lose money, it's not just a little) because we don't get the last minute folks such as yourself. I HATE to cancel within 2 weeks because it doesn't give the guy who has planned his vacation months in advance any time to re-schedule or book somewhere else. But if I run with 3 divers, I lose about $10k in fuel, food, crew, etc.

I'm not whining, just trying to explain a little bit about what and how.