Guessing this will generate some talk. This weekend I was at a regional show in Columbus, Ohio. I had my own booth representing UDM Aquatic Services (me), HOG/Edge Gear, and SEI/PDIC. During the show I received a great deal of interest and very positive feedback for all of my products/services. However a couple times there was the sideways glance at the notion a diver could service their own gear with the proper qualifications as I had the kits for the HOG regs on display along with the TDI HOG Equipment Service Clinic outline. There was also some discussion about the prices that HOG gear retails for. Oh well stuff happens.
But one comment that really surprised me was made by a shop owner who stated that Scubaboard is against local dive shops. I'm guessing because we allow discussion about servicing gear, encourage people to shop around, and that buying on line is not taboo. Maybe it's because we have a forum for DIY guys and gals?
This shop owner also stated he did not believe divers should be servicing their own gear and was quite suprised when I showed him just one of the resources divers have for information - the frogkick.dk site- where factory manuals are readily available. In addition to the fact that people are making their own seats, buying parts from other than the mfg, and getting actual kits from what I call progressive retailers who know how to run a business in this new age.
So my question to shop owners and divers is do you feel that SB is against the LDS. I don't. If anything it is pushing them to become better at serving their customers and forcing them to look at the way they do business. And to me that's a good thing. The industry is changing and the sooner that is recognized the better it will be for divers everywhere.
But one comment that really surprised me was made by a shop owner who stated that Scubaboard is against local dive shops. I'm guessing because we allow discussion about servicing gear, encourage people to shop around, and that buying on line is not taboo. Maybe it's because we have a forum for DIY guys and gals?
This shop owner also stated he did not believe divers should be servicing their own gear and was quite suprised when I showed him just one of the resources divers have for information - the frogkick.dk site- where factory manuals are readily available. In addition to the fact that people are making their own seats, buying parts from other than the mfg, and getting actual kits from what I call progressive retailers who know how to run a business in this new age.
So my question to shop owners and divers is do you feel that SB is against the LDS. I don't. If anything it is pushing them to become better at serving their customers and forcing them to look at the way they do business. And to me that's a good thing. The industry is changing and the sooner that is recognized the better it will be for divers everywhere.