Here’s my take on all this. Nothing really new on what’s been said, but perhaps with a different slant…
PADI only cares about PADI. I don’t think PADI cares for being the “loss leader” in the current model with $99 certifications, etc. They don’t care how it shakes out or how many LDS’ or manufacturers go out of business, they’re tired of only getting a tiny slice of the pie.
If they can get the hardware to go to the internet, shops will be forced to charge a fair price for instruction. If the LDS charges a fair price for instruction, two things happen:
1. PADI can up their certification charges to the LDS, because the LDS will simply pass this onto the customer rather than trying to “make it up” via sales.
2. The independents have a fighting chance.
Both will increase PADI’s profit margin, which is the only thing that PADI’s interested in.
I see internet sales as a good thing. Someone mentioned photography as a similar market and they’re right. Local photo stores exist as well as the big online stores. The local photo stores often have classes, just like dive shops. The models are quite similar, except for the current artificial environment in the dive equipment area created by the manufacturers. Even the number of “big” manufacturers is approximately the same.
But we have to learn to pay a fair price for service (including air fills) as well as training. No more of this hokey “You didn’t buy it from here, I won’t service it” crap that some shops pull. I can bring my Ford into any dealer and they’ll happily service it and charge me for that service.
Bottom line is that equipment cost will fall, training, air fills and service cost will rise. Overall consumer cost will remain approximately the same, the LDS’s and manufacturers will become more cost competitive or die and PADI will get a bigger cut.
The last point being the only thing driving PADI’s position.
And maybe, just maybe with the independents having a fighting chance, we can get the crappy instructors out of the training pool, figuratively as well as literally.
Roak
PADI only cares about PADI. I don’t think PADI cares for being the “loss leader” in the current model with $99 certifications, etc. They don’t care how it shakes out or how many LDS’ or manufacturers go out of business, they’re tired of only getting a tiny slice of the pie.
If they can get the hardware to go to the internet, shops will be forced to charge a fair price for instruction. If the LDS charges a fair price for instruction, two things happen:
1. PADI can up their certification charges to the LDS, because the LDS will simply pass this onto the customer rather than trying to “make it up” via sales.
2. The independents have a fighting chance.
Both will increase PADI’s profit margin, which is the only thing that PADI’s interested in.
I see internet sales as a good thing. Someone mentioned photography as a similar market and they’re right. Local photo stores exist as well as the big online stores. The local photo stores often have classes, just like dive shops. The models are quite similar, except for the current artificial environment in the dive equipment area created by the manufacturers. Even the number of “big” manufacturers is approximately the same.
But we have to learn to pay a fair price for service (including air fills) as well as training. No more of this hokey “You didn’t buy it from here, I won’t service it” crap that some shops pull. I can bring my Ford into any dealer and they’ll happily service it and charge me for that service.
Bottom line is that equipment cost will fall, training, air fills and service cost will rise. Overall consumer cost will remain approximately the same, the LDS’s and manufacturers will become more cost competitive or die and PADI will get a bigger cut.
The last point being the only thing driving PADI’s position.
And maybe, just maybe with the independents having a fighting chance, we can get the crappy instructors out of the training pool, figuratively as well as literally.
Roak
