Please HELP!

[Quarrior]

I think the main problem you have had in obtaining responses here is not what you're asking, but how your asking.

First of all you start off like there's a major issue that needs resolution. We are all, always glad to help someone out. But, you don't have a problem that needs to be resolved.

Second, you only asked 2 specific questions and blurred them together at that. Never ever combine questions.

Third, you want diving stories. There are thousands on this board and all you need to do is go find them and read them. People do not like repeating themselves unless they are Politicians.

HELP! I am a Senior Marketing major working on a project for my Marketing Comm class. My group and I are doing research on the scuba diving community and we are trying to learn as much about ya'll as possible so we can come up with a print ad for a specific product targeting divers!

Right now we are in the research stage which means just information collection and analysis.
What I am trying to find out is basically why diving is so important to you, whether there is a set of shared values among divers and what kind of hierarchy, if any, exists within your community. As a non-diver I would appreciate any input which may help me with my research.

Please share any diving stories (like good trips, friends met along the way, accidents etc) as well as what kind of things establish a bond between you and your diving buddies. Any other bits of information you would like to share will be helpful.

Thanks for your help

 

[downdeep]

Recreational diving as it exists today is the new kid on the block when compared to, say baseball, tennis, golf, bowling or other activities. Until the last 50 years or so most diving was either military or commercial. We ARE in a sense the pioneers. We are dependent upon each other for information and shared experiences.

I find that when I meet another diver we usually have a different level of "common grounding" and respect. Whether your passion is DIR, deep, cave or just floating above a pretty reef blowing bubbles, WE GET IT. If you haven't been there you can't understand.

I dive with people whose backgrounds and socio-economic levels are about as diverse as they come. There is a common thread, I think. Most of us are very analytical and cautious. Occupational hazard. We have seen how fragile life can be. We have also seen the result of the touch of God's hand, mostly unspoiled by man. And it's awesome.

 

[photohikedive]

This thread reminds me of something I was told by my dear old dad.... don't tell me how you can't do something, tell me how you can.

I see plenty of people telling the OP why they can't answer his/her questions. No offence to the post I am using for an example, it is just the most recent one here..

I think the main problem you have had in obtaining responses here is not what you're asking, but how your asking.

First of all you start off like there's a major issue that needs resolution. We are all, always glad to help someone out. But, you don't have a problem that needs to be resolved.

actually, to the OP, it is a problem, the OP needs data about divers, and the info we are giving, is that divers are nit picky and unfriendly

Second, you only asked 2 specific questions and blurred them together at that. Never ever combine questions.

well, break the questions apart. if you are able to notice that they blur together, try dividing it so you can answer what was trying to be asked.

Third, you want diving stories. There are thousands on this board and all you need to do is go find them and read them. People do not like repeating themselves unless they are Politicians.

yes, thousands of stories. do you have any favorites? you had time to pick someone's post apart, but you didn't have time to go back and find a tale or two that made you smile, or made you want to get back in the water?


recently a thread turned to this very sort of thing. SB members treating new posters with disdain and general unpleasantness. are your lives so dreary, that the only way you can feel better, is by tearing someone else down?

what image are we painting of divers as a whole?

 

[downdeep]

what image are we painting of divers as a whole?

Some excellent points made here.

 

[shwell]

HELP! I am a Senior Marketing major working on a project for my Marketing Comm class. My group and I are doing research on the scuba diving community and we are trying to learn as much about ya'll as possible so we can come up with a print ad for a specific product targeting divers!

Right now we are in the research stage which means just information collection and analysis.
What I am trying to find out is basically why diving is so important to you, whether there is a set of shared values among divers and what kind of hierarchy, if any, exists within your community. As a non-diver I would appreciate any input which may help me with my research.

Please share any diving stories (like good trips, friends met along the way, accidents etc) as well as what kind of things establish a bond between you and your diving buddies. Any other bits of information you would like to share will be helpful.

Thanks for your help

I started diving 12 years ago because it was something that my husband had always wanted to do. It wasn't something that I had even considered doing. Since then we have logged many dives together and shared some amazing experiences. Diving has definitely brought us closer together and we both LOVE it. We plan at least one tropical vacation a year just so we can dive. What others have said about it being a Zen like experience is soo true! It is like you get to explore the last frontier. I am a little suprised by some of the responses you are recieving because in my personal experience, divers are a very friendly bunch. We also like to convince other people to try it because you really can't describe what it is like and do it justice. I agree with the others on the board that if at all possible you should give it a try. You won't regret it!

 

[stepup]

I do it because I can totally get out of reallity inder water. I can't hear my cellphone ringing. I'm not dealing with a customer. I am not worried about how much money I made this week and how much I have i the bank or don't have in the bank. All I think about is breathing and swimming and keeping my eyes peeled for the next interesting thing to look at. I also like the people that diving draws. It is something you can do and always be in good company. The reason because every one is out for the same thing i one form or another. I hopes this helps and you can PM me with any thing else I can help you with.

 

[TSandM]

I don't know about the rest of the board, but I don't resent marketing. Somebody who does some research and identifies a need and fills it does me a service and lines his own pockets, which is symbiosis. Look at the Manta reg necklaces -- There's a company that saw all the posts saying, "How do I make one of these things?" and decided to answer the question the easy way: Buy one from us!

But I think it takes some time and some cleverness to do this. I couldn't even begin to tell the OP what "shared values" divers have that would lead to product development or selling strategy. Some people like gear in bright colors; others adamantly buy black. Some people want that "pre-made" necklace, and some are scathing about it because it's easy to make your own.

The only thing we all seem to share is a feeling that being underwater is special, and we get something from it that we don't find anywhere else. And how you market to that is beyond me . . .

 

[dhartshorn]

I'll ponder an answer to some of your questions and possibly get back later, but I do find it interesting that you say, "I have read the boards and in fact posted on other forums," yet you only have two posts on this handle and both are in this thread. Did you mean you have posted on other boards? Or have you posted under a different username? Sorry to be skeptical, but as mentioned before, many of us are wary of marketers digging around here....

I understand the skepticism towards marketers. What I wish everyone would accept is that I am honestly just trying to learn about a subculture, not to sell faulty products, there is no real product involved here. This process is purely for a class project. If I can learn what kind of products you are interested such information can be used not only to market the product but as a source of information for manufacturers too. (although in this case none of this information will be shared with anybody other than my professor and classmates.)
Put more simply, I am a 19 year old college senior trying to get an A on a project which I am doing about diving, a culture that I grew up around (I am from the Turks and Caicos Islands) but never fully understood because I cannot dive myself (my ears won't allow it). I find divers particularly interesting because of the curiosity, care for the environment and excitement they share in exploring the underwater world.
As for posting threads on other forums, I posted on scubadiving.com, the same thread that I posted here. I had planned on posting at other websites but I have received a lot of positive feedback between the two forums that will be very helpful to my research. As for the negative responses, they tell me just as much about the general attitudes of the diving subculture as the positive.
So please don't be skeptical, I am here purely to gather information.

Once again, thank you to those who have taken the time to respond.

 

[dhartshorn]

You came to the right place. I have no ill will toward you personally, but I'm very skeptical of marketers. You came here to learn about us. You ask us for information about ourselves which you will use to mold a product/service/advertising campaign/brand. You will then attempt to sell this to us to make money. What do we get out of it? A product/service closely tailored to our wants and needs? Or a slick advertising campaign for a product you couldn't otherwise sell? If you have something to sell, why can't you just tell us what it is and let us decide if we want it? How does helping you benefit us?

I hate to be so negative. Diving is a wonderful thing, and divers, having such a unique view of an incredibly beautiful part of the world that most people never see, are mostly really cool people. We love to share our experiences; look how many people, as I do, encourage you to start diving. I just hate to see people being taken advantage of.

To my fellow ScubaBoarders: please don't let this post poison this thread. Be positive. Share. But please be aware.

As I stated in my original post, I am doing research for a class. My group and I are really just trying to learn as much about the diving community as possible in order to find out what is important to you. Maybe an example will clear up your misconceptions. Regarding equipment I have learned that safety is most important, followed by ease of gearing up and speed because less time gearing up equals more time in the water. Divers typically all want equipment that doesn't need to be replaced or require maintenance every year. That kind of information would help my group select a product which, as you stated, is 'tailored to fit your needs' which is ideally the goal of this project. I mean no ill will and I am somewhat disheartened by many people's attitudes towards my questions. It is this 'unique view' you speak of I am trying so frantically to understand. Thanks for your response, I hope I have lightened your view on marketers although I am still only a student!

 

[gangrel441]

As for posting threads on other forums, I posted on scubadiving.com, the same thread that I posted here. I had planned on posting at other websites but I have received a lot of positive feedback between the two forums that will be very helpful to my research. As for the negative responses, they tell me just as much about the general attitudes of the diving subculture as the positive.
So please don't be skeptical, I am here purely to gather information.

Once again, thank you to those who have taken the time to respond.

That is the answer to the question I asked. It was a semantics issue.

I don't have time right now, but I will put together my response to your question when I get a chance, probably after I finish assisting with a Discover Scuba this evening.