Post-pandemic comeback? Not yet! The dive industry is still crashing.

[Darcy Kieran]

So in my opinion, it's not only lack of leadership and vision. It's also a lack of honest good customer service and building a long term buisness that will grow divers and grow with the divers. Some of these shops its like walking into a used car dealership.

I fully agree with the dive industry's need for improved customer service. In fact, it's crucial and was badly needed about 30 years ago.

The lack of leadership and vision is at the top.

The 3 dive centers that you mentioned with horrible customer service... They are affiliated with a training agency, right? They display a brand logo on their door or somewhere. Why aren't the scuba brands (mainly training agencies but also dive gear manufacturers) interested in protecting the value of their brand by ensuring proper customer service at locations authorized to use their brand?

What's the point of having a brand if it means nothing?

As a consumer, when I go to a McDonald's, I know the type of food they will have on the menu and the price range. But when I go to a Brand ABC dive training center, I have no idea what I'll get. None whatsoever. It means nothing. (Yes, I know the difference between a franchisee and an affiliate, etc. The concept remains.)

A preliminary look at survey results we haven't published yet indicates a near consensus on the following:

• Between two dive instructors associated with the same training agency, the quality of the training provided is often significantly different.
• Between two dive centers associated with the same training agency, the quality of the service provided is often significantly different.

That's a no-brainer. So... Why isn't there a single brand you can trust with proper quality assurance?

The lack of real quality assurance and the absence of consistency in the quality of the experience at locations operating under the same brand makes this so-called "industry" a joke and fuels our colossal dropout rate.

One day, somebody will have the vision & leadership to jump on this opportunity to establish a trustworthy brand within the dive industry. That brand will have value.

 

[Beau Holden]

The 3 dive centers that you mentioned with horrible customer service... They are affiliated with a training agency, right?

They are PADI and the one I'm doing business is SSI, I think. I don't shop brand when it comes to dive shops. I shop the one that gets me what I need, when I need it and actually gives a damn if I come in or not.

Since the only other training I would need or want is technical, they don't care. But in my opinion they are stepping over dollars for pennies considering how much people on the technical side spend and the mentor ship this side of diving can provide and the dollars it turns into.

 

[Marie13]

The recreational/warm water shops are clueless about the tech side. I’ve had some even tell me it’s dangerous.

 

[Beau Holden]

That's a no-brainer. So... Why isn't there a single brand you can trust with proper quality assurance?

The lack of real quality assurance and the absence of consistency in the quality of the experience at locations operating under the same brand makes this so-called "industry" a joke and fuels our colossal dropout rate.

One day, somebody will have the vision & leadership to jump on this opportunity to establish a trustworthy brand within the dive industry. That brand will have value.

I know this might not make any sense. But several years ago, when I was just starting out even the guys in the dive center were bad mouthing and back biting other instructors within the same center. Then you have different stores within the same area or town that carry different brands of gear. Someone comes in store A and wants a Scubapro reg serviced and they do not have that brand, but store B does and will do service. But since stores A and B are so competitive and protective, store A would not send that person to store B for anything but begin to tell that person how bad store B is, how much better say Dive Rite or Hog is. Again more of the crap

Until there is a culture change within the industry....well you have what you have and that is the best that you will get. You can have a brand that comes along and tries to change things in quality and service. But can they change the BS that has become so toxic? Again, its culture and until we as divers begin to change it and call BS, when its BS and have some skin to take the flack, it never going to change?

To quote an old saying from Zig Ziggler; "How to you get what you want? By help others get what they want."

 

[azstinger11]

Honestly I think one of the biggest issues is that dive shops and many instructors haven’t adapted to change in viewpoints, tastes, and quality of life realities that the younger generations face. Like it or not, millennials and Gen Z are the growth markets for the sport. Failure to cater to them will be disastrous. Adapt or die.

 

[Joneill]

On the oceanside, silly! I'm sure they have one like Pa does according to a certain quack tv doctor.

Well… cruise ships could easily dock and leave from Philadelphia with direct access to the Atlantic through the Delaware Bay- in fact, they used to do so. So… maybe, leave your petty politics out of this

 

[Joneill]

Do planes empty their sewage tanks while in international airspace?

Not intentionally - but it does happen every now and then.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Honestly I think one of the biggest issues is that dive shops and many instructors haven’t adapted to change in viewpoints, tastes, and quality of life realities that the younger generations face. Like it or not, millennials and Gen Z are the growth markets for the sport. Failure to cater to them will be disastrous. Adapt or die.

And to add to your post above,
Millennials and gen Z’ers are so far off the radar when it comes to anything dive related. They are doing other things with their lives. Many of them are just trying to survive this very expensive life with all sorts of added bills that were not around when I was that age. Perhaps the more privileged ones could take part in scuba, but for the most part the largest cross section of the younger society has a lot of other things to battle besides scuba diving and even other outdoor sports.
People complain about the disfunction within the industry as a big turnoff to potential participants. I’m saying that they’re not even walking into dive shops with curiosity, or getting anywhere close to that far to know anything about how the industry works, or bad training, or sucky instructors, or the prices of certs or gear. I’m saying the entire thought of diving isn’t even a brain impulse, there’s nothing to trigger the thought. All media, TV, movies, social media, advertisements, etc is completely devoid of anything scuba related. Why would they think about it and want to do it when there’s zero motivation and/or outside stimuli?
My rant.

 

[azstinger11]

And to add to your post above,
Millennials and gen Z’ers are so far off the radar when it comes to anything dive related. They are doing other things with their lives. Many of them are just trying to survive this very expensive life with all sorts of added bills that were not around when I was that age. Perhaps the more privileged ones could take part in scuba, but for the most part the largest cross section of the younger society has a lot of other things to battle besides scuba diving and even other outdoor sports.
People complain about the disfunction within the industry as a big turnoff to potential participants. I’m saying that they’re not even walking into dive shops with curiosity, or getting anywhere close to that far to know anything about how the industry works, or bad training, or sucky instructors, or the prices of certs or gear. I’m saying the entire thought of diving isn’t even a brain impulse, there’s nothing to trigger the thought. All media, TV, movies, social media, advertisements, etc is completely devoid of anything scuba related. Why would they think about it and want to do it when there’s zero motivation and/or outside stimuli?
My rant.

Well said. It’s a double whammy of the lack of awareness you mentioned then the off putting dive shop/instructor culture I was mentioning either turns them away from starting or advancing in the sport.

 

[SleepySlipper]

And to add to your post above,
Millennials and gen Z’ers are so far off the radar when it comes to anything dive related. They are doing other things with their lives. Many of them are just trying to survive this very expensive life with all sorts of added bills that were not around when I was that age. Perhaps the more privileged ones could take part in scuba, but for the most part the largest cross section of the younger society has a lot of other things to battle besides scuba diving and even other outdoor sports.
People complain about the disfunction within the industry as a big turnoff to potential participants. I’m saying that they’re not even walking into dive shops with curiosity, or getting anywhere close to that far to know anything about how the industry works, or bad training, or sucky instructors, or the prices of certs or gear. I’m saying the entire thought of diving isn’t even a brain impulse, there’s nothing to trigger the thought. All media, TV, movies, social media, advertisements, etc is completely devoid of anything scuba related. Why would they think about it and want to do it when there’s zero motivation and/or outside stimuli?
My rant.

Millennial here, in general I think this is true. Most of my peers and even dive teammates that are 20-something’s can barely afford the sport and we generally agree in my group to avoid the dive shops except for gas fills. Most of us pay high rent in the city, high car insurance in the city, and combined six figures in debt from college along with all of the other costs of day to day life. Basically in debt for the large majority of our lives, which leaves little room for saving for a house. We also participate heavily in mountaineering, backpacking, pond hockey, marathons, etc. Scuba diving is by far the most difficult sport to participate in and I have been diving for 11 years professionally with PADI and now at the cave, technical, and rebreather level. My partner is getting into the sport and I don’t plan on walking into a shop to buy a single piece of her gear. It is too much of a hassle most of the time and most of the instructors are retired guys who really don’t have their fingers on the pulse of the diving scene in the Great Lakes. I ******* hate the up-sell attitude of the dive shops and industry in general.