resort amenities

[partridge]

Hi!

I am in the bottom of the Philippines and have a cliff property that many use for diving. I have decided to start openning it to the diving public....slowly. Depends on how much money I can dump into the place this month.

I would like to ask your opinions on dive resort amenities that you liked or would like to see. This is a very experienced board and the data would be priceless.

The property is on a 30 foot cliff with the 12000 foot wall just 50 feet from the base. Just walk out and go down. The wall is about a mile long.

I have gotten suggestions of a deco tank at 15 feet....just in case.

Someone also told me that it would be nice to keep a basket full of weights at 15 feet so people can adjust on the way out.

Please don't turn this thread into a discussion on gas management and other skills. A dive resort caters to all levels of divers.

 

[DandyDon]

I've always go opinions... :grwow:

The deco tank at 15 feet is used off of boats at times, not from shore dives I don't think? For a mile long wall, most dives would be too far from the tank, and it'd have to be maintaned constantly. Imagine the irritation of a diver who came to it for deco time only to learn that it's empty.

Basket of weights at 15 feet. No.

Really, you're talking about a business venture - not the sportmans view, so let me ask: What would be your bread & butter market, that is - what divers are you going to attract on a regular basis? From that, what would they want, and they be willing to pay for what you have to spend in providing for them?

Is this a relatively remote location? If yes, are you interested in providing room, board, and all support for diving, insurance, financing, etc. Probably be best to visit a successful operation nearby similar to what you'd like to provide, see what they're doing well and poorly, then ask questions here based on that education. Are you sure you want to do the Resort approach?

A simpler approach would be to provide warm, freshwater showers and rinse tanks, tank fills, and charge for admission and fills, and see if the demand reacts to that start. Don't forget insurance!

good luck, don

 

[partridge]

I use the word resort rather loosely. We have a clubhouse now where we provide tables and chairs. Drinking water is free. There are showers for rinsing and rooms for changing. We also have coolers for anyhting they need to refrigerate.

We rent out tanks for a little more than an LDS but they use the few amentities we have. If you have your own tank, then we charge an entrance fee.

We actually have two cottages with a porch right on the edge of the cliff and a bathroom each. But these are not for rent yet. My family uses it.

When I can dump more money in the place, I will build more cottages so we can start renting them out.

Just need ideas on what else to provide divers so we can attract more people.

Not really into it to make money. But I don't want to be paying for everybody elses dives either.

The place IS remote so we need money for the upkeep and caretakers.

 

[wandernsoul]

Now that's a good wall dive! Where exactly are you located in the Philippines?

 

[partridge]

My mistake. It is 4000 feet. I thought it said meters so I multiplied by three.

General Santos City on the southern most tip of the philippines. I attached a map. The property I'm talking about is the corner on the mouth of Sarangani Bay. Cirlcled in RED.

Strong currents sometimes because of the location but at least it is always clean with good visibility. I love the place. Only 45 minutes from the house. You can take a 6 AM dive and be in the office at 9 AM.

 

[GQMedic]

Some popular food items would be a big hit. Post dive, I like cubed walter mellon, honey-dew mellons, toss some cut banana into the mix, yup, that's a big hit! Warm drinks too. Spiced cider, coffee, tea, hot chocolate. These are a few of my favorite things.. (Sounds like an x-mas song, eh?)

 

[boney]

You may also want to consider some things like extra straps for fins and masks as if their strap breaks and they are a ways away from the closest dive store it would suck to have to drive back and forth for just a strap.
You may also want items like extra film, for those of us without a digital U/W camera or even a service to take peoples pictures from their digi cams and burn them onto CD right away so that they don't have to bring a laptop with them or if they forgot an extra memory card.
You can also provide a map of the dive site with compass co-ordinates if there are notable items to check out.

 

[paolov]

I use the word resort rather loosely. We have a clubhouse now where we provide tables and chairs. Drinking water is free. There are showers for rinsing and rooms for changing. We also have coolers for anyhting they need to refrigerate.

We rent out tanks for a little more than an LDS but they use the few amentities we have. If you have your own tank, then we charge an entrance fee.

We actually have two cottages with a porch right on the edge of the cliff and a bathroom each. But these are not for rent yet. My family uses it.

QUOTE]


Try and visit the resort up here in batangas. The resort is Newly built and it sure caters to the international community. I am aware that there are several resorts that call themselves dive resort however they lack the planning needed for the convenience of divers.

I think you have great site there, however when the security issues have been addressed down there you may attract foreign divers.

And i think it would be good that you design your resort with this clientelle in mind so as when the security issues get fixed, your resort set up would be in line with the convenience of the divers and the particular needs of visiting divers.