The Great local dive shop vs. online debate

[DiverBuoy]

metridium once bubbled...
Still can't bring yourself to admit this is a Leisure Pro thing, eh?

There is so much more to Internet's impact on Scuba diving than a single website. Broaden your mind dude. This discussion alone has shown how many tangents there are. If I must be the one to enlighten you ... I'll drag myself into the undignified position.

Now this post better not come across as some sort of endorsement. Remember I never condemed the Internet (my day job) or LDS's which use the Internet.


WARNING: I do not endorse any of the following IDS nor do I shop at any of the following IDS. Don't forget to support your LDS, and may anyone who shops exclusively with an IDS - be flogged and hung upside down in the sun fully suited by the fins.


Fair warning: SOME of these shops have a BRICK & MORTAR component:

Diver's Discount
Leisure Pro
Pirate Scuba
Scuba Booty
Diver's Direct
Diver Discount (not to be confused with the other)
123Scuba.com
Discount Dive Gear
i Dive
Diver's Wholesale
Diving Shop
Divoos
Everything Scuba
Joe Diver America
Scuba Toys
Scuba Emporium
Scuba Flea Market
Scuba Radio
Scuba Resource
Sea Dog Sports
Simply Scuba
Island Scuba

Clearly the Internet's role in diving is here to stay. I still think we as divers will play a huge role in the convenience of service, support, air fills by how we spend our money.

 

[metridium]

A quick glance shows that both simplyscuba.com and diversdiscount.com offer fills, training, and the other amenities of an LDS.

Thought your rant was only about "Pure Internet-Only Shops"....

or are you ranting about the others now?

 

[trymixdiver]

just for the record

i live a few blocks from diversdiscount.com and they have a small showroom and fills in the back. So to me, Diversdiscount is my LDS.

Andy

 

[MikeFerrara]

We of course don't tell people not to come in.

 

[DiverBuoy]

Come on trymixdiver. I've been to the shop in RSM (next door to PADI USA headquarters) that you're referring too, my neighbor across the street from me is a PADI instructor and a manager there.

We have this discussion all the time. He claimed Diver's Discount was losing credibility with divers because of the pure internet only presence. They are working their way back. In addition to that 5'x15' closet you call a street front presence they have actually opened some ads calling for instructors. It sounds like they are intending to expand that "credibility" further. They've opened another shop in Temecula too, so they are taking the feedback seriously.

But this is the second post in a row that ignored my point that some of these shops have a brick and mortar component. I agree with this, but Diver's didn't start out that way. I hope the future trend is the full support shops that are heavy on the Internet become the survivors - for all our sakes.

 

[zboss]

DiverBuoy once bubbled...
Come on trymixdiver. I've been to the shop in RSM (next door to PADI USA headquarters) that you're referring too, my neighbor across the street from me is a PADI instructor and a manager there.

We have this discussion all the time. He claimed Diver's Discount was losing credibility with divers because of the pure internet only presence. They are working their way back. In addition to that 5'x15' closet you call a street front presence they have actually opened some ads calling for instructors. It sounds like they are intending to expand that "credibility" further. They've opened another shop in Temecula too, so they are taking the feedback seriously.

But this is the second post in a row that ignored my point that some of these shops have a brick and mortar component. I agree with this, but Diver's didn't start out that way. I hope the future trend is the full support shops that are heavy on the Internet become the survivors - for all our sakes.

I am pretty sure that LP has a storefront; I wonder if the same products they sell through their storefront come with manufacturer warranties...

 

[MSilvia]

No doubt.

Hard feelings or not, I can't imagine how that could be good for business.

 

[redacted]

Lwang once bubbled...
awap,

So is Scubapro USA a subsidiary of Scubapro the company or are they just someone who happens to be the guy that imports all the scubapro equipment for distribution in America?

Are they also the ones that is responsible, decision and costwise, of marketing, advertising, warranty work and maybe recalls?

I do not see distributors that brings in multiple brands of products into the US, are there any?

 

[jonnythan]

DiveInn and LP completely warrant the products they sell to the same extent as the manufacturer, in the case that you have a problem the manufacturer won't help with. With my experience with LP the turnaround time is extremely fast, and the guys at DiveInn seem prompt and helpful almost to a fault. They called my friend's house to apologize when a reg he purchased got shipped the day *after* he ordered it.

The only thing you are losing is the pride you get in giving fat stacks of money to your LDS owner because you just know in your heart he's a good guy and deserves a cut of your income.

 

[trymixdiver]

your right but what is a fare cut.

I recently found out just how much markup there was on a particular item and i was surprised. I wasnt aware that LDS charge substantally more what they pay. I feel like i am getting screwed when i shop at the LDS. If it wasnt for this board i would have made some really bad purchases.


Andy

I was offered two great deals recently, one from this board even. if your looking for an item, ask here, you may be surprised at the response you get.