Now that the Scuba Show is behind us . . .
FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS - I fully appreciate that this isn't really a "problem" but with all the hoopla surrounding Chamber Day, then our Reef Seekers trip to Roatan and then the Scuba Show (where we gave two seminar presentations), it's nice to have the next five weeks "off" without any major obligations. Yeah, I know "Woe is you . . . NOT!!!!"
SCUBA SHOW RECAP - For the first time ever, the Scuba Show as held at the L.A. Convention Center downtown, right at the intersection of the 10 and 110 freeways. (I won't go into the details but the move from Long Beach was necessitated by a variety of factors that made the LB Convention Center untenable as a location.) I'll be curious to hear what those of you who attended thought. I was there both days (11A-6P Saturday and 12:30-5PM Sunday) and had mixed feelings about it. It was a relatively easy drive fro me coming from Westwood, taking about 25 minutes or so. Parking was certainly easy and plentiful but it was $25 each day. The exhibition hall was much larger than what we get in LB, with some 18,000 additional feet of space for almost 97,000 square feet overall. Many of us thought the aisles were wider (though the show organizers swear they weren't) and it was nice that the non-profit groups - like the Chamber, OCUPS, and the like - were all brought inside instead of having a separate area like they do in LB. It was also nice having a food area right there inside, as well as ample space around the perimeter of the exhibitors for the pool, video screens, numerous tables where you could sit and talk/eat/relax, a ride-the-shark thing, and a video dome. It certainly seemed busier on Saturday than it was on Sunday (which seemed slower than usual, even though Sunday is traditionally the less-busy day) but I was told that overall, it seems that the attendance numbers match LB. The downside was everything outside of the exhibit hall was very different in terms of mood and atmosphere. In LB, there are plenty of restaurant choices and it's a pleasant stroll around Rainbow Harbor or over to the Aquarium of the Pacific. Downtown you're dealing with definitely a different mood and you've got L.A. Live - for good or bad - just north of the convention center hall. (And thank goodness there wasn't a Lakers/Clippers/Kings playoff game going on as well.) So in general, better inside, less-than-better outside of the venue.
WHAT WAS THERE TO SEE? - Lots of travel-related booths. Just about every destination you can imagine or which is on your bucket list likely had a booth there. Obviously, spent significant time with the Acker family (Yap) at the Manta Ray Bay booth as well as with Mark Potter at the Manthiri Maldives booth. (We've got a Yap trip in September and two Manthiri trips - back-to-back - in the fall of 2025.) There were a number of dive shops with booths selling gear and there were a number of manufacturers there showing off their wares as well. I didn't really look all that closely at the gear but from those I talked to (as well as what i saw), there wasn't anything earth-shakingly new being offered. The industry overall is still coming out of the economic woes of the pandemic, so they're going to try to stick with the tried and true for a little while longer. That being said, there was still plenty of stuff to touch and feel (and buy) gear-wise if you were in the market.
WHAT ABOUT NEXT YEAR? - It's unclear as to where the show will be next year. Many of the exhibitors told me they'd like to go back to Long Beach for a variety of reasons. My understanding is that the show has a pending deal with both convention centers and simply need to choose a date. So here's the public opinion poll: They can either have a mid-May date in Long Beach or a mid-June date in downtown Los Angles. As a consumer and potential attendee, do you have a preference as to date/location? Let me know and I'll relay the collective thoughts to the show organizers.
CATALINA TRIP COMING UP - Our next day trip to Avalon is slated for Wednesday, June 12. We'll l eave out of San Pedro on the 8:30AM boat and coming back on the 6PM boat. As usual, we'll get in three dives, visit the Cousteau plaque, and see if the Giant Sea Bass are back in force yet. Call us at 310/652-4990 if you're interested in signing up.
That'll do it for now. Have a great week and let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken |
