US diving media - Sport Diver, Scuba Diver, Dive Chronicles etc.

[Brendiver]

I'm looking to chat with anyone over the water who has had experience getting published in the US diving media - some of the magazines are a bit of an unknown quantity over here (UK).

And what do you think of the US diving media? Full of advertorial? Or jam packed with useful facts and stories?

Do they provide for your diving needs?

best regards

Brendan

Brendiver's World

 

[tstormdiver]

Sport diver (PADI affiliated) is OK, as is Scuba Diver (general Scuba diving reading)- they cover some training, destinations & general such stuff. Personally my favorite diving magazine is Dive Training. It is an excellent educational magazine. It does go back & covers the basics, but also brings out the new & innovative techniques & studies of environments & such. It also has reading on destinations popular to divers. Over all a good read & not overly complicated. Being US publications they all have ample advertising, as that is a mainstay of income for these publications.

 

[Pook-60]

Howdy

I agree with Tammy but I'd like to add Wreck Diver magazine to the list. Their focus on things "Wreckly" is unmatched. Has advertising but very muted. In addition, it appears they rely more on inpts from the field than any other publication I've come across.

Dane

 

[KeysCuda]

Hi, Brendan.
Once upon a time, I was an active freelancer for national U.S. dive publications. They sent me places! Whee!
That's when there were national U.S. dive publications.
The publishing business, she is not so good these days. Something about an "innernets" thing destroying the ad-based revenue stream while also luring readers away. That's made it hell on dive publications. Also on content-provider types. (Sigh).

Oh, there are a handful of dive magazines out there, I guess. I don't see them so much anymore. Remember when you had a choice of two or three dive mags on newstands?
What's left has been mentioned, and you may have luck with niche dive publications, in tech or specialty topics.
Some of the ones out there make ends meet by not paying very much for content (not that they ever did). Each editor has his/her own stable of preferred writers, who he/she knows will reliably deliver (and may be personal buddies).

To give it a shot, check the magazine's submission requirements.
Make sure you're writing for their market. Find out who the editor is, and send stuff straight to them.
Submit a cover letter, including your bona fides. Send an article, already done.
They may want it, and if not, it shows you can write or take pictures. Submit a list of alternative story ideas, in case they don't want your story but like your style. Think about stories you can do for them that no one else can ("A Grand Time in Grand Cayman!" won't go far).

Best of luck.
Of course, everything will be better once this innernets thing starts paying for stories. Of course, I don't think I'll live to see it...

- K.C.

 

[Buoyant1]

One problem I see with the "main" magazines (Sport Diver and Scuba Diving) is that they rehash the same vacation spots over and over (and never give you upated info) It seems that the main dive ops at these places are the ones that get the press, and the lesser knowns get nothing.

If they'd dig into the spot and update with the lesser knows ops, and sites, then maybe it would continue to be relevant!

Instruction wise, you get the basics, product wise it's not bad. I prefer Dive Training, and Diver (Canada) good stuff interesting stories and just not usual info. Wreck Diving is awesome, but only is out quarterly..

DIve Chronicles is good but I haven't seen it in a long time, is it still out there?

As far as adverts...you gotta make money somehow...it's not horrible really.

Are you trying to start a magazine?

 

[Brendiver]

Hi K.C., Ben, Dane, Tammy,

thanks for your responses, very interesting.

I'm intrigued by the US diving media, some of it appears to be driven by those who advertise the most (shock - horror! How could that happen?!?), while some articles appear to be very balanced.

I'll include your comments on my blog if that's OK?

Still looking for those who have had involvement with the US diving media, K.C. - I may get in touch if that's OK?

Not sure if I would ever want to start up a magazine, but I've always been interested in eventually becoming an editor / dep editor at a title. Not yet, maybe 7/8 years when I retire from my day job. Until then, I'm still learning about the industry, and sharing what I have learnt over 12 years as a diving journalist in the UK through my blog:

Brendiver's World

Thanks so far - I must say, Scubaboard is perhaps the best forum I have come across, good posts, interesting reads from divers who know their stuff.

best regards

Brendan

Brendiver's World

 

[drbill]

US diving magazines tend to focus on destinations that US divers go to... the Caribbean, etc. I really wish they would give more coverage to some of the great places European, African, South American and Asian divers frequent.

 

[Buoyant1]

US diving magazines tend to focus on destinations that US divers go to... the Caribbean, etc. I really wish they would give more coverage to some of the great places European, African, South American and Asian divers frequent.

Yeah, I wish they'd mix it up a bit...You don't see a whole lot of the other places in the US mags!

I think each one had a cover story on the Florida Keys twice last year!

I'd like to see some of the exotic places really...Diver did a great story on the Red Sea and I think a few places in Japan that were wild...Reading your comments Doc, I think you'd like that one!

I've read through Advanced Diver also, but that really caters to the rebreather set....they should call it REALLY Advanced Diver...

 

[KeysCuda]

Once there was a scuba magazine that was the oldest and most widely read in the world. There were tales on the dock that it would not consider doing an article unless an operation spent $10K in ads with them first. Not saying it's true; saying it was said to be true by shop owners who were not featured, and ones who were. Would do a lot to explain why the same operations were featured again and again. Didn't save the magazine, in any event.

 

[Brendiver]

Hey KeysCuda,

that wouldn't have been Skin Diver would it?

Brendiver

Brendiver's World