What is the fundamental reason that prevents scuba diving from becoming popular?

[boulderjohn]

but that still didn't stop them from flogging one of my all-time favorite dive store scams -- the all-inclusive "dive package," often designated in terms of "bronze," "silver," and "gold" -- typically, a regulator, computer, and a BC, which varied in price from about 1 to 3K.

When the owner of a major dive agency gave a workshop to us about marketing procedures, he very much advocated packages, exactly as you describe, but the strategy was NOT to get rid of old inventory. It was just the opposite. Here was his thinking.

1. If you sell enough items of a specific model, the dealer will give you a better price, thus giving you a better markup per item. So you wanted to include the target items designed to give the best markup. Everything you do in the store--including instruction--should steer buyers to those models.
2. You can advertise so that no one would want to be so cheap as to go for anything other than the top package. (Don't you want the best when you are under water and your life depends upon it?)
3. The package will include accessory items that students will normally not buy. The normal markup on those items is enormous, far more than the usual diver gear that will only be purchased if the diver does not buy the package. This increases the markup on the package deal and more than overcomes the overall drop in the package price.

Point number 3 is critical to understand--and it happens in many areas of sales. I know someone who worked as a furniture salesman. People came to the store to buy furniture. They did not come into the store to buy lamps, but the store sold lamps. These were incredibly cheap lamps at ridiculously high prices, but, as I said, the store was not selling lamps. They were selling furniture, and when a customer was having trouble deciding on a piece of furniture, the salesman would offer to make a package by adding some of those very expensive lamps for a fraction of their advertised price. Well, it's hard to pass up a deal like that!

 

[Marie13]

I daresay a lot of US based dive clubs are probably like mine. Meeting once a month with a speaker or presentation of some sort. Some overseas trips every year. Some local diving - Great Lakes charters or the local dive hole. FB page which a lot of folks use to arrange for buddies for their own local dives.

 

[drrich2]

when she told them that she was taking a college scuba course, and felt a bit overwhelmed.

A sad reality is that walking into a shop ignorant of your needs and the market, open and perhaps even a bit eager to make a large purchase based on staff recommendations, is fertile soil to be taken advantage of. One might suggest:

1.) Do a little reading online at a reputable online vendor and see what their packages cost.

2.) Make your first trip to the dive shop a visit to see what product lines and models they carry, not a trip to buy a full set of gear.

3.) Listen to them, take notes (including brand and model BCD, regulator, dive computer, etc...they sell), go home and read some online reviews.

4.) Dive shops serve a worthy role, and if there's local diving may be your source for air fills. If the price buying from the shop is at all close to the online price, and you basically used the dive shop like product showroom (e.g.: tried that wetsuit on for fit, tried the BCD on) and drew on the expertise of their staff, please factor in the added value they bring and consider financially supporting them.

5.) Be mindful you may want to get a regulator brand they do routine servicing on.

6.) Research dive computers separately; don't pigeon-hole yourself into just what the dive shop sells.

 

[Belzelbub]

I am not condemning all stores; and there are two that I regularly patronize.

It was just that salespeople, at a couple of the shops that we visited, descended upon my niece within what seemed seconds, when she told them that she was taking a college scuba course, and felt a bit overwhelmed.

That is unfortunately the way many shops operate, which is unfortunate.

Where I live, there are lots of dive shops. Unfortunately, many operate just that way. I've found a few that don't, and these are the shops I go to. There are at least 4 dive shops much closer than my preferred shop, but I'd prefer to spend my money there.

The high pressure approach is certainly not helping people get into the sport.

 

[Dody]

What seems to be missing in your understanding of this is that the full "any diver can call a dive" protocol is the requirement that the diver who wishes to cancel the dive does not get any pressure from others to do that dive anyway. It is commonly taught that if a diver thumbs a dive unexpectedly, the others in the group do not even mention it back on shore. If the the diver who called the dive wants to say why, it is up to that diver.

Saying that a diver who calls a diver must pay a financial penalty for doing so violates that protocol, putting pressure on the diver to do a dive he or she does not want to do. If a diver is feeling unwell, it could lead to injury or even death.

The diver who calls the dive will not suffer any penalty. He/She has already paid. He/ She just does not dive. The boat has been rented. Personnel has been mobilized. Fuel has been consumed. Why in hell should he/ she get money back? I called 3 dives in my diving career for personal reasons. Never expected to get the money back. I was already on the boat on those three occasions but I would say that cancelling less than 24 hours before should be exactly be the same. And I am just a customer and not a professional. We are not abused kids. We make decisions and go with it.

 

[Belzelbub]

I called 3 dives in my diving career for personal reasons. Never expected to get the money back.

I called a dive a couple weeks ago. I had to pay costs for the fuel used, food for the crew, etc. It was on my boat, but still.

As a boat owner, I understand the costs involved. So, if I were to call a dive on a charter, I wouldn’t expect a full refund.

I was already on the boat on those three occasions but I would say that cancelling less than 24 hours before should be exactly be the same. And I am just a customer and not a professional. We are not abused kids. We make decisions and go with it.

I can understand both sides on this, but I think I’m leaning with no refund in some cases.

I get that anyone can call a dive at any time for any reason. However, I will ask my buddy why. Not to judge, but to make sure they are OK.

If I were to dive on a friend’s boat, and had to cancel, I would make sure I still paid my share if they still went out.

If a diver is going to make a bad decision and dive when they shouldn’t, I’m not sure they should be diving.

 

[Bob DBF]

One of the employees was talking to a prospective student about OW classes. He indicated the new diver would be certified to 60'.

Because one is a dive shop employee, in any capacity, does not automatically make them accurate. The "60' rule" is but one example.

There is all sorts of confusion. It's a recommended limit, and wasn't always that way. I did an OW checkout dive deeper than 80' in the late '90s. I know it's been a while, but I don't recall 60' being mentioned as a limit. I do recall 130' being mentioned several times, though.

In this case the instructor broke standards by exceeding the 60' training limit for OW. The 1980 PADI training manual recommends not exceeding 60' before gaining more experience. I do not know when 130' became the recreational limit. When I first started we trained for NDL which was 190', not that we dove that deep right away, but did learn about the trouble one could get into going to that depth.

 

[Belzelbub]

In this case the instructor broke standards by exceeding the 60' training limit for OW. The 1980 PADI training manual recommends not exceeding 60' before gaining more experience. I do not know when 130' became the recreational limit.

It wasn’t with PADI. YMCA cert in this case with an option to also get CMAS and NAUI (IIRC). Might still have not been to standards. This was a very thorough course.

 

[Wibble]

1.) Why has the non-profit dive club model not taken off and established in the U.S. as it has in the U.K.?

Why do dive boats in the UK operate a "you say you pay" policy?
Why do UK dive boats nearly all have diver lifts?
Why do lawyers feature so highly in the US?
Why are medical, especially emergency medical services free in the UK?
Why are maritime rescue services free in the UK?

A: we’re all different

 

[Blackcrusader]

You lost me here. Maybe you were being sarcastic. While a Mustang is not the most efficient vehicle (Mach E excluded) on the road, it is still orders of magnitude more efficient than a dive boat.

Unfortunately, that's not what the instructors are saying. I stopped by a local dive shop the other day to kill a bit of time (PADI shop). One of the employees was talking to a prospective student about OW classes. He indicated the new diver would be certified to 60'.

Go read padi's own blog. They even write a diver with an OW can dive deeper than 60 feet there is nothing stopping them. Instructors also like to sell courses and many have new divers do OW and AOW in 5 days. They sell the AOW so the diver can " go deeper" it's not like they had any extra experience