Why ScubaBoard joined the Dive Industry Association at the Surf Expo...

[Thalassamania]

Part of the problem is the misuse of the word and concept of "adventure" and/or "explore." Both terms are used for activities that would not give the most conservative actuary in the world a moments pause. We have Adventure Land, and Adventure Dives and similar endless bumph with the word explore in it.

 

[USIA]

Yeah, it's pretty apparent that this entire industry is in dire need of some new ideas and leadership. Anyone who walked around DEMA this year came away with the same sentiments. They have been teaching the same stuff for 30 years and selling stuff the same old way. I was excited to see a few companies who seemed to have some fresh ideas, but overall, it was pretty disappointing. The time has come for DEMA to disband and become two seperate business. There should be a organization dedicated to marketing of diving, which would include the certification agencies, travel agencies, and some of the apparel companies. They should concentrate soley on marketing the sales and customer service aspect of the business.
The other organization should be what DEMA used to be. An organization that focuses soley on manufacturing companies and stresses the best ways to market products to dive retailers and military/commercial customers. Think about it. My company makes Scuba Diving Dry Suits. Why on earth do I want to spend $25-50,000 to display at DEMA when half of the booths are travel companies promoting warm water diving! Not a lot of Dry Suits being used in Cozumel. Plus, on a lot of these trips, people are renting and not buying equipment. What the hell kind of sense does it make to have companies promoting travel diving sharing the same floor as companies that rely on selling equipment? It also doesn't help that you have a show that is as big as DEMA that takes quite awhile to walk from one end of the floor to the other. A lot of retailers come to DEMA for seminars and don't spend a ton of time walking the show. Everytime I ran into one of my customer last week, they were always in between classes and burned out from listening to seminars.
I hope more companies take a cue from what we have done over the past 5 years since we stopped displaying at DEMA. Save your money, invest in product development, and keep your prices at a reasonable level so the average human can afford your equipment. If the prices of gear were more reasonable, maybe more people would invest their money in diving. What a noble concept.

 

[Papa_Bear]

Jerry, I understand what your saying, but DEMA is supposed to be a way of reaching those that your reps don't and the consumer is the Dive Shop owner who has to sell so many "Warm water trips" to spur business and excitement in his area! So if you can't make Dry suit diving in British Columbia as attractive as Cozumel then that's life and for me it isn't! But as a Public Safety diver and California Diver I own a dry suit and they have a place in the Dive store, thus DEMA. Our Dive store tells people all the time that an exposure suit is the most important piece of dive gear you can buy, but many would rather sell the fancy computer or reg with all the bells and whistles! I think a good dry suit is one of the first things someone should buy, but its about marketing! DEMA is fine for what it is, but as you know many don't feel the need to go because the rep will come to them! We do need more retail shows and better retail representation for the industry as a whole! T is right words mean things and we need to put the pow back in what we are selling! I can't imagine a different life style or better friends that diving has brought me!

 

[Thalassamania]

Jerry,

I couldn't agree with you more, your analysis is spot on. The money that you spend going to the show could be much more effectively spent on an additional rep, who'd actually make you money.

 

[USIA]

But the marketing to the travel industry is one of the biggest problems. When you market travel, you are not marketing your particular area. Most of the US is not warm water diving. It is cold water and not real scenic to some one who just got back from Micronesia. That doesn't give them a whole lot of excitement to dive Puget Sound or the Channel Islands. When you market too heavily to the Travel market, you are not selling your area and in turn you are not going to be selling to people and filling tanks year around.

Before USIA began making dry suits, we had a retail dive shop in Portland, Oregon. We marketed the adventure. Our slogan was "It's not just equipment, it's a lifestyle." We sold divers on cold water diving and the excitement of Clamming, Scalloping, Crabbing and Spear Fishing. We knew that once people got hooked on getting their own sea food, they would want to be diving year around, not just once or twice a year in 80 degree water. It worked, and I have seen that many of our current dealers who do a high volume of business are marketing their areas and not someone elses. Yes they do Trips, but their main concentration is selling gear to people to keep them in the local water.

 

[Papa_Bear]

Edit dup!

 

[Papa_Bear]

I think in a free society there has to be all aspects of the industry, but it is in the marketing! Not all divers can afford to travel or want to and they love their local diving! I travel and dive all over the world yet come home and do the Avalon Harbor clean up! I think there is room for all, but the point is very few resorts, shops, or adventure providers are selling, marketing, local diving unless your talking about the Keys! Who's fault is that? We see some marketing about Hawaii, but not very much? Go figure! Is that because of the market or lack of vision such that Gene seems to be trying? Go out of the box and get people interested! If I did nothing but Dry suits I would find my market and add to it! Maybe we need here and Canada some marketing for live-a-boards in the sound or Great Lakes? Some resorts? But the government and lawyers help keep that at a minimum between wages and insurance how do we compete? And with the current election the polls would have us believe we want more control and restrictions not less! So maybe your market is the government? I do know this we all need to promote our sport to all and all aspects of it! It is the only way we all grow! All divers will not be warm water divers and most will never do Ice or Cold water! Some will never ski or sky dive either, but you have to reach many to get a few!

I think anything we can do and Gene is at least doing something and I agree with NetDoc in his decision to spend a little to help promote a lot! Anything we can do is the right thing and The DIA is new and will have growing pains, but they are doing our work for us and that is more than I can say for too many! Sometimes I think most divers are from California! They sure have a fine whine!

 

[mrfixitchapman]

So please: if you are a part of Scuba Diving, from being a mere diver to even DEMA, you owe it to yourself and to the entire industry to support Gene as he works hard to attract others to OUR sport.Gene@DiveIndustry.net

Hey! I'm a mere diver!

DC