Post by tekmac on May 9, 2006 13:00:47 GMT -5
I found the following two posts on other boards and think they might make an interesting thread. Any ideas or thoughts??
End of the dive shop as we know it.
It seems these days that more dive shops are closing than opening. When I say this to other divers their initial reaction is that divers are buying their gear on line. My conclusion is that the problem is more severe for the retail dive shops. Divers in increasing proportions are not buying gear at all. They are renting instead.
We all know the standard retail dive shop business model. Certify as a loss leader and sell gear at a profit. The sales pitch is that you will be more comfortable in your own gear and that rental gear is in bad shape. The business about comfort is subjective. Whether it is true or not is not important to this discussion. However, the condition of rental gear has improved greatly. This is a major disincentive to buying.
The typical new diver will probably quit the sport before 50 dives are completed. This causes the choice between buying and renting to favor renting if only economics are considered. People buy for intangible reasons as noted above. Since 911 changes in the travel industry are providing additional reasons not to buy. Increased security makes traveling with dive gear a bit of a pain. The latest development is the 50 pound limit per bag on international flights.
When I was in Thailand last fall very few divers had their own gear. I frequently doubted my own sanity for dragging my gear all over Thailand when only a third of the trip was spent on diving.
All of the rental gear I saw in Thailand was in great shape. Very few divers (mostly from EC countries) had gear with them. Some English divers mentioned that the few dive shops left in the UK were operated out of holes in the wall and needed on line sales to survive.
Certification patterns have also changed. A lot more new divers are being minted in resorts. It is the PADI 3 and a half day wonders. A diver who starts without a relationship with a LDS is less likely to buy gear.
This is not about whether one should buy gear or not. It is simply about where things appear to be going.
Direction of Scuba Industry
I'm posting this to voice some thoughts on the Scuba Industry and the direction it may be going. I would appreciate profesional comments and observations, not just the usual comments from a consumer's stand point, although they are critical, too. Especially since most dive pros work through a LDS.
I noticed at this years Beneath the Sea show, that there were not too many younger people. Someone at the show commented that the industry seems to be losing the appeal of the younger demographic. During an informal survey of instructors, the average age of new and active divers is mid 30's to mid 40's.
Could this be due to the lack of exposure to SCUBA diving? My daughter does not go to the library to perform research for school projects. She goes to the internet. In fact, she is encouraged to use the internet for research projects. If this model of education is reflective of educational systems across the country and around the world, the growth of SCUBA as a sport is directly related to internet coverage. Barring a massive EMP that knocks out all the satellites, the internet is not going away. Most significantly sized dive shops have at least a web presence. What would be the most logical next steps? Where do you see it going?
Again, this thread is intended to stimulate rational discussion from the professional side of the dive industry.
End of the dive shop as we know it.
It seems these days that more dive shops are closing than opening. When I say this to other divers their initial reaction is that divers are buying their gear on line. My conclusion is that the problem is more severe for the retail dive shops. Divers in increasing proportions are not buying gear at all. They are renting instead.
We all know the standard retail dive shop business model. Certify as a loss leader and sell gear at a profit. The sales pitch is that you will be more comfortable in your own gear and that rental gear is in bad shape. The business about comfort is subjective. Whether it is true or not is not important to this discussion. However, the condition of rental gear has improved greatly. This is a major disincentive to buying.
The typical new diver will probably quit the sport before 50 dives are completed. This causes the choice between buying and renting to favor renting if only economics are considered. People buy for intangible reasons as noted above. Since 911 changes in the travel industry are providing additional reasons not to buy. Increased security makes traveling with dive gear a bit of a pain. The latest development is the 50 pound limit per bag on international flights.
When I was in Thailand last fall very few divers had their own gear. I frequently doubted my own sanity for dragging my gear all over Thailand when only a third of the trip was spent on diving.
All of the rental gear I saw in Thailand was in great shape. Very few divers (mostly from EC countries) had gear with them. Some English divers mentioned that the few dive shops left in the UK were operated out of holes in the wall and needed on line sales to survive.
Certification patterns have also changed. A lot more new divers are being minted in resorts. It is the PADI 3 and a half day wonders. A diver who starts without a relationship with a LDS is less likely to buy gear.
This is not about whether one should buy gear or not. It is simply about where things appear to be going.
Direction of Scuba Industry
I'm posting this to voice some thoughts on the Scuba Industry and the direction it may be going. I would appreciate profesional comments and observations, not just the usual comments from a consumer's stand point, although they are critical, too. Especially since most dive pros work through a LDS.
I noticed at this years Beneath the Sea show, that there were not too many younger people. Someone at the show commented that the industry seems to be losing the appeal of the younger demographic. During an informal survey of instructors, the average age of new and active divers is mid 30's to mid 40's.
Could this be due to the lack of exposure to SCUBA diving? My daughter does not go to the library to perform research for school projects. She goes to the internet. In fact, she is encouraged to use the internet for research projects. If this model of education is reflective of educational systems across the country and around the world, the growth of SCUBA as a sport is directly related to internet coverage. Barring a massive EMP that knocks out all the satellites, the internet is not going away. Most significantly sized dive shops have at least a web presence. What would be the most logical next steps? Where do you see it going?
Again, this thread is intended to stimulate rational discussion from the professional side of the dive industry.
