And you wonder why actual advanced divers often look down on such magazines...
Best Gear of 07
- Thread starter Nemrod
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Me too. My subscription was supposed to expire in October. I did not renew as I'm tired of there not being more tech oriented articles. Just got December's issue. Oh well. As long as it continues to be free I'll skim thru and see if there's anything worth reading. It does make nice on the crapper reading. Tomorrow is payday. Gonna submit my subscription for advanced diver and my tech lds is going to start carrying wreck diver.
I don't look down on them. They are what they are.
That's the problem, as far as I'm concerned, with scuba. It seems there are too many people who look down on new divers, vacation divers, and magazines geared towards them. If I'm not mistaken, everyone here was a new diver at one point in their life. I know a lot of new divers who are very intimidated by the idea of getting into scuba simply because they are afraid of having people looking down on them. That's kind of sad if you ask me.
Also, if you're going to publish a magazine, generally speaking you want to shoot for as broad an audience as possible. Publishing something that is highly technical and meant for advanced divers is really limiting your audience. Aim a little low, toss in the usual "look at the shiny regulator" crap along with a few technical tidbits here and there and you've got a pretty wide audience.
You're more than welcome to celebrate the average if you want.
I won't stop you.
And for the record, I mentor new divers as often as possible... there's no shame in being new. There IS shame in pandering to the uninformed with misinformation (or at least skewed information), all in the name of the almighty dollar.
I won't stop you.
And for the record, I mentor new divers as often as possible... there's no shame in being new. There IS shame in pandering to the uninformed with misinformation (or at least skewed information), all in the name of the almighty dollar.
Paco II
Contributor
Wow, am I reading the same magazine as you guys? Reading this thread, I almost wonder. The Scuba Diving magazine I read is entertainment. It tells me about the newest 'toys' and of gorgeous exotic locations I can dream of diving someday. And it even includes a small amount of useful information.
It is obvious that you expect more from it. Why?
It is obvious that you expect more from it. Why?
OP
I understand what your saying and I really don't agree. There are a ton it seems of "average" dive rags aimed at the "average" diver with "average" gear. I don't believe in aiming low and I don't agree with limiting the audience to once a year divers. I imagine serious divers spend more money on gear and the once a year divers on resort packages--not gear. Is it a dive magazine or a travel brochure--if it is going ot be a travel brochure then please lay off the "Best Of" gear articals by people who clearly are not up to speed on "best" or "is" or any other words.
This is not about or against new divers or entry level quality gear or any of that--it is about being treated like sheep by magazine that aim low. Of course I realize that many of the companies patronized by scubaboard divers are small shops and have limited advertizement budgets to buy their way into a "Best Of" list.
Not meant to hurt any feelings--I just don't agree. It has been interesting, thanks for all the thoughts.
N
Maybe "aim low" was the wrong phrase to use there. I don't think they're limiting their audience to once a year divers, I think they're trying to hit as broad of an audience as possible.
You know, you may be right on that one. I imagine new divers probably spend more on masks, fins, and snorkels though while serious divers are dropping the big bucks on regs, BCs, etc. Though you can never count out the guys who, even though they are only going to dive once or twice a year, have to have the newest and coolest of everything. And then you have to consider the fact that serious divers know that more money does not always equal better gear.
I don't know, I'd be interested to see how it broke down. Of course you're the guy who dives 40-year-old gear on a regular basis so I don't think any gear companies are counting on you to help with their profits anyway.
I don't often read Scuba Diving magazine, but I do glimpse through every issue.......
Most of the divers that come on this board each day are pretty avid divers. They are attuned to the types of equipment that will last longer, be less prone to hard duty failures, and don't see the need in replacing what doesn't need to be replaced.
Any automobile made in the last 10 years or so will easily last 10-12 years and will perform almost as good on the last year as it did the first. That being said, the average used car used as trade for a brand new one is only 21 months old (I read this earlier this year, but can't remember where). People trade them simply because they want something new, something different, slightly different features.
The same applies to the scuba industry. Lets face it, people WANT to spend their money on a new reguator, even when the old one is perfectly good. While I agree with a lot of the criticism levied at the dive industry, we need to remember that store owners aren't REALLY holding people up by their shoes and shaking the money out of their pockets. They want to spend. And the spending in the scuba industry is on recreational, vacation gear. THIS is what Scuba Diving magazine is playing to. This is their intended target market......the buyers that represent over 97% of scuba related spending.
About three months ago, I was reading one of the BP/W vs poodle jacket threads. Clearly, among divers that frequent some internet chat boards, BP/W units are very popular. But we have to remember what the REAL diving force is currently in the industry.....those that represent 97% of the spending.
Leisure Trends lists the 20 top selling products in about 25 different categories each month. This is not hype...this is actual out-the-door scuba retail transactions. In the buoyancy category, there has NEVER been a wing in the top 20 of that category in any month, on any report, over the past 8 years....even though wings are clearly listed as belonging to the buoyancy category in their reports. Interestingly enough, all backplates and harnesses have never represented more than 0.01% of retail equipment sales in any month in that same period.
So, remember.....while Scuba Diving magazine MAY BE WRONG on what is "best" and what is "most reliable" and even what is "safe"....they aren't wrong on what is most popular. This is, after all, the market they cater to. Thanks.
Another Interesting Note: In August of 2007, the retail dive equipment market was just short of $40 million dollars in total sales. Masks, fins, and snorkels combined for OVER 25% of the TOTAL retail sales in the industry.
Another Interesting Note: In that same month of August of 2007, there were only approximately 805 steel scuba cylinders sold by scuba speciality stores nation wide. Again, shows you where the volume is.
Phil Ellis
Most of the divers that come on this board each day are pretty avid divers. They are attuned to the types of equipment that will last longer, be less prone to hard duty failures, and don't see the need in replacing what doesn't need to be replaced.
Any automobile made in the last 10 years or so will easily last 10-12 years and will perform almost as good on the last year as it did the first. That being said, the average used car used as trade for a brand new one is only 21 months old (I read this earlier this year, but can't remember where). People trade them simply because they want something new, something different, slightly different features.
The same applies to the scuba industry. Lets face it, people WANT to spend their money on a new reguator, even when the old one is perfectly good. While I agree with a lot of the criticism levied at the dive industry, we need to remember that store owners aren't REALLY holding people up by their shoes and shaking the money out of their pockets. They want to spend. And the spending in the scuba industry is on recreational, vacation gear. THIS is what Scuba Diving magazine is playing to. This is their intended target market......the buyers that represent over 97% of scuba related spending.
About three months ago, I was reading one of the BP/W vs poodle jacket threads. Clearly, among divers that frequent some internet chat boards, BP/W units are very popular. But we have to remember what the REAL diving force is currently in the industry.....those that represent 97% of the spending.
Leisure Trends lists the 20 top selling products in about 25 different categories each month. This is not hype...this is actual out-the-door scuba retail transactions. In the buoyancy category, there has NEVER been a wing in the top 20 of that category in any month, on any report, over the past 8 years....even though wings are clearly listed as belonging to the buoyancy category in their reports. Interestingly enough, all backplates and harnesses have never represented more than 0.01% of retail equipment sales in any month in that same period.
So, remember.....while Scuba Diving magazine MAY BE WRONG on what is "best" and what is "most reliable" and even what is "safe"....they aren't wrong on what is most popular. This is, after all, the market they cater to. Thanks.
Another Interesting Note: In August of 2007, the retail dive equipment market was just short of $40 million dollars in total sales. Masks, fins, and snorkels combined for OVER 25% of the TOTAL retail sales in the industry.
Another Interesting Note: In that same month of August of 2007, there were only approximately 805 steel scuba cylinders sold by scuba speciality stores nation wide. Again, shows you where the volume is.
Phil Ellis
Aspendiver
Guest
Well thought out, coherent post, Phil. It was interesting to get the retail side of the equation explained.
Twenty-Five percent? Wow. I guess that makes sense though when you consider that a lot (probably a majority) of the shops out there require that people provide their own masks, fins, and snorkels for the course. I still didn't expect it to be that high of a number though.
Oh, and I guess those numbers are helped by all the people who put their masks on their foreheads having to constantly replace gear..........
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