start commercial diving center

[sailorB]

Hello,

I'm new here, so let me first introduce my self, my name is Basel im syrian living in egypt, 30 years old and married. that was a short note about me.

I came up with an idea and i luved it, it's about starting a commercial diving center, but i have a small problem
I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HOW TO START
i never dived before but i will, soon i hope. and i dont know where to start from.
what equipments i need, how many divers are gonna work, how many suits we need....etc.

thats why i came here, i thought you may help me in this
WHERE TO START

will i hear from you soon.......

 

[Lead_carrier]

The first thing you need to do is take scuba classes and start diving. After that take more classes, AOW, Rescue, Nitrox, Advanced Nitrox, Commercial scuba classes. Work for a local dive operation. Get lots of dives in. Then you will have a remote idea of how to start a commercial scuba business.

 

[sailorB]

thanks alot Lead_carrier for this advice, yes i think i should do a lot of courses to be able to know how to start.

but actually, i will not be directing the place, i mean we are gonna hire someone to be the place manager "Diving tour operator".

when i asked for information how to start it was for the feasability study i am gonna make it, i need to know the equipments, suits, tanks, compressor....etc
for example, how many suits do i need, and what kind of suits, i heard there is wet/dry suits, and there is different kind of masks, alot of things...

thats why i asked for yr experince

can i get more info or details from you guys

 

[Don Burke]

sailorB once bubbled...
can i get more info or details from you guys

Your questions are market related and answering them by remote control would be pretty tricky.


These folks should be able to steer you in the right direction:

http://www.dema.org/

 

[sailorB]

Thx Don

but really if i wanna go to a marketing and reseach company i would do it from beging.

i'm looking actually for your experience
you know more than others do
you are divers
you know what u need to see when u go to a dive center
right?!

i guess the internet gave us this chance to communicate with each others and share experience

 

[Ron Brandt]

Are you planning on a COMMERCIAL dive op for something like slavage ,inspections etc. or a DIVE CENTER where you sell gear to the public , train new divers etc ?

Ron

 

[Don Burke]

sailorB once bubbled...
Thx Don

but really if i wanna go to a marketing and reseach company i would do it from beging.

I still think you should contact DEMA. They are a dive equipment marketing association. However, it is your money.

sailorB once bubbled...
i'm looking actually for your experience
you know more than others do
you are divers.

This is true. Personally, I've been to dive shops in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New Jersey, Florida, California, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Bonaire, Italy, France, and Greece. I've at least snorkeled in nearly all of those places.

There are many here who have been several times that many places.

Yes, you will find experience here.

sailorB once bubbled...
you know what u need to see when u go to a dive center
right?!

I often don't. Each dive location and dive population dictates what the shop needs on the shelf. Prevailing temperatures, depths, visibility, divesites, and wildlife dictate what equipment is needed. How the dive population like to spend it's money dictates things like how much equipment needs to be on the shelf.

If you're talking about a commercial dive operation that provides services like salvage, hull cleaning, and structure inspection and repair, that introduces another set of variables.

If you asked me what is needed to run a dive operation in Virginia Beach, Virginia, I could give you some real insight into what works and doesn't work there. If you asked me what is needed to run a dive operation in Roanoke, Virginia, the answers would be very different. In fact, the answers would be very different in Suffolk, Virginia.

There is no all purpose dive operation. I'm normally surprised by at least a few things I find in a shop I visit.

If you learn to dive, you'll get to see dive operations in the area. You'll see what divers have trouble with, hear them gripe, and hear them talk about what they have seen in other places. You will see things that other operations have spent a lot of money on that don't justify the expense. You will see things that other operations are doing that they need to do much more of.

sailorB once bubbled...
i guess the internet gave us this chance to communicate with each others and share experience

There is a lot of experience here. Over 99% of it won't make you money in any given situation.

 

[erwin]

Putting up a dive center isn't easy. A lot of hard work and dedication is needed! The most important thing though is to enjoy what you plan to do.

If you want to at least get started try taking some dive courses first and try to get in some fun dives with different dive centers in order to see how they run their business. In my experience dive professionals are very willing to help out newbies even when they ask about the business aspects.

Don't be in a hurry and just hire someone from out of the blue as this would eventually cause problems.

Bottom line is you have to know something about the business first before you enter it.

 

[sailorB]

Guys
thx alot for what u said, i think it will be helpfull but next stage.

coz u didnt get the reasone of why im asking these question.

OK, i agree that i should go in the business and have dive experience. thats true. a friend of mine told me the same, and he is a business man

but the idea is that i need the information on the quantity of what i am gonna use, in other words, to make a feasability study u should have data or information.

thats what i need for this stage

i mean do i need regulators, suits wet/dry, tanks....etc
i need to know this ...etc

again, if thats what can u give me, thx alot, really.
P.S.: no Ron it will not be be a diving center op, it will be a commercial dive center where i sell gears and train divers

 

[Phoenix]

ok you would need

exposure protection appropriate for your planned environment
cylinders
fins
masks
regulators
snorkels
bcds

compressor(s)
cascade system (dependant on numbers)
a RIB (optional)
premesis
knowledge of the dive industy (required)
eqipment maintenance knowledge
but above all
passion, dedication, and diving experiance
you must know what people want out of a dive, know how to give it to them, know how to select appropriate equipment, buy the durable hardwearing stuff, not always the fancy names

you will need alot more than i mentioned, but you seem to be pushing for an answer, so thats a start
i wouldnt advise starting up a dive business as a non diver, even divers with tons of passion have a hard enough time keeping some of them afloat