West Marine Scuba Shops-Within-Stores - What to you think?

[Rich Keller]

I have seen this tried a couple of times over the decades but I have never seen it work other then for Sport Chalet. I have no personal experience with Sport Chalet, I am just going by what I have heard online as there are none on the east coast but it would be interesting to hear from some of their customers. If it works for Sport Chalet it might work for West Marine as well. They will not be able to do much for the more advanced divers but the new people who are about to start OW would probably be their biggest customer base. Unfortunately for the LDS new people are the ones who need the most equipment and are the most profitable segment of this market. The advantage the LDS has is their relationship with the customer, more advanced & diversified product knowledge and personal service that would be hard for a chain store to match.

 

[JackConnick]

Kind of funny, thinking about it.

When the dive industry started out it was mostly as a corner in a sporting goods store. You remember them. The local guy who sold you basketballs, baseball bats and had some masks and snorkels. Seems like now it's returning.

My first two jobs were at 1) a dive store in Santa Monica canyon filling tanks in trade for gear rentals and dive trips. It was run by a couple of ex-seals who had LA County dive instructor certs, and our training was not too far removed from BUD-S... This was in 1969.

2) Then I got an actual job at Tex's Sporting Goods in Santa Monica. Sports Chalet was our competitor, but they had it worked out that Tex's wasn't in the same markets. But the dive shop was a corner of the bigger shops. (mine was run by an abusive drunk, but I digress). Then a Big 5 opened up the street, and sales of lower-cost items like masks, snorleing sets and so forth at Tex's died. But higher-end items, service and the like soared as people who bought at Big 5 and got involved with the sport wanted more.

I'm being optimistic that the same thing might happen with WM. It's all gonna be good with more divers in the water.

 

[johnmckenzie]

I use their small boutique stores as they are in out-lying areas that have no other marine stores.

It will be interesting to see if they have air fills and service. LDS service varies like any retailer, and it doesn't look like WM is going to have much selection.

Years ago they were great stores, the Nordstrom of boat stores, then they got completely corporate, with terrible private label brands and poor selection and even worse service.

Niche ratailers like myself who offer a good selection, great service and pricing (plug!) have little to worry about.

Jack,

As the article says, WM will have air fills and service. However, they will likely send the regulators out for service.

 

[geoff w]

I've shopped at West Marine for decades, long before I started diving. The West Marine business model, at least on the west coast, seems to be lots of selection with good prices, buy up competition and/or run them out of business, raise prices and cut way back on inventory and selection. Finding anything other than generic equipment in a West Marine around here is getting harder and harder, and most of the local general purpose hardware stores have a better selection of stainless steel fasteners now. Getting good knowledgeable help at West Marine is pretty much hit and miss these days, and I've probably been in half a dozen different West Marine stores in the past year

I've heard Sport Chalet certifies more PADI divers than any other dive shop, and given the number of Sport Chalets around, I certainly believe it. I've heard from local friends in the dive industry that Sport Chalet's scuba departments lose money in general, and there's a good chance scuba may be one of the departments to close chain-wide with their new post-takeover corporate masters. It would be a shame, although I'll be first in line for their clearance sale, since their annual tent sale has insanely cheap prices - way, way below dealer cost. At all the Sport Chalet stores I've been in with scuba departments, most of the staff in scuba are reasonably knowledgeable and more or less dedicated to the scuba department. At West Marine, everyone seems to work in all departments, whether they know anything about the items or not.

Sport Chalet has all kinds of strange rules for instructors and classes, like instructors can't dive nitrox, supposedly for liability. I can't see West Marine being any less concerned about liability, whether it makes sense or not.

Given West Marine locations by boat harbors, where rents are generally pricey, I'm not sure how they think the space required for scuba is a good use of space. Scuba is pretty much a specialty for the majority of boaters (never mind that the majority of boats never leave their slips), a lot of harbors and marinas already have dive shops near by, so it's unclear to me where the return on investment is. I can see how air fills at West Marine might make sense for a certified diver going out on a boat, but the rest of the scuba sales side seems unlikely to me

 

[scadreau]

I've heard Sport Chalet certifies more PADI divers than any other dive shop, and given the number of Sport Chalets around, I certainly believe it. I've heard from local friends in the dive industry that Sport Chalet's scuba departments lose money in general, and there's a good chance scuba may be one of the departments to close chain-wide with their new post-takeover corporate masters. It would be a shame, although I'll be first in line for their clearance sale, since their annual tent sale has insanely cheap prices - way, way below dealer cost. At all the Sport Chalet stores I've been in with scuba departments, most of the staff in scuba are reasonably knowledgeable and more or less dedicated to the scuba department. At West Marine, everyone seems to work in all departments, whether they know anything about the items or not.

Sport Chalet has all kinds of strange rules for instructors and classes, like instructors can't dive nitrox, supposedly for liability. I can't see West Marine being any less concerned about liability, whether it makes sense or not.

They do the most certifications in the Americas when you combine all 50+ stores. The scuba dept is a loser in all but a few stores. Sport Chalet selling is probably the only thing that will save the company. It was losing millions annually.

 

[geoff w]

Looks like it's official - DiveNewswire

 

[johnmckenzie]

Looks like it's official - DiveNewswire

What Geoff, you thought we were making it up. Have faith in ScubaGadget Ha Ha

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

Kinda like when McDonalds or Taco Bell show up inside a gas station. A half effort...

Some WM stores around Miami have closed up. It smacks of desperation, which is not a good business plan.

They have to be willing to invest a lot of money to make it work. Are they really willing to invest $50,000 for a compressor that earns $10 a fill? This is the same place that charges $30 to $50 for a piece of boat rope.

Diver's Direct will eat their lunch in Ft Lauderdale...

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After rereading the article, it sounds like the CEO is saying the WM fundamentals are about to change. Sounds like it's definitely a sink or swim proposition for them. They actually considered having their existing staff trained to fix regs! The CEO also doesn't sound very committed to the idea. It just something he's been talked into by one of his staff. It's pretty clear who's going to sink...

 

[Wookie]

Diver's Direct will eat their lunch in Ft Lauderdale...

...and Key Largo and Key West and Miami and Orlando.....

 

[keller34]

The many times I shopped at WM in Brandon, the Associates had no clue what I was looking for. Examples: I went in looking for Startron for diesels to clean my 85 Euro Benz tank. I knew they had it in stock and went to buy it. They rearranged the store a bit and someone came by and asked if they could help, Yea sure, I need this, He looked at me like I grew 3 heads and turned purple. His comment: I didn't know they made boats with diesel engines :shocked2: !

Second time: I asked about Pro-Cure and needed to get some. Was told they didn't carry it and another told me they never heard of it. I walked around and found almost a whole rack of the stuff with almost every type they made...go figure.

Would I dare have them fill my tanks, repair my regs, or anything without seeing certifications? HELL NO...even with them I don't think I would.

I wish we had a DS on the Tampa side...hell Bass Pro Shops is building a big place here so DS should too! Wife would not like it but atleast she would know where I was and not off with another woman.