Where LDS drop the ball.

I’d like to share something that I’ve observed and see if it’s only local trend or widespread. I have what I’d say is a good relationship with two LDS in the area and have spent time and made purchases at several others. The situation seems the same with all of them. They all offer training and big trips but do little or nothing to encourage or support local diving.

While I understand there is no money to be made directly on sponsoring trips to the local quarry, it seems to me that it would indirectly generate revenue. Every trip would mean the divers have to pass through the store at least twice, once to pick up equipment or air fills and once to drop it back off. Perhaps it’s just me but I have a hard time getting through a dive store without buying something.

All too often I have seen people take the OW course and go on a big dive trip and then fade away. I think that there are several reasons for this. First it’s very difficult to find good buddies (or sometimes any buddy). Secondly, going to the quarry on your own (with a buddy of course) as a newly certified diver can be very stressful. What kind of exposure protection is appropriate, how do I get in, what paperwork do I need, what is parking etiquette, where can I get air, is there anywhere to buy lunch, are there bathrooms, etc., etc? The experience is much more enjoyable with a guide until you learn the ropes.

In my case, I actually signed up for AOW training just to get more dives in. It worked out well though because I met other divers that I ended up diving with on numerous occasions.

So why don’t the local dive shops support local diving? What I would like to see at least during the summer, is a local excursion every weekend. Doesn’t have to be a big deal, just meet in the parking lot and caravan to a local dive spot, maybe barbecue lunch, have a group to sit around with during the surface interval and tell diving stories. Maybe have an optional guided tour on the first dive to see the local sites.

So, what do you think?

If you want to see the pathetic attempt of my LDS getting people out to the quarries check out the yahoo group 'mdquarrydivers'. I've tried to get them out diving locally on a bunch of occasions and haven't been able to do it.

I kept asking them about local diving and they pointed me to the list and said they'd announce it in a new letter. (which I never saw)

This board has been my best source for dive buddies. All the buddies I've met here have been great.

Maybe the local diving thing is similar to their reluctance to support dive clubs??

My shop has a club affilaiated with it which uses the boat owned by the shop to fill in the spaces when courses are not running or there is space on the boat. I have not been there for a couple of years but they go out most weekends in "the season" as well as about once a month "out of season".

The club also organises mid week night diving at Wraysbury and trips to places like the Farne Islands and Cornwall.

All in all a pretty good set up I think....

Jonathan

Keep in mind that a lot of dive shops are not in it for the money. Therefore, they have no incentive to organize local quarry dives to generate business. This is something that dive clubs do. On the other hand there are a few business-minded LDS owners that do organize quarry dives or sponsor dive clubs. So look around for dive clubs in your area and talk to other LDS's. You should be able to find something. If not, form a club and call the shops around you to see if any of them are willing to sponsor a day a trip to local dive spot.

We encountered the same issues here in Minnesota. So we fixed the problem by starting www.mnscuba.com. One year later and the site is probably the best resource for diving in the state with a couple hundred active members. People can learn about local dive sites, conditions, and find buddies. We are bringing www.wiscuba.com online now for Wisconsin divers. We have no commercial interests in these sites. We do it because we can.

Jason, more power to you...

Cool site by the way!

My LDS does a really nice job of keeping their customers wet. There's a shop dive in a local pond every Wednesday nite. They run charters numerous times during the year to places as close as 1 hour away to as far as Fiji.

I've been bugging the owner to put up a website, but just can't get him there yet.

We must be pretty fortunate here! We have a couple lds here and both are part of our dive club. The lds are teaching students often on weekends and do go on trips but through our dive club there is diving to be had every week of the year for those willing to go and sometimes different groups in the club go to different locations depends on the divers moods. This year alone our dive schedule is filled from everything from Quarries in ohio to Tobermory, Kingston, Brockville, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Straits of Mackinac and of course the tropics. As soon as the ice clears the river there are regular bbqs on a nearby Island for the club and it is always a blast. We get together on weekends for diving and once a month for official club business. Our local diveshops do support diving big time here and are active with our club.


We are able to do all this because we organize. You have to get some divers in your neighborhood to do the same. Good luck.

What does the local quarry contribute to the equation? If all the dive shop is providing is an opportunity for a fill or a parking lot to meet in, why bother? All the quarries I have seen set up as dive sites have fill stations anyway. There is one LDS I dive with, sort of. One of the instructors sponsers a weekly fun dive, same quarry, same time every week. We also take turns bringing meat and side dishes. Sometimes the night is as much about the fellowship of the group as it is about the dive. The shop really contributes nothing, but the quarry may not be as accomidating without the illusion of the LDS "sponsoring" the event. All the other shops around me do is post openings for an occasional local boat dive or weekend trip.

We have the same thing here, with the exception of one shop who is just starting a local program this summer.

The NDI branch of the Texas Swamp Diving Team has brought alot of us together. Last summer we met on Wed. evenings as well as every weekend and we would have anywhere from 3 or 4 to 15 in the group...and 99% of us met online here at Scuba Board even though technically we are all neighbors. We frequently brought pot-luck and made a day of the friendships and diving. Over the winter we've had several get togethers to stay in touch.

So I'd suggest either join an NDI chapter near you or start your own.