Is ScubaBoard against local dive shops?

Guessing this will generate some talk. This weekend I was at a regional show in Columbus, Ohio. I had my own booth representing UDM Aquatic Services (me), HOG/Edge Gear, and SEI/PDIC. During the show I received a great deal of interest and very positive feedback for all of my products/services. However a couple times there was the sideways glance at the notion a diver could service their own gear with the proper qualifications as I had the kits for the HOG regs on display along with the TDI HOG Equipment Service Clinic outline. There was also some discussion about the prices that HOG gear retails for. Oh well stuff happens.

But one comment that really surprised me was made by a shop owner who stated that Scubaboard is against local dive shops. I'm guessing because we allow discussion about servicing gear, encourage people to shop around, and that buying on line is not taboo. Maybe it's because we have a forum for DIY guys and gals?

This shop owner also stated he did not believe divers should be servicing their own gear and was quite suprised when I showed him just one of the resources divers have for information - the frogkick.dk site- where factory manuals are readily available. In addition to the fact that people are making their own seats, buying parts from other than the mfg, and getting actual kits from what I call progressive retailers who know how to run a business in this new age.

So my question to shop owners and divers is do you feel that SB is against the LDS. I don't. If anything it is pushing them to become better at serving their customers and forcing them to look at the way they do business. And to me that's a good thing. The industry is changing and the sooner that is recognized the better it will be for divers everywhere.

I think you have it backwards. Scubaboard is not against LDS's, BUT, some LDS's are against Scubaboard

Yes-No-maybe......SB- just blame the internet, not SB (on this)

I have no problem with divers servicing their own gear, but we've seen this in the last 30 years, the local "plumber" doing this work.
IF he's doing this on his own gear, FINE. But when he's going to do this on the gear of his clubmates, he needs to be trained and not just with an online manual.
So selling parts,I do have a problem with, not to all, but not to each and every one who walks into the door.

just my 2cts

Personally I don't think that SB is directly or indirectly against the LDS. I do think that the knowledge that can be accrued from the users of SB will eventually result in an individual member knowing enough to spot a LDS that shouldn't be worked with. The end result being that some LDS will feel that they are losing business because of SB.

A quick observation on this from when I was a new diver:

I was just finishing up my PADI advanced course a couple of years ago when I walked into the dive shop that I was frequenting at the time and saw their technician servicing a set of regulators. After putting everything back together he had a little pile of parts from the parts kits sitting there and he said:

"Where do we get these regs and parts? IKEA? They always have more parts then go in the regulator, or they don't go together the way the manual says!"

It was at that very moment that I realized that just because it is a LDS, does not mean that you should trust the guy that works there to count sand on a beach... Which is why I switched regs and now service my own.

I'm sure there are folks who feel that anyone that presents and supports alternatives to LDSs is against LDSs. The logic is understandable. As is the attitude.

Short answer is NO
Long answer is change is not easy to embrace for most and many dive shop and manufactures want things to remain status quot.


There's my 2 cents

I can see his point, forums of all sorts including Scubaboard are information, and information is power. Forums exist for almost any hobby now.

Forums exist to tell me how to work on my car, my place of residence, my camera, where to get good deals on electronics, etc. the car forum isn't anti-mechanic, it juts recognizes that I enjoy fixing some things myself. For example, disc brakes are fun to fix but I took it to a mechanic to get the tires replaced and aligned. I like working on my regs but I take my tanks to someone for hydro.

There are many more people out there who don't want to do that and who go to a store for everything.

Poor stores will lie to consumers about things and those stores get frustrated when information comes along to help other consumers make informed decisions. Great stores listen to what customers want and provide it. Evidence of this is Scubatoys, a local dive shop (to some, not to me) who has their own forum.

Next time someone proclaims that forums are anti store, ask them if home depot and the DIY network are anti contractor. Ask if Chilton's is anti car mechanic. Refer them to some of Netdoc's posts about different shops that have learned and grown as a result of information they found on Scubaboard-- the information flow is bi directional! Consumers get info to make wise decisions, but shops have access to thousands of peoples comments about dive operations, shops, sites, etc. One could spend a weekend reading here and have a multipage list of ideas to help their store have a competitive advantage in a very competitive marketplace.

jar546:

I think you have it backwards. Scubaboard is not against LDS's, BUT, some LDS's are against Scubaboard

Click to expand...

That is exactly what I thought when I read the heading of the post.

Many shops feel threatened by the internet ... and ScubaBoard exists, after all, on the internet.

But to answer the question, I think ScubaBoard can be a great resource for local dive shops that aren't afraid to embrace it. Look at how it helped ScubaToys, back when nobody outside of Texas had ever heard of them. Look at Dive Rite In Scuba ... which is, after all, a local dive shop. There are many other examples ... those two come to mind as local dive shops who embraced the Internet and grew their business by providing quality products and customer service.

When someone says ScubaBoard is "against" local dive shops, to what are they referring? AFAIK, the owner and staff of the board have never taken a position, one way or another. Many members are vocally supportive of their local dive shops. Many are vocally supportive of internet retailers, independent instructors, and products that allow them to perform their own service. Which of those members represents ScubaBoard? I believe we all do.

The whole "loyalty" mentality among LDS's is one I've never really bought into. I have a favorite local dive shop that I purchase supplies and services from regularly. I have great relationships with several others in my area. There are also shops in my area who view me as a "competitor", because I'm an independent instructor. Because of their attitude, and the fact that I don't feel they'd welcome me into their businesses, I don't go into those shops ... or refer my students to them.

So who's against whom? And who ultimately loses in the business exchange?

Personally, I think a lot of dive shop owners are their own worst enemies ... they want to cling to a business model that has already passed them by. And if they don't embrace new ways of doing business, they'll soon go the way of the Betamax and 8-track tape recorder ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Words/phrases like 'free market economies', competition, monopolistic practices, trade restraints, trade 'barriers' all come to mind when I hear people/entities talk about business/economics.......History has proven over and over again that economics[macro or micro] evolves just like so many other areas of society/cultures....When entities [small or large] try to force/maintain the status quo, it is always for the self-serving interests of a few at the expense of the larger population.... And has long term negative impacts than if the changes were allowed to occur naturally......Change is inevitable and yes some will suffer, but the smarter/quicker entities will react to the demands of the market place and supplies it's needs......If you don't think so look at China-vs-Russia.....Russia fell not because it was Communist, but because of it's inflexible economic policies....China knows better and has a practical approach to economics separate from it's communist ideology......On a micro level all you have to do is look at Aqualung [and it's subsidiaries] and their lack of response to the market place[ bad straps, no service parts to divers etc]..... Or the American auto makers lack of response to better mileage/better built cars and their attempts at protectionist trade barriers......Economic history books are full of these examples.......My response to LDS's or the Aqualungs of the world who refuse to face/respond to the demands of the market place in a ' global free market' economy........Adapt or die.......In today's high speed information world you will die quicker and you will deserve to do so.......You can run but you can't hide.........