CAPTAIN SINBAD
Contributor
I was wondering what is the future of dive-shops? Please correct me if I am wrong but it appears that internet sales have gone up and LDS sales have shrunk pretty rapidly for the last few years. I have no data to substantiate this but every time I am on the boat and I ask people where did they buy a particular piece of gear and more often than not, people mention an online retailer (DRIS, Leisurepro etc) than a brick and mortar store.
I also see a trend in the rise of instructors teaching from their basements. May be it is a local thing but there are some very good instructors who chose to move away from "shops" so that they could teach on their own. I really do not know if this is a good thing business wise because my understanding is that instruction itself never earned anything in the dive industry. Its purpose was to only create consumers for diving gear. If someone leaves a shop to take over the least profitable part of the industry then there is nothing in it for their own selves other than a sense of accomplishment.
It is also my understanding that diveshops have started to become "repair shops." If you want your regulator serviced than most people are still going to LDS rather than mailing it somewhere. Mail system only works one way when you are ordering stuff. If you have to drive to the post office to mail a regulator for annual service then it might be convenient to just drive to the LDS.
Is it air-fills that is keeping dive-shops alive? Compressors can be had for around 3000 USD and very casually organized dive clubs are capable of having these. In fact if 10 people put money together to buy a small portable compressor than it should serve their purpose better than getting airfills from a shop. With the exception of nitrox and specialized gasses, air-fills seems to a very weak leg for dive businesses to stand on.
Where are we headed? Can anyone please shed some light into this? It seems like different functions that were performed by the "shop" have all become industries by themselves and are moving away from each other. Profit wise, internet retailers are growing to take the bulk of profits, followed by tech oriented shops that provide specialized gasses such as nitrox and helium etc. Third in the line are repair shops that call themselves "dive shops" but survive mostly on servicing gear. Bottom of the food chain is what you call "the instructor" who is going independent.
What is happening folks? Can any of the professionals help me understand where dive-industry is headed and what is the future of LDS?
I also see a trend in the rise of instructors teaching from their basements. May be it is a local thing but there are some very good instructors who chose to move away from "shops" so that they could teach on their own. I really do not know if this is a good thing business wise because my understanding is that instruction itself never earned anything in the dive industry. Its purpose was to only create consumers for diving gear. If someone leaves a shop to take over the least profitable part of the industry then there is nothing in it for their own selves other than a sense of accomplishment.
It is also my understanding that diveshops have started to become "repair shops." If you want your regulator serviced than most people are still going to LDS rather than mailing it somewhere. Mail system only works one way when you are ordering stuff. If you have to drive to the post office to mail a regulator for annual service then it might be convenient to just drive to the LDS.
Is it air-fills that is keeping dive-shops alive? Compressors can be had for around 3000 USD and very casually organized dive clubs are capable of having these. In fact if 10 people put money together to buy a small portable compressor than it should serve their purpose better than getting airfills from a shop. With the exception of nitrox and specialized gasses, air-fills seems to a very weak leg for dive businesses to stand on.
Where are we headed? Can anyone please shed some light into this? It seems like different functions that were performed by the "shop" have all become industries by themselves and are moving away from each other. Profit wise, internet retailers are growing to take the bulk of profits, followed by tech oriented shops that provide specialized gasses such as nitrox and helium etc. Third in the line are repair shops that call themselves "dive shops" but survive mostly on servicing gear. Bottom of the food chain is what you call "the instructor" who is going independent.
What is happening folks? Can any of the professionals help me understand where dive-industry is headed and what is the future of LDS?