Giving Team Scuba a Thumbs Up!

PhilEllis · December 8th, 2007, 02:28 PM

I think this industry involvement with NASCAR is a great idea. The popularity of NASCAR and the success of Ray Black Jr. may well expose scuba diving to EXACTLY the demographic that is good for diving.

I put a post on my blog at www.divesportsblog.com voicing my support of this effort. I wish great success for Team Scuba in 2008!

Good Luck to Team Scuba and Ray Black Jr.

Phil Ellis

Ray Sr. · December 8th, 2007, 07:13 PM

Thanks for the support Phil, I read your post and I would like to clarify something. DEMA does not sponsor "Team Scuba", I offered the opportunity for DEMA to sponsor and be a marketing voice with "Team Scuba".
DEMA declined and in no way has showed any support for "Team Scuba".
Team Scuba unveiled its 2008 NASCAR Grand National Division Campaign at DEMA and the fee was $5,000.00 for our space and yes an additional $235.00 for electricty. Thanks to our sponsor NAUI Worldwide we were there.
DEMA officials actually made Team Scuba feel un-welcome and demanded one of our Patron Sponsors decal removed from the car, due to Atomic Aquatics did not have a booth at the show. The politics were undesirable to say the least.
I have made every effort for DEMA/PADI to be a part of "Team Scuba" but I can only assume that their infracstructure cannot accomadate the new divers and fans from our NASCAR demographics.

I want to thank all of our true sponsors and we are looking forward to 2008. Ray Sr.

PhilEllis · December 8th, 2007, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Sr.

Thanks for the support Phil, I read your post and I would like to clarify something. DEMA does not sponsor "Team Scuba", I offered the opportunity for DEMA to sponsor and be a marketing voice with "Team Scuba".
DEMA declined and in no way has showed any support for "Team Scuba".
Team Scuba unveiled its 2008 NASCAR Grand National Division Campaign at DEMA and the fee was $5,000.00 for our space and yes an additional $235.00 for electricty. Thanks to our sponsor NAUI Worldwide we were there.
DEMA officials actually made Team Scuba feel un-welcome and demanded one of our Patron Sponsors decal removed from the car, due to Atomic Aquatics did not have a booth at the show. The politics were undesirable to say the least.
I have made every effort for DEMA/PADI to be a part of "Team Scuba" but I can only assume that their infracstructure cannot accomadate the new divers and fans from our NASCAR demographics.

I want to thank all of our true sponsors and we are looking forward to 2008. Ray Sr.

Hi Ray. It is a little distressing to hear that DEMA is not supportive of your efforts. This industry needs exactly this group of new participants.

I had heard about the "decal" issue and thought it to be somewhat petty. But, this is how this scuba industry is. DEMA is making some strides at expanding the industry in meaningful way. It is so unfortunate that they are not providing your team with support.

All this aside, you have a good group of sponsors and you appear to have a good plan. Good luck to you and your son in 2008. There are many out here in the industry that hope your efforts will be successful. Thanks.

Phil Ellis

Ray Sr. · December 9th, 2007, 12:28 PM

Thanks Phil,

Team Scuba and Ray Black Jr. is not deterred from its mission of bringing new divers into the industry due to a few negative responses from some organizations.
We do not expect everyone to see and embrace the vision of the reality and need of new divers in our industry or the pride and loyalty re-vived in our industry now.
There are a lot of companies from the "Show Me State" and need to be led by a chosen few, I am confident in time our line of followers will grow, if there are to many speed bumps, I will ensure a new line to be started.
Team Scuba grows daily and I want to welcome everyone to our beginning stages, our driver is 16 and we have a lot of growing time.
Again, I want to thank the sponsors on board and all the sponsors we are negotiating with. My mission is to make "Team Scuba" an industry voice. Our Primary Sponsor is "Team Scuba", we will be the only race car that is themed based. NASCAR is a very powerful marketing tool and it takes crazy money to play, only a few companies are finacially strong enough to play alone in this industry, and you are right we are "out of the box", way out, but I know if we pull together as one voice "Team Scuba", NASCAR will listen and our industry will grow with leaps and bounds.
I feel for our industry growth, we need to let go of the "Hatfield / McCoy" history and pull together as one. The success of equipment vendors, dive shops, certification bodies, tourism locations, etc. need more divers that want to experience our World underwater and have an experience with a professional, knowledged based infrastructure, where they will come back to our world. The largest spending budget for the World is Tourism/Recreation??????
Team Scuba will work with any organization to better our industry, we may have to change tires ourselves to get around the track, so I may need some help. Failure is not an option.

Thanks again Phil for publicly showing your support.

Ray Sr.

PhilEllis · December 9th, 2007, 04:49 PM

I have added a post to my blog to correct my assumption that DEMA was a supporter of Team Scuba and their NASCAR effort. You can find the new post at..........

Industry Split on NASCAR Involvement?

For Ray and Ray and all of the sponsors, keep up the good work.

Phil Ellis

DJ Johnny Mac · April 27th, 2008, 10:48 PM

Any positive exposure outside of the diving industry is a good thing. Those of us that already dive tend to spot a 3" dive flag sticker on the bumper of a passing car that is doing 70mph. It's the non-diving public that being reached with car painted like a dive flag doing 170mph. Given the number of inactive, certified divers in the U.S. alone, it is clear that our sport must grow in order to remain active. I do not have unrealistic hopes of how this exposure will benefit our sport, but the benefits are indeed there. At the very least, this exposure may put the idea of going diving back into mind of an inactive diver. Let's face it, the first fans Ray Jr. will have are sure to be divers. As he works his way up in the nascar world, non-diving fans are sure to follow. How much we will benefit from this effort is yet to be seen, but again the benefits are there. It will be a long road, but Team Scuba has made a great start. For that, I wish the absolute best of luck to accompany the skill I have read about.

I understand why some in our industry may not believe the cost of financial sponsorship would be worth the return it may bring. Fortunately, some do. Only time will tell. However, it costs our industry nothing to offer moral support. It would be (or apparently IS) sad to know that those who do not wish to sponsor this effort would not at the very least offer good wishes with a friendly smile.

Diver Dennis · April 27th, 2008, 11:07 PM

I know this is an old thread but I hope that some dive industry entities who are not supportive wil get their head out of their butts and realize the HUGE potential of a Nascar connection with diving. I can only hope they will find a solution to their shortsightedness....

fireflock · April 28th, 2008, 03:12 PM

I was on a dive boat this weekend out of Wilmington, NC. During surface interval, there was talk about some Hendrick employees that were on the boat earlier, which morphed into some talk about recent races. I bet half of the divers on the boat spoke up with an opinion about something related to NASCAR racing.

I was in North Carolina where racing is big, but there is clearly some overlap between race fans and scuba divers. Most of the divers who spoke up were younger, still a little new to scuba (in the first year or two), and had disposable income. I can't believe that the industry doesn't want to do whatever it can to make sure divers like that stay interested in diving and recruit their friends.

jonnick · April 2nd, 2009, 12:33 PM

Scuba

jonnick · April 2nd, 2009, 12:33 PM

Scuba team