Biggest thing killing dive shops?

[runsongas]

It’s not our responsibility (people who have already spent thousands) to keep feeding dive shops so they can stay in business. It’s the dive shops (and cert agencies) responsibility to find new ways to get new divers into the loop to keep them fed.
We’ve done our job already and made our contribution.

except this thread is full of complaints about how the dive industry has devalued training standards in order to keep those new divers coming. you can't have it both ways expecting the industry to keep those numbers up every year and then complain about how they go about doing so.

you either have to accept open water scuba has to be kept cheap and easy to be accessible to the masses or it becomes more exclusive and expensive and the dive industry will need to contract as the number of divers decreases.

 

[HantsDiver]

You may not get grumpy, but you don't don't mess around with them if they are unprepared by their previous professor to learn what you have to offer.

This bit is an edit.

Total, total, total rubbish.

1. If someone did their degree/PhD 10 years ago there professor might not even have known what I was trying to teach. Because it might not have been discovered.

2. I don't judge people on their past. Everyone is totally capable of learning until they prove they are not. Most people are more than capable of understanding what I have to show them. I've never met anyone, who I have not been capable who has a PhD.

3. And yeah I NEVER MESS AROUND - because I have too much respect for people. I don't disrespect people by knocking someone's ability, or previous learning. I simply work with them from point A.

If some of the people on this forum took that viewpoint they would be more successful. And they would whinge less.

 

[Wookie]

Ready to learn is not the same as prepared or capable of learning. I have no issues with Algebra or Geometry. Boolean algebra floors me. It has nothing to do with willingness or motivation, it has to do with I just can't SEE it. It makes no sense. Same with Calculus. I can't see it, and I have taken any number of courses. It's why I'm a scientist and not an engineer. And work as a captain, and not a dive instructor.

Although I agree that many here lack the motivation to learn new dive skills. They would like the card however....

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I call dibs on Eric's garage!!! Ha! The rest of you dive pros can suck it in your Maytag refrigerator boxes.

No, because I’ll put you to work!

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

except this thread is full of complaints about how the dive industry has devalued training standards in order to keep those new divers coming. you can't have it both ways expecting the industry to keep those numbers up every year and then complain about how they go about doing so.

you either have to accept open water scuba has to be kept cheap and easy to be accessible to the masses or it becomes more exclusive and expensive and the dive industry will need to contract as the number of divers decreases.

I’m just about ready to say screw it!
Who cares?
I have all the certs I need to dive anywhere in world, at the level I would like to dive at. I have all the gear I need in multiple sets of regs and parts, tanks, suits, fins, etc. to last a lifetime. My buddy has a pretty nice commercial compressor set up in his garage (from a dive shop that went out of business). We have multiple private boats in our group of local divers. All of us also have kayaks. I basically could be 100% dive shop free if I wanted.
I just thought it would be nice if they were around.
But if the diving world is continuing down this path of self destruction and nobody can save it (according to some it doesn’t look good) then maybe it needs to completely crash and burn in order for something better to grow up out of the ashes.
Who’s ultimately responsible for how long something needs to stay on life support?

 

[Trace Malinowski]

I’m just about ready to say screw it!
Who cares?
I have all the certs I need to dive anywhere in world, at the level I would like to dive at. I have all the gear I need in multiple sets of regs and parts, tanks, suits, fins, etc. to last a lifetime. My buddy has a pretty nice commercial compressor set up in his garage (from a dive shop that went out of business). We have multiple private boats in our group of local divers. All of us also have kayaks. I basically could be 100% dive shop free if I wanted.
I just thought it would be nice if they were around.
But if the diving world is continuing down this path of self destruction and nobody can save it (according to some it doesn’t look good) then maybe it needs to completely crash and burn in order for something better to grow up out of the ashes.
Who’s ultimately responsible for how long something needs to stay on life support?

This is it right here. The students want to quit. The instructors want to quit. The customers want to avoid the shops. The shop owners don't want the customers just their money. The students blame the instructors and the shop owners for their negativity. The instructors blame the students, the agencies, other instructors and the shop owners. The shop owners blame the students, customers, instructors, agencies, and other shop owners.

Once we figure out the links to the "negativity chain" like we have isolated the links to the "accident chain" we can keep the patient alive whether a shop, a dive pro, or a diver. Something in diving changed from it's golden days.

 

[runsongas]

you can't argue anyone or anything is solely responsible. it is a combination of factors without ready solutions.

tougher training standards in the golden days weren't able to save voit, healthways, and nemrod, so it is hard to argue it really was better back then. most likely the industry is going to have a rough time till ccr/spacesuit certification becomes a thing so you can visit the moon on virgin galactic.

 

[HantsDiver]

I’m just about ready to say screw it!
Who cares?
I have all the certs I need to dive anywhere in world, at the level I would like to dive at. I have all the gear I need in multiple sets of regs and parts, tanks, suits, fins, etc. to last a lifetime. My buddy has a pretty nice commercial compressor set up in his garage (from a dive shop that went out of business). We have multiple private boats in our group of local divers. All of us also have kayaks. I basically could be 100% dive shop free if I wanted.
I just thought it would be nice if they were around.
But if the diving world is continuing down this path of self destruction and nobody can save it (according to some it doesn’t look good) then maybe it needs to completely crash and burn in order for something better to grow up out of the ashes.
Who’s ultimately responsible for how long something needs to stay on life support?

The terminal whingers will complain about why the system isn't working for THEM. If a system isnt successful they have will find a reason to criticise it. If it's failing they will criticise it. The only thing that isn't a problem is them. They are the gods, but the stupid simple customers just can't see it.

Diving will be fine. If you let the free market work out what works and ignore the people who talk a lot and do very little.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

"Alexa, how do you fix the scuba diving industry?"

 

[KevinNM]

Diving will be fine. If you let the free market work out what works and ignore the people who talk a lot and do very little.

The free market approach is to keep cutting training time and instructor qualifications until some deep pocketed training agency loses a massive death lawsuit.