Biggest thing killing dive shops?

[MichaelMc]

For the corporation, the higher profits derived from applying a low quality model to experiential divers outweighs the lost revenue which that same model causes by alienating hobbyist or serious divers.

Yes. This was the flaw in my complaint 'what if the new model kicks up the dive site ruining it for everyone else'. Who will enforce not kicking it up? Other shops also conducting quick low expectation experience tours? Or the smaller number of already trained and well skilled divers pissed by it, but not linked to any shop? It seems a risky approach though. They're externalizing costs plus not delivering the pristine site they may have advertised, because they are stirring it up. Some regions have fought back against destruction of their reefs/dive environments.

 

[sh1513]

3. Equipment Servicing. You now have companies like Deep6 and Hog offering online training, service kits and resources for individuals to service their own regs. This is a new 'model' and will destabilise the 'traditional' notion that you should be reliant on a dealer network/technican to perform "very complex work" (it isn't).

Sorry, going to have to disagree with that one.

Complicated it isn't, but...your "average joe" won't spend the time, effort or money on learning how to service their own kit, buying the tools necessary for the job and actually doing it. Not when they weigh that up against taking them to their LDS and paying them to do it.

As an example, how many people service and maintain their own cars???

S.

 

[BDSC]

As an example, how many people service and maintain their own cars???S.

Apples to Oranges. To service and maintain vehicles of today would require thousands upon thousands of dollars of equipment. Just not practical at all.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

As an example, how many people service and maintain their own cars???

This opens up additional business opportunities for techs like yourself. People used to either change their own oil or take it to the general auto repair garage where an appointment was needed. Now, you have all of those Jiffy Lube, Valvoline, and other express oil changes. I usually go to my local garage which added their own express oil change bay. I think divers are becoming more interested in the no shop hassle-free quick turnaround options which will increase in popularity as the consumer becomes aware.

 

[sh1513]

Apples to Oranges. To service and maintain vehicles of today would require thousands upon thousands of dollars of equipment. Just not practical at all.

Ok, perhaps that's not a fair comparison, but if it were affordable I seriously doubt many people would bother with their own cars.

We live in a throw away society with instant gratification, if they can pay someone else to do it or swap it for a new one they will!

S.

 

[Wookie]

Although my wife is a reg tech in a dive shop. It's amazing the junk folks are digging out of the garage and the boat and fixing instead of replacing. She has a hard time getting kits because of the vintage of some of the stuff she sees.

 

[BDSC]

We live in a throw away society with instant gratification, if they can pay someone else to do it or swap it for a new one they will!

S.

That's true. Years ago there were TV repair shops. Now you just toss it and buy a bigger and better one for less than half the price.

 

[kelemvor]

Poor business skills. The shops who do have good business skills (Dive Right In Scuba, Scuba.com, etc) seem to be doing well.

 

[oly5050user]

Apples to Oranges. To service and maintain vehicles of today would require thousands upon thousands of dollars of equipment. Just not practical at all.

Not really..wash car in driveway at home, simple oil change,change a flat tire,put air in a tire,put windshield washer in container, replace windshield wipers, all very simple tasks, many people have someone do this for them. From what I see today very few people have any basic mechanical skills of any kind. Do not even know what direction to tighten or loosen a screw.

 

[BDSC]

Poor business skills. The shops who do have good business skills (Dive Right In Scuba, Scuba.com, etc) seem to be doing well.

And that's a mindset of the owners.

I know of a dive shop where many years ago, the owner bought a Light & Motion housing that was for a very specific Sony camcorder. I'm probably talking 20 years ago. I was told at that time he paid roughly $900 for it. It sat there for years and years until eventually it was outdated and it became hard to even find one of the old camcorders anymore. Then one of the shop employees found a guy on the internet a few years ago who had the old camcorder and the guy offered the shop $300 for it. The owner said no way and he would "lose to much money" on it. It has never sold.