New Scuba Dive Op in Washington, DC: What do you want?

[ScubaFeenD]

Well, I suppose that means you don't like tech divers, hmmm? Let's see - I'm doing taxes right now - I spent about $2,000 in local boat trips last year (from LOCAL operators) and roughly another $2,000 in dive shop gear, not to mention another "tech" course thrown in.

Yep, its a small portion of the market that spends a huge amount of money. BUT, tech divers know what they want, can smell crap a mile away (usually), and are hard to push a sale to. While i am not a tech diver, I often feel that sales people are trying to sell me a line of BS to push their next overpriced POS regulator or something. I hate knowing more about a product than they do, and it makes for HORRIBLE business.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Opinions Vary... Click on the Facebook link then decide for yourself...people Like DA and Lapenta are just haters... they're not allowed in my store.

Gee Ken that's the first I've heard I'm on the "black list" for your shop. I don't know whether to be honored or offended.

As far as I know you are still welcome in both the shops I do work for, so maybe you might want to reconsider who is "hating" who here.

People generally always know where they stand with me. I am big on fidelity and don't tolerate BS and I tend to judge shops accordingly. A shop or shop owner that jumps from brand to brand and changes opinions and advice accordingly will score low on my dive shop-o-meter. Similarly, it's a small field where everyone knows everyone and for the most part in the DC/MD/NOVA area, the shops cooperate with each other. Exceptions to that also don't score well on my personal shop-o-meter.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I feel I'm in pretty good company. I don;t really hate anyone except the guy who killed my mother. I do dislike shops, their owners, and instructors who try t opush students into stuff they do not need, can't really afford, or into classes they are not ready for. The tech people I know go on line because they have trouble finding places that accept them and their ability to see through smoke. They can also smell crap and have no trouble telling new divers when they are getting screwed. The book I am working on now will therefore be highly unpopular with some. No names, no agency bashing, just what divers should be getting, where to find it, the questions to ask, and how to ask them.

 

[BabyDuck]

sounds like i'd be honored, baby.

ken, doubt you have stuff i want anyway, so no worries about me darkening your doorstep.

 

[waterpirate]

Wow!!!
I do not know the offending poster, but that was some rant. Tech divers I know generally buy online from a very small select group of places based on quality and price. Once you get to "tech" you have allready made some pretty big decisions based on your training or mentor and can smell "the baloney" a mile away. To call them cheap?? Tech diving is a lot of different things, however cheap is not one of them. It is also curious to me that the "tech market" is still vibrant and diving, as the other types of diving seem to be taking a hit based on the economy.
To the op, I wish you the best of luck. There is no secret to running a dive shop that is not covered in business 101 at any local community college. Some examples
keep overhead low
manage fixed expenses
customer service
identify your market
target and grow your market
love what you are doing.
Eric

 

[Wookie]

Hmmmmph. I ran far more tech trips this year with far more divers willing to pay twice what a sport diver is willing to pay for the same number of days. Not to say my sport trips weren't sold out, all but one did. So did the tech trips. All of them. I do understand where Ken is coming from. Until I fully embraced tech divers, and treated them at least as well as sport divers, I thought they were cheap too. I happen to not like wrecks, and the only time you'll find me in a cave is when someone drags my dead stinking body into one, but put me 300 feet deep on a reef and I'm in heaven. Like any other diver, figure out where they want to go, make it easy for them to get there, make it easy for them to dive there, and just make it easy for them, and they will be your loyal customers forever. Diss them publicly (sorry Lonewolf), and find yourself peddling those same tired old $79 open water classes, running weekend liveaboard trips (ugggh!), and wondering why your continuing ed numbers suck.

 

[scawt]

Buy a back-hoe and start digging, dont stop until you are over 200 ft.
What we need is better dive sites that are closer.
Millbrook is fine, but we need variety, and a 2 hr drive south (rawlings) or north (bainbridge) doesnt help for a quick dive.
I wont hesitate to drive 8+ hours to get good diving in, but something closer woud sure be nice.

Scott

 

[Glock Diver]

Bubbles-
Good luck with your new shop. As a former resident of NoVA, I understand that competition in that area will be stiff, but I can't recall any dive shops in the District, so maybe you'll have a large customer base.

Suggestion- add Rescue Diver to your list of courses. I didn't see it on your website, and as a recreational diver, it was the best class I ever took.

 

[Md Spear]

Buy a back-hoe and start digging, dont stop until you are over 200 ft.
What we need is better dive sites that are closer.


Scott

:classic: Man does that ever state the problem in the Wash Metro area. This is a tough market area. always has been hard for shops to make it here . I 've seen alot come and go since my dive certification w/ the Alantis Rangers dive club in 1970. Good luck my friend.

 

[mmmeenehan]

Perhaps you could sponser a new local dive site. I haven't heard anything about Silver Lake Quarry (Haymarket VA) in a while. It seemed like the park authority (not sure if it is Prince William County or a Regional Park) was open to developing the quarry as a dive site. The quarry would need a lot of work - platforms installed, visibility improvements (fresh water clams?), etc. All the successful local dive sites that I'm aware seem to be maintained by a local dive op. It sounds like Silver Lake needs one.