Hi Couv,
To answer your question, Yes I do have plates available.
The new diver market is tricky one.
I've had friends who got into diving knowing that I am a long time diver and they would ask me advice on training and gear etc.
They must figure they have an inside on the sport knowing me, which is true, I could definitely help them with gear and knowledge on where to get what and kind of take them under the wing so to speak.
So they go to the LDS for the training. We have a discussion beforehand, I tell them buy your mask and snorkel and rent the rest, get certified at least now, we will figure out the rest of the gear later.
I even have gear they can use until they can piece gear together.
So when they are done with OW I see them and they are sporting all new gear including a poodle jacket and a bunch of crap they don't need which the dive shop sold them. The shops and instructors must have a hell of a lot of mental power over people!
OK fine, I don't say anything, it's their money and they are proud. I don't want to ruin their moment.
6 months later after they have been diving for a while and we have done a few dives they decide to take my advice and try a plate and start to listen about other stuff. Next thing you know they are selling all the crap the dive shop sold them for pennies on the dollar and they're redoing all their gear. They're all pissed off at the dive shop and all the money they've blown.
This scenario is a broken record.
New divers are very vulnerable to suggestion by people they see as "proffessionals".
All a dive shop needs to tell them is that 'they' are the pros, and a guy like me is not.
"Nobody uses those PB/W things, look around the store, what do you see?".
New divers think BP/W are too simple so they are not getting as much for their money as opposed to a frilly and fancy looking Jacket.
One reason I don't sell complete units anymore is because I don't necessarily want to be in the dive business to that degree. Reselling stuff means that I would have to deal with returns, repairs, setup, training, etc. and all the other stuff that goes with the territory of reselling soft goods. And also getting into stocking wings, harnesses, cambands, etc. is quite an investment. When things slow down the stuff sits around.
I am happy selling to divers who know what they want and know how to set it up and use it. The plate is a single component, nothing to assemble, nothing to lose, nothing to get confused about. It makes it extremely easy.
Perhaps if I was an instructor and could train new divers from the get go with the minimalist method, but for now I'm just going to sell plates.
Hi Eric,
I'm a proud owner of a Freedom Plate, but like most folks who are using a metal plate it was not part of my first kit. Quite frankly they weren't around in the stone ages. If one looks at it in today's sales environment, not many newbies are going to consider putting a plate, wing, and harness together. IMHO as a former tank monkey, if you want to sell to the new diver market, you should investigate putting a package together that a beginner can readily compare to a poodle jacket setup. Otherwise, you'll be stuck with folks who discover your product after they have already invested in an inferior and more expensive setup.
Question. Do you currently have plates for sale?
Couv
