PhilEllis:
When they finally stop publishing Scuba Diving completely ( my opinion of what will happen), that will leave only Sport Diver, a highly PADI influenced magazine, as the only major recreational diving magazine. After all, Sports Diver and Scuba Diving are now owned by the same publishing company.
I've always thought that Sport Diver was too much of a "Padi marketing tool". they have some good stuff in it, but not enough to warrant the high subscription price.
SD mag has always been too much of a "slave" to its advertisers. That and they seem to run cover stories about the same stuff over and over for the last 10+ years.....
I mean it seems that every year they have covers of Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Bonaire, and bahamas and then similar stories about those sites/area only to be followed by advertisers from those sites around those pages. the next month, same thing, different island.
locally I like Scuba News, formally Florida Scuba News. Not as much national content, but they will include stuff the bigger magazines won't.
I decided not to renew my subscription some time ago. Here in Savannah Ga. they have an office that one of their editors works out of. I have made several requests for him to be a guest speaker at one of our club meetings. He could pick the date and the club would buy his dinner. Unfortunately he has refused.
I could understand if it he had to travel for the club meeting, but one scuba club meeting in a year to promote diving and the product he was selling and he refused?
The sport of diving is in a decline, which sends his magazine in a decline in both subscriptions and also advertising sales. he should be busting his but to keep it alive, not refusing.
