Memorial Day Weekend 2008

5/18/2008 by Capt. Darrick Lorenzen | 7 Comments | 384 Views

Memorial Day Weekend (May 23-24) is the first really big dive training weekend in the Midwest. During the end of May most of the ice has melted and all those students that took their classroom and pool instruction during the cold winter months are now ready to brave their open water training. Haigh Quarry in Kankakee Illinois will see 200-300 divers attend the facility that weekend. Midwest Scuba Diving Magazine will be once again be doing a promotion at the Quarry. Our new issue has gone to print (Brian will be posting a pdf version for you to download) and we will be distributing the new publication to everyone in attendance. We will also once again be holding a free raffle for a Blackbeards Cruise. Be sure to enroll by filling out a card with your name and email address and drop it in the box when you sign in at the Quarry. Midwest Scuba Diving will have about 10 friends and fellow divers at the event. Both Brian and myself will be there all weekend. Please stop by and say hello. We will be set up near the stone pavilion where we will have a large banner posted. Any questions and comments about the publication or website will be appreciated. We are very excited about the new issue and feel it is the best ever. The magazine focuses on the 50th anniversary of the NAUI training organization (I will bet that not many of you know that Ralph Erickson, the founder of PADI, was in the first graduating class of NAUI instructors in 1960.) There is another article written by Richard Talaga PhD. on how regulators work. This is the best technical article I have ever read about the inner workings of regulators. Most of us just breathe underwater using these fabulous devices, but have absolutely no idea how they work. Richard has broken it down to simple mechanics most everyone can understand. Make sure you get a copy of the Magazine and register for the Blackbeards Cruise.
On the weekend of June 7th Scuba Radio will be doing a live broadcast from Haigh Quarry. Midwest Scuba Diving will also be sponsoring a free raffle for a Blackbeards cruise. Gregg Holt from scuba radio is quite a character and great supporter of Midwest divers! You should drop by to meet him.

Some advertisers that have come up for renewal in the last issue may have noticed that we have not sent out your advertising rate sheets and agreements. Brian and I have given you a free ad in the new edition. Some investors have approached us about purchasing the Magazine and website. We are not quite sure what direction we will take and wanted to protect our advertisers. One individual wanted to turn the magazine into a newsprint rag and we refused to compromise on our publications quality. We were concerned that our advertisers dollars that were already in the bank would be funding the reduction in quality. Some other potential investors have mentioned the fact that the print publication is archaic and we should only concentrate on a web based format. Midwest Scuba Diving Magazine and the accompanying website has truly been a labor of love for both Brian and myself. As I have mentioned before in my Commentary section, 100% of the dollars that we have received from advertisers over the last 3 years has gone back into the Magazine and website. Brian and I wished to provide a format for the promotion of diving in the financially significant Midwest region.
If we are purchased we will not compromise quality.

We have made an informal survey of about 100 divers and advertisers who are subscribers to the website concerning the possibility of switching from a print publication to a strictly web format. Advertisers like the fact that ad rates will decrease substantially and their ads will be viewed by thousands of subscribers as soon as anyone makes a post in the forums. Other participants in the survey are split 50-50. Those under age 35 don’t care about the print publication, they like a web based format. Those over age 35 like the printed publication. The survey was informal and we need more information. There are over 4000 subscribers to this website and we would like you to respond and voice your opinion about this blog. The information we receive is extremely important to the future of OUR publication and website. We need a large cross section of response. Please participate with your comments. See you Memorial Day Weekend!

On 6/6/2008 RidgeWolf said:

both formats are good. web based is more readily obtainable

On 6/4/2008 Stacy Ward said:

I really would like to see the DiveMatch area of the website developed! Its completion has been promised for some time. I think this is an excellent way to meet dive buddies and others interested in scuba diving. The DiveMatch application would greatly enhance the marketability of a website-only format for potential advertisers. It would generate plenty of traffic on this site.

On 6/4/2008 bob said:

I also like the web based format. Unless I go to a dive shop to pick up a copy(and I don't go out of my way to go to. Dive shop) I can view the publication online and participate in the forums.

On 6/3/2008 Tom said:

I like both formats

On 6/3/2008 Bob W said:

I like getting the web format early instead of waiting for the print version at my LDS.

On 6/3/2008 Stacy Ward said:

Actually, I prefer the web format vs. the print publication since I am often in close proximity to a p.c. for viewing and rarely at a dive shop or Haigh Quarry to pick up the printed publication. Also, I am able to view the publication before it goes to print!

On 6/3/2008 captain darrick said:

We really need some input concerning whether or not to go with a print and web format or just a web based format. Please lets get some comments concerning the last paragraph of the above blog!