DIVE SHOPS CLOSING AND UNPROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR

10/21/2009 by Capt. Darrick Lorenzen | 3 Comments | 960 Views

There was an interesting thread posted in the forums about the viability of dive shops and professionalism in the dive industry. I too have visited dive shops that were unprofessional and I wouldn’t trust their advice on equipment or training. Some of the dive shops I have visited were openly derogatory about their competitors which is very unprofessional. It seems as though working together to benefit themselves and the diving community is not in the business model. More comments and participation in this thread would be appreciated. We would like to know about your experience. Some dive shops that support Midwest Scuba Diving Magazine and are quality operations around the Chicagoland area are: Scuba Emporium Orland Park, Il., D.J.s Dive Shop Lyons, Il., Sea Level Diving Crystal Lake, Il. and Illinois Institute of Diving Glen Ellyn, Il..

On 1/27/2010 Kim W said:

Capt. Derrick you're right about working together as a community being what's best for the sport. We love to share our passion with others! I know we aren't Midwest, but if you are ever in Crystal River, Florida or want to swim with manatees, please visit us at Crystal River Watersports. We're family owned and operated and we offer group rates to other Dive Shops. You will get professional courtesy and a little southern hospitality too :) I only just found your blog and it has a lot of fantastic articles, I can't wait to read more about your experiences.

On 10/21/2009 Captain Dale said:

The retail dive market has never been very profitable. Even many of the better run operations struggle to break even. Most dive shops exist because their owners love the business and have another source of income with which to feed their families. Now we are seeing a great unheaval caused by the pressure of the internet and a changing of the way divers preceive their sport. Many divers today dive only on vacation and prefer to rent gear. What equipment they purchase is often ordered on line. A new business model will eventually emerge but in the meantime I believe we will see many more local dive shops close.