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MSD FORUMS - BASIC SCUBA DISCUSSIONS |
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TOPIC:
Dive shops closing everywhere. Go figure!
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dvrdwn
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Joined on
11/19/2008
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Went to a dive shop in Lake Zurich Illinois. Walked in and was greeted by a small lap dog barking at me as I entered. An employee walked out later from the back holding another dog in her arms. What a way to run a business! Very professional! Very limited inventory and I was grilled about my certifications by this woman and a very sloppily dressed male employee. The owners of this shop should get a clue and portray a more professional attitude. This is the last place that I would ask advise about making any advanced level dives. I would never buy any equipment here fearing it would be contaminated with dog hair. The manufacturers who sell this shop equipment should have a talk with the owner. No wonder more and more divers are getting advise and buying over the internet. The diving industry should take note. Does anyone else know anything about this shop or the owners.
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annaloan
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Joined on
9/16/2006
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If you living in Illinois just go to DDDive Shop in Glenview :-)))
http://www.dddive.com/
Best place we know :-)))
I know this is not a dive matter but can you vote for our dog :-)))
http://www.cutestdogcompetition.com/vote.cfm?h=BA7F327375B1FD6E96AAF79BE33814E1&page=1
Thank you :-)))))
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dvrdwn
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Joined on
11/19/2008
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Is this shop run by competent personel? Do they have any technical diving experience or do they just cater to divers that travel to the Caribbean? Is there inventory in the shop and can you get technically related equipment and advise or is it just another shop that sells Scubapro and Aqualung to people who travel once a year?
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annaloan
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Joined on
9/16/2006
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Hi, DDDIVE is there over 14 years :-) They are the most professional
people I know, the best Diving school, nice shop - you can buy
everything there ( if they don't have it they will order for you ) ,
nice trips with them, you can have all your question answer them.
Owner , Ralph is very professional. My husband and my daughter went
there few years back to attend a school and they just love them. Just stop by, and you'll see if you like them. Call first , because sometime is closed ( trips, or family emergency )
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DrDan
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Joined on
10/1/2009
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Running a dive shop is a tough business,particularly inland, but you shouldn't drive customers away on first impressions! I never like to see any animal in a place of business except maybe an aquarium.
Dive shops have lost a lot of local divers, many getting into it for just the occasional trip. We seem to forget that diving is as much a social activity as it is an outdoors activity. Dive shops need a strong dive club and other social events that draw divers and their family/friends into the shop "family."
In addition, dive shops need to refocus their attention on the basic diver and not the technical diver. Dive course should be longer and more complete, which will create better divers and more long-term customers. Equipment sales will also increase when the more complete training model is used. Dive shops interested in surviving should go back to basics. Teach a strong course, support a club, put the fun back into diving. And run a clean, honest shop. We need local dive shops - you cannot buy compressed gas on the Internet.
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jeano
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Joined on
10/16/2008
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No, you cant by compressed air on the internet, but you can by a compressor which doesnt cost more than a full set of dive gear and most dive locations or resorts provide compessed air. Most recreational divers dont even own tanks, they rent them.
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DrDan
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Joined on
10/1/2009
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I think you need to check the math on that one. Even the smallest of compressors are quite a bit more expensive than a set of equipment. Then there's the maintenance and air sampling required.
Besides, if you lost the local dive shops where would you have equipment serviced and repaired? The scuba industry relies on local dive shops so we, as consumers, should do our part to make them what they need to be through our purchasing habits.
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jeano
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Joined on
10/16/2008
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The dive shops dont care about the recreational diver. Most of them do a poor job of training and most sell B.S. equipment which they have never researched only purchased what the salesman tells them to stock their shop with. Dvrdwn said it right ! Why is he greeted at the door by a dog! Most shops are totally unproffesional. I have tried many and been disatisfied by most. I dont think I or a lot of people need the "local dive shop". Where would I be with out the local dive shop? I think no different than I am now. I can dive locally self realiant on places like Haigh Quarry and Pearl Lake and buy accessories on the internet. What real value does the local dive shop offer? you tell me. I am in this sport only a short time and see no benefit!
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dvrdwn
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Joined on
11/19/2008
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Most dive shops in the Chicago area dont even know how to service equipment. They outsourse it to a third party. Compressors on line can be found for $1000 to $1500. This is what a basic set of gear costs. You can probably send gear to someone on line to get it fixed who has the OK from the manufacturer to do it. Dive shops B.S.!
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tender
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Joined on
3/12/2006
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Most diving equipment doesn't need to be serviced! It lasts forever! I have a piece of equipment that I have been diving for over 30 years and it hasn't been serviced once. Just taken apart by me and cleaned. I would like to challenge any of these FAT dive shop owners to a mile swim in Lake Michigan let see if they don't have heart attacks. I want my kids to be trained by these out of shape instructors? NOT!
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DrDan
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Joined on
10/1/2009
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I can empathize with your experiences. I am not a dive shop owner and I
agree that industry has driven both training and equipment in
directions that are not desirable for the diver. I am only saying that
we do have to rely on life support equipment serviced by somebody. If
you send it off do you know who works on it and doesn't it cost as much
or more? Working in your own gear is great until something fails at
depth. How much time do you have at 66 feet?
Regarding training
and, since it was brought up, fitness, I think we need to take a step
back and improve the training courses and insist that divers need to be
fit. It's a deceptively easy activity, but when things go wrong we
find out who is trained, fit, or thought about contingencies.
I
think it short sighted to say that local dive shops can go away but I
also agree that there are problems with some. We are a community,
whether you like it or not. If you kill diving by ignoring this fact
you are the losers.
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captdarrick
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Joined on
1/10/2006
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There are some good shops out there who really care about recreational divers. If you dont have a good relationship or good experience at one shop find another. Capt. Dale said it correct in his comment on my blog, "a new business model is emreging". Since we have been publishing this magazine ,we originally had a list of about 562 shops in an 11 state region that list has deteriorated in 5 years to 254. Something is definetly wrong when over 50% of all dive shops that were operational 5 years ago are now closed. Whose fault is it?
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