I just ran across this website today.  It is very nice and well organized.  Congratulations to the people who operate the site.

I do have to questions one of the articles on the website.  Under the category "Gear and Equipment", there is an article about purchasing scuba gear on the internet.  As the owner of a full-service brick and mortar scuba store, who also operates an internet retail site, I found the information to be COMPLETELY misleading.  I know this is a tactic used in the past to "convince" the new customer to purchase directly from the store, but today it simply comes off as a scare tactic.  Furthermore, the article is completely incorrect!  My vibrant internet sales operation is approved by EVERY manufacturer I represent.

Just thought I would point that out.  Thank you.

Phil Ellis

www.divesports.com

Hi Phil,

Thanks for the compliments on the website. We worked hard to build it and are planning to update it very soon. I was supposed to update it a long time ago with a new design and features, but other things took precedence. It should be done very soon...really.

Anyways...your comments about Internet scuba sales intrigues me a lot. I'm an NAUI Advanced Open Water Diver with Nitrox certification...a recreation diver planning to get more certs. But my main business is web design and development. I have build well over 200 websites and sell my own web software (visit my site at http://www.keylimetie.com). I have worked with a few dive shops and they're all nervous about getting into the ecommerce business. They all take about how their contracts state they cannot post pricing less than some agreed upon amount and certain items immediately lose their warranty or cannot be serviced. Is this true? Is this true for some manufacturers and not others?

Please explain the truth in Internet sales to me.

Brian Pautsch
brian@midwestscubadiving.com

It's okay, just show us on the doll where the P.A.D.I. instructor touched you.