Marketing within the SCUBA industry hasn't changed since the origin of the sport - we're here to change that.

From the category archives:

Industry News

PADI Member Forum 2010 Review

Thumbnail image for PADI Member Forum 2010 Review

After attending the 2010 Portland PADI Member Forum, we look back on the content, presenter, PADI and the local crowd. Bottom line: make sure you attend yours.

Read the full article →

4 Reasons the iPad Isn’t Ideal for SCUBA Instruction

Thumbnail image for 4 Reasons the iPad Isn’t Ideal for SCUBA Instruction

Last week, Apple announced their upcoming iPad and Des was first on the scene to discuss the implications of the iPad for the SCUBA professionals among us.
Although I am seeing more and more potential uses for the iPad as the days go by, there are 4 reasons why I won’t be using one for SCUBA [...]

Read the full article →

Vintage SCUBA Advertisements

I have to thank my good friend Eric Thornton for sharing this fun site with me. I was still sleeping and wouldn’t see Godin’s post for several more hours
Cross Promotion
Something I’ve been wishing for (and asked Tom Ingram about) is more cross promotion outside our industry. Looking back at these vintage SCUBA ads, [...]

Read the full article →

Attracting the next generation of divers

Thumbnail image for Attracting the next generation of divers

Our industry is old and getting older. That’s not a good thing.
According to DEMA’s Annual Activity Report (PDF link, stats on p. 37), the average age of SCUBA divers in the US is 45 years old. Several people at the DEMA show explained that age actually goes up every year, showing that our industry is [...]

Read the full article →

Is Underwater Digital Photography a Gateway Drug?

Digital Underwater Photography

This is an article as part of our DEMA Expo 2009 round-up.
At DEMA, underwater photography was one of the most popular topics. There were more camera-related booths than any other group. Plus, the SCUBA photography seminars were some of the most interactive I attended.
Is Underwater Photography SCUBA’s Savior?
Some people I spoke with would have me believe [...]

Read the full article →

DEMA 2009 Attendance Report

DEMA 2009 Attendance Information

Below is a table showing current and historic attendance data for the DEMA Expo as provided by DEMA. I have chosen to remove a couple of columns that don’t interest me that much, so if you want to see the complete table, please use the link below. Also, feel free to click on any column [...]

Read the full article →

SCUBA Standards Changes: Get Over It

New SCUBA divers are bad SCUBA divers,
so we don’t want ‘em.

A typical catch-22, but one I hear on popular SCUBA forums and being discussed on the DEMA floor, especially in regards to PADI’s alleged “loose standards”.
“I Teach Above Standards”
I hear this all the time. I’ve even heard it, then observed below-standards behavior in a [...]

Read the full article →

A Branding Lesson From PADI and DEMA

DEMA Show 2009: SCUBA Branding

Over the years, I have helped many small business owners establish their brand. Branding isn’t just about logo creation, it is creating awareness of a brand. The best part is branding can be done very inexpensively At the DEMA Show in Orlando, PADI and DEMA both represented excellent examples of effective branding.
Blatant SCUBA Branding
PADI was [...]

Read the full article →