7 minute read
A situation of diving business
A situation of diving business
Wojtek Zgoła talks to Michał Kosut, PADI Regional Manager
WZ: What is the condition of the diving market, especially when it comes to those who have just entered our community and did their first diving course?
MK: I can only comment on PADI, of course, as I have access just to these statistics. Actually, looking at the last few or even several years, the, lets call it, highest numbers of divers fell for years 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. These were very good years for diving industry.
WZ: Do you mean there was a kind of "boom" in Poland?
MK: Yes, it was the consequence of the fact that starting from the 90's up to the beginning of the 21st century many diving instructors completed their trainings and opened diving centers with the culmination point falling for years 2008–2010.
WZ: Did the number of diving organizations, which entered the market then, have any influence on the situation?
MK: I don't think it mattered that much. Then there were organizations such as the KDP, which was buoyant and had educated many of the instructors, or LOK. Then PADI came, clearly marking its position in recreational diving. Only a few years later other organizations appeared.
WZ: I see. And what happened next within our diving industry?
MK: The year 2011 came and Egypt 'happened', that is to say it got worse in Egypt.
WZ: The Arab Spring…
MK: Yes and this was reflected throughout the entire diving market. All Europe based in Egypt, especially in its northern part. A mass tourist who went there and tried diving in the the reef, tended to return, often with some diving concept. And suddenly this option cut short or closed. The reduction of the number of divers was observed between 2011 and 2015. This was the worst moment as Sharm el- Sheikh was closed because of the bomb explosion on a plane. And it is the period 2011–2015 that was not the best time for Europe and for Poland.
WZ: Well, and was it a decline on a level of, let’s say, 50 percent?
MK: No, if we are talking about the market in Poland, these were fluctuations at a maximum of a dozen percent. 11, 12 percent was the maximum year-to-year decline we could observe. And what happened in 2016? Then these numbers froze and stabilised. In 2017 we had about 9 percent growth and I'm talking only about certificates issued in Poland or by the Polish diving centers.
WZ: So people registered in Poland…
MK: Yes, precisely. And from that moment we have noted a growth. Last year it was 11percent. It concerns mainly divers beginning their adventure with diving. That is very important, because it is a "customer" for the whole industry.
WZ: Yes, you start your diving adventure, buy the equipment. And the equipment at the moment is so good that you don't need to buy another set for a long time, so the best group of people are those entering diving.
MK: Yes, definitely. There is no major replacement in equipment. However, what I also mean is that a person who becomes a diver starts this whole ‘diving life’ and suddenly becomes a customer for the whole industry. And now, from the level of the organization, we can see that people became divers but they fail to continue. It is hard to measure it. We just see that they do not do another certificate which, however, does not mean that they do not dive.
WZ: Is there any way to counteract this?
MK: I think that something we should focus on is not
only to train these people to the basic level, but to make them competent divers who take pleasure in diving.
WZ: And do not pose a threat to others…
MK: Others also, but above all, they are not a threat to themselves. Diving is a really safe sport. You have to break a lot of procedures to cause something bad happen.
WZ: Michał, according to you, why do people abandon diving?
MK: I think some people give up diving because they do not feel confident underwater. Research in the States that I think also apply to Europe, shows that divers don’t enjoy diving. And when a diver does not enjoy diving? When he or she is not well trained. When you do not feel confident underwater. You probably remember this moment… I remember when I felt confident underwater. Only then did the diving begin to give me pleasure.
WZ: Surely I can remember that. So the first training is very important.
MK: This is very important. On the one hand, we want to train more and more people and diving schools learn how to train more, but it is obvious that maintaining the quality of training with more people is a challenge. It does not mean that it is impossible, as you can train a diver in a smaller group as well as in a bigger…
WZ: And vice versa…
MK: [Laugh]… Yes, but it requires knowledge and skills. I think that today we have a problem of people that get the training but do not feel confident underwater and therefore do not continue the adventure with diving.
WZ: Isn’t it so because these people, after the basic training, are left alone? They found a diving center, they did this course, but then no one became interested in them, they did not enter any community, no club and were left alone without even a diving partner?
MK: This is a great question. What you've said, perfectly illustrates the problem. Diving school are focused on training people, and of course, also going on diving trips with them, but the very classic example of the offer for the diver who completed the basic OWD course is another course, AOWD, while probably a lot better solution would be to persuade the diver first to go with us for the weekend and to dive a bit or maybe do the specialization in buoyancy. And another thing that you’ve said, is the community. When the diver gets involved in the community or the club, they can see they are not alone and have a company to dive with. Research also shows that the diver who buys own equipment does not abandon diving.
WZ: I makes sense, when you buy the equipment it makes things easier for you.
MK: And we spend less time on logistics to go diving, not necessarily with a diving center, but with colleagues. But I think that own equipment also boosts confidence underwater. A diver, who gets each time a different jacket, different foam and different diving regulator must always first set up the configuration. Such a diver is not going to enjoy diving…
WZ: Something is always too tight, or too loose or too short…
MK: As for the trend of not changing the equipment, since we're talking about the equipment: I can actually see it. I will speak out from the perspective of the training organization. We do not sell equipment and we are not related to any manufacturer. In my opinion, people should buy 2 or 3 sets of equipment in their lives, because for example, the assumption that they get trained from the beginning using technical equipment and then they will not have to invest further money in this equipment is doomed to failure. A beginner will not use such equipment, e.g. because of the problem with a hose. Does the diver need a long hose during the basic course or immediately after it? In my opinion: no. If the diver goes further, e.g. into closed spaces, then a long hose will be necessary. Let people grow! In a typical recreational diving, however, such a long hose is superfluous.
WZ: A bit as if you just did a driving course and would take the first drive in Ferrari.
MK: A bit like this, but you probably wouldn’t be able to even start Ferrari.
WZ: Even if you started, you wouldn’t be able to use all of its features.
MK: And you wouldn’t be able to draw pleasure from it. In any case, producers, including Polish brands…
WZ: …which are strong and known worldwide… and do not quite want to advertise…
MK: Yes… But I think that it depends. Every brand should be aware that it has grown from a certain market and should exceptionally support this market. This is something that I have seen, and I have been in the industry for a dozen or so years. I saw situations when brands stopped supporting the local market, stopped taking care of it. And when suddenly the global market got a little worse, because of the competition, it was hard for them to go back to the local market. If we have grown to a global scale, the more we need to support our local market, even if it does not generate the greatest profit. It is very pleasant when divers associate Polish brands with me, with my Polish roots. I feel so proud then.
WZ: One more question. Are there any data about divers who finish their courses on the Advanced course and are actively diving in the following years? They are not in the statistics of the organization, because they are not in training any longer, but they do 30–40 dives a year. And how many divers after OWD course drop their hobby?
MK: A very good question and you get straight to the pint, but I’m afraid it is not measurable. As
an organization we only see if they are active in training following their certificates. And as for the diving adepts, first moment is the most important. Discover Scuba Diving and convert to Open Water Diver. This is the first and most important convert, as we perceive it in the diving market; that's why it is very important that the Discover SD course is of a good quality. And when it comes to the percentages, about 30 percent of divers after OWD course take AOWD course.
WZ: Michał, I have friends who, a few years ago, did a basic course and dived for years at various depths, even 30 m. Once, when they went
abroad, they came to a diving center, a Polish one, whose owner said that with the certificate allowing them to dive up to 20 m they cannot go deeper than that with him. There was consternation and attempts to explain that, after all, they had dived frequently as far as 30 meters in many other places. The owner told them they could go to those other places for a deeper dive, but not with him. This way he forced them to do the AOWD course.
MK: And this is also a frequent motivation, beside the skills of the trainers. We need to better promote the continuation of the training up to a higher level. But not because and only because we want to dive deeper, which is is logical, but also because we want to learn something more. In General, the ones who do the AOWD course and buy equipment, stay in the industry and dive actively. We, as an organization, would like the divers not to stop on the advanced level, but also do the Rescu course, so they could help not only themselves, but also their partners. Taking courses just for the sake of courses… You may, but the coolest thing is when you can use it in practice.
