Wreck Diving Magazine – Issue 38

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Gene Muchanski

WDM-issue38_cover1

Issue 38 of Wreck Diving Magazine has shipped to our distribution warehouses and will be shipping to subscribers, retail stores, and dive shops very soon.  You can subscribe or renew at www.WreckDivingMag.com, or by calling Heidi at 864-244-9861, or toll free at 855-WRK-DIVE.

In Issue 38:

Shipwreck Photography:  Becky Kagan Schott photographs some incredibly intact shipwrecks in the waters of Presque Isle- If only they could talk.

Charybdis Catastrophe:  The beginning of the tunnel.

Workhorse in the Wilderness:  The historic tugboat, Columbus, lies in the harbor of a remote Lake Superior ghost town.

Mapping the Robert J. Walker:  A team of experts identifies and maps a 155-year-old government steamer.

The Ghost Ship of the White Hurricane:  A casualty of the Great Storm of 1913, the Hydrus.

A German Mine Sinks a Three-Masted Square Rigged Schooner Off The French Island of Ré:  The Tragedy of the Coquimbo.

Meeting a Famous Tribal-Class Destroyer in Malta:  HMS Maori.

 

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Bring This Postcard to Lone Star State Dive Show

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Gene Muchanski

Our World Underwater Postcard 2016_Page_1

Our World Underwater Postcard 2016_Page_2

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Editorial – January 2016

Posted on January 17, 2016 by Gene Muchanski

Gene-Video-200January Is A New Beginning
by Gene Muchanski, Editor
The Dive Industry Professional

I love January.  It’s the first month of the new year and everyone is so optimistic.  It doesn’t matter if you had a good year or bad year in 2015, it’s now January 2016 and everyone gets another chance to do better.  People are making new year’s resolutions like they were going to follow-through.  People are joining health clubs as if they were actually going to use their memberships after February 1.  Business Entrepreneurs are full of hope and promise for the new year and some are even taking the time to make plans for a better year.  But we know better, don’t we?  In a few weeks, the reality of life will hit home and we’ll realize that this year is no different then last year.  We’ll realize that planning to have a good year takes time and effort, and it’s not as easy as you would think.  Then we’ll fall into the trap of doing things the same way we did them last year, and we’ll end up getting the same results. The companies that do real bad will just blame their Sales Managers and Reps, fire them all, and get new ones. Welcome to the diving industry.

But what about the people who want to do better than last year?  They know that in order to get different results than what you are experiencing now, you have to do something different.  Is there anything they could do to be more successful?  Of course there is and this blog will explore ways to do that.  We’ll survey successful dive companies and Entrepreneurs in our business community and share their “Best Practices” with our readers. We’ll present our findings to Industry Professionals who take the business of diving seriously in our blogs, white papers, business seminars, regional summit conferences, and trade shows.

The Dive Industry Association has been building an integrated marketing network for the past 15 years.  Every year  we make significant headway towards informing and educating Dive Industry Professionals worldwide.  We have the necessary pieces of the puzzle to present our message to the entire worldwide business community and this year we will be adding a few marketing vehicles that will help us create a unified message about diving that can be taken to the general public.

Want to be “In the Loop” on what is happening in the diving industry?  Start by subscribing to our blog at www.diveindustrynews.wordpress.com  Everytime we post a blog article, you will receive an email within minutes, informing you that a new article has been posted.  Most blog articles are then republished in our Dive Industry Weekly Dive News, published every Tuesday.  You can subscribe to this FREE press release service and if you are a DIA Member you can submit your press releases for FREE.  These are not paid ads.  We publish timely dive industry news every single week;  Shows & Events, Diving Activities, Travel News & Specials, Product Specials, Industry News, etc, etc.  Subscribe now

The third piece of our marketing strategy is our Monthly Newsletter, The Dive Industry Professional.  This newsletter is in its 15 year of publication!  It directly reaches over 4,000 Industry Professionals Worldwide, every month.  If you add our social media network and web site archives, our Newsletter reaches tens of thousands of people in the diving community – WORLDWIDE !  You can subscribe to our Newsletter on the same link as the Weekly Dive News.  We use Constant Contact’s Safe Subscribe.

We are doing our part to unify and inform the worldwide diving community.  By creating and maintaining a Daily Blog, Weekly Press Release and Monthly Newsletter we are doing our part to end industry fragmentation and opening up new ideas and resources for the diving community across the globe.  Join us today and let’s make this a GREAT year.

 

 

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Lone Star State Dive Show – January 22-24, 2016

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Gene Muchanski

wow-200Lone Star State / Our World-Underwater
Dive & Travel Show
Dallas/Frisco, Texas
January 22-24, 2016

by Gene Muchanski
Editor, The Dive Industry Professional

It’s the beginning of the new year and the trade show season is about to begin. This year the focus will be on dive and travel shows.  We tried the Surf Expos and the Adventure Travel Shows in the past six years but are going back to focusing on consumer shows that specialize in scuba diving and diving related adventure travel. There is a higher concentration of specialized exhibitors in the exhibit halls and the seminars and workshops are tailored to divers who want to spend their recreational dollars on what interests them the most.

Our first show this year will be in Dallas (Frisco), Texas, on January 22-24, 2016.  Patrick Hammer  and Jim Gentile from Our World-Underwater in Rosemont, IL are in their second year running a dive show in the Great State of Texas.

The Texas Dive Market:  Texas is a great market place for scuba diving.  It has the 4th largest concentration of certified divers in the United States, only surpassed by Florida, California, and New York.  At last count, there are approximately 135 Retail Dive Centers, at least 12 Dive Clubs and 6 Dive Boats that I know about.  If our Industry shared statistics and demographics on our industry, we could tell you how many scuba instructors there are in the state and how many certified divers live there.  Although I can’t tell you what the economic impact of scuba diving is in the State of Texas, I can tell you that it is significant.  The fact that SeaSpace was one of the four largest dive shows in the country for 35 years tells you that there is a market for scuba diving in Texas and it is BIG.

The NEW Dive Show in Texas:  Only in its second year, the Lone Star State Dive Show is catching on fast.  Patrick Hammer deserves a shout out for putting together a very promising show this year.  Based on his experience in running Our World-Underwater in the Chicago area, Patrick has put the right pieces together to make this a great show.  The show will have Workshops, Seminars, a Film Festival, an Exhibit Hall and a special Regional Summit Conference for members of the trade.

Seminars, Workshops and Film Festival:  The Show will feature 36 seminars on Saturday and Sunday, presented by 23 Speakers, many of who are the “Best in the Business”, like Cathy Church and Jill Heinerth.  The topics are varied, and include everything from adventure travel, marine conservation, technical diving, exotic marine life to secrets of great underwater photography.  The Saturday Film Festival will be hosted by Nancy McGee and include the works of Jill Heinerth and 10 other Speakers. Cathy Church is conducting two 3-hour workshops on Saturday and Sunday that will help any underwater photographer get better results from their digital camera and underwater lighting.  The Workshops, Seminars and Film Festival will bring world-class education and entertainment to a great diving hub that has been deprived of such diving activity for too many years now.

Something For the Texas Dive Professionals:  There will be two activities for Texas Dive Professionals before the show begins on Saturday.  On Friday, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, PSI Cylinders is conducting a Visual Cylinder Inspection Course for Industry Repair Technicians.

From 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, the first South Central Regional Summit Conference will kick off to address the “State of the Industry” for Texas Retail Dive Centers, Local Dive Clubs, Local Boat Operators and Local Scuba Instructors.”  Guest Speakers will include Rick Stratton (Scuba & H2O Adventure Magazine), Gene Muchanski (Dive Industry Association), Tom Ingram (DEMA), William Cline (Industry Consultant and DEMA Board Member), Eric Peterson (Scubapro), and Jennifer Idol (Photo Journalist who has dove all 50 States).  The three hour conference will include 1 hour of Introductions and Guest Speakers, a 1 hour breakout session to discuss industry and regional challenges, and a 1 hour summary of what can be done to make the local diving community stronger.  Admission is free but space is limited to 50 Industry Professionals.  Please RSVP with Gene Muchanski at gene@diveindustry.net or call Gene at 321-914-3778.

The Exhibit Hall:  The Exhibit Hall will be open on Saturday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm and on Sunday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.  There will be 61 Exhibitors in 70 Booths, consisting of dive equipment, dive training, local dive clubs, dive stores and some of the best travel destinations on the planet. Oceanic & Hollis will present their complete line of diving equipment and be there to support their Texas Dealers.  The National Association of Underwater Instructors will be on hand to show why they are “The Definition of Diving” in Texas and Worldwide.

Summary:  The second annual Lone Star State Dive Show has all the makings of a wonderful show for the local diving community. The Travel Industry has embraced this show and they are looking forward to promoting diving in Texas.  With the increased potential this venue has in the future, it will no-doubt get the attention of the manufacturing sector and the training agencies for next year.

Editorial:  Patrick and Jim – Thank you for putting in the time and effort for making this show happen.  It is exactly what Texas has needed for a long. With good advertising to the diving community and support from the diving industry, this show has the potential to recapture what we once had with SeaSpace, in Houston for 35 years.  We’ll see you in Dallas on January 22-24, 2016.

 

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Editorial – December 2015

Posted on December 30, 2015 by Gene Muchanski

Gene-Video-200December Is Time to Recharge
by Gene Muchanski, Editor
The Dive Industry Professional

December is the last month of the year and when I think of the last of anything, I think about tying up loose ends and putting a bow on something I’ve been working on all year.  To me, it’s a time to finish all unfinished business, spend time with the Family and close Friends and Associates and be thankful for the year that is just about over. It’s also a time to relax, recharge and redirect.  After 45 years in the business of diving, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.  So Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.

Business activity in December is different for each of the industry sectors that do business in the diving marketplace.  Successful Dive Retailers are enjoying a robust Christmas shopping period.  Manufacturers, on the other hand should be ready to fill any last minute orders from their Dealers while they are following up on their DEMA Show leads and completing end-of-year inventory.  Dive manufacturer who have met their yearly goals can afford to close their business from December 24th – January 4th.  The travel businesses I spoke with were either booked solid or partially shut down for annual maintenance.  Many of the travel employees were home or on vacation from December 24 – January 4.

From a Marketing and Trade Association perspective, I can tell you that we worked through the Holidays by tying up loose ends for the year, finishing unfinished business and assessing the results from our year of work.  We planned out the New Year, updated our Business and Marketing Plans and finished our 2016 Membership Renewal Campaign, which began its implementation during the last week of December and will continue through the New Year.  December was a planning time for us and we didn’t need to bother our Members or working Industry Professionals during their busy season.  I could tell who was working during the Holiday by the replies we received after our Weekly Press Releases.   As a true Industry Marketing Professional I was able to be in touch with the industry via a laptop computer and mobile devices, and still accomplish my goals of relaxing, recharging and redirecting.

Next year I would like to try something I haven’t done in awhile.  I’d like to spend the Holidays visiting our Members and Clients at their Resorts in the Caribbean while mixing a little business with pleasure.  I’d like to capture the Tropical Experience of spending the Holiday at a Diving Resort Destination and selling that idea to the General Public.  Let’s talk about your Resort Destination at the Dive Shows this year.

So, the New Year is going to be filled with many exciting activities and events.  We’ll keep the general diving public informed via our Daily Blog, Weekly Press Releases, Monthly Newsletters, our Web Sites, Travel Blogs and Social Media.  We’ll see you at the Dive Shows, the Travel & Adventure Shows , the Regional Summit Conferences and of course, the DEMA Show.  Have a GREAT Year End and Happy New Year.

 

 

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Mobby’s USA Announces New Sales Reps

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Gene Muchanski

MobbysMobby’s USA Announces New Sales Reps

Mobby’s USA, a Japanese based manufacturer of scuba diving drysuits with a newly opened U.S. office in Beaverton, Oregon is pleased to announce partnerships with 4 regional sales representatives.

“We are incredibly honored and excited to launch the Mobby’s program with such a well-respected team.  A group that brings decades of exceptional industry leadership and retail support,” Mark Ross, General Manager – North America stated. “Together they bring a tremendous amount of dedication and knowledge of the dive market and separately each has fostered strong positive retail relationships with industry leading product lines within their respective regions.”

West

Based out of California, Bruce Bearfeld will be managing the Western Region.  Please contact Bruce at (818) 519-9618 or email at bbearfeld@aol.com.

Midwest

Mulryan Sports Sales, Inc. – Matt Mulryan, based out of Illinois will be handling the Midwest Region that stretches from Ohio to North Dakota.  He can be reached at (847) 226-8424 or by email at mattm180@comcast.net.

South / Central

Darrin Davis will cover Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas.  His contact information darrind4652@windstream.net or (229) 237-5322.

Southeast / Mid-Atlantic

Aquatic Sales – Buddy Brown, Joey Brown, and Jennifer Miller are managing the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.  Contact aquatic@ix.netcom.com or (770) 483-2770.

In the Northeast Region, Mobby’s is seeking a highly-experienced, professional and self-motivated agency or individual to manage our sales and retail support in this territory. Please contact Mark Ross (see below) at Mobby’s if interested in submitting your resume / credentials for this opportunity.

Mobby’s will be exhibiting a number of regional and national shows in 2016 that include:

  • Our World Underwater – Chicago, IL (February 26 – 28)
  • Beneath The Sea – Secaucus, NJ (April 1 – 3)
  • TEKDive USA – North Miami, FL (April 23 – 24)
  • Scuba Show – Long Beach, CA (June 4 – 5)
  • DEMA – Las Vegas, NV (November 16 – 19)

Founded in 1963, Mobby’s is a leading worldwide manufacturer of diving suits and dive accessories for men and woman.  Company products have earned an international reputation for innovation, quality and performance within the recreational, commercial and technical diving community.

For Further Information Please Contact:

Mark Ross
1800 NW 169th Place, Suite B110
Beaverton, Oregon 97006
mark@mobbys-usa.com
Tel. 503.747.7824

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The TriStart Matrix – Mastering a StartUp Business

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Gene Muchanski

TRI-Star-Matrix-200The TriStart Matrix
“Mastering the three distinct phases of successfully launching a business.”
Published by The Profit Think Tank

The TriStart Matrix is collaboratively authored by 27 expert startup consultants from the U.S. Small Business Development Center (SBDC) network.  Our own Gene Muchanski, Executive Director of the Dive Industry Foundation is one of the authors, hailing from the University of Houston SBDC.   This collaboration was put together by Curt Clinkinbeard, Founding Member of The Profit Think Tank.

The TriStart Matrix:
Mastering the three distinct phases of successfully launching a business.

“Starting a business is an exciting, challenging task!

For many, it is a lifelong dream, involving a great deal of passion, energy, money, opportunity, risk, anticipation, and confusion.  Along the way, you will be challenged in ways you had not expected and will find, not only must your business grow, but so must you!

The TriStart Matrix is a new way of looking at the (often daunting) process of starting a business.  The philosophy is founded in breaking the business start-up process into three distinct phases.  Concept, Open, and Stabilize.  The TriStart concept helps the prospective entrepreneur focus on key goals and tasks at each unique phase to improve the probability of success.

In each phase, work must be completed around each of the three different focus areas: Customers, Team, and Money.  These areas address typical functional aspects of the business such as Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, Operations, Employee Development, Supplier Management, Information Technology, Accounting and Finance.

When you consider the three phases in relation to the three focus areas, you literally form a matrix with nine distinct boxes, or what we call “Start-Up Zones.”  By taking the overall startup phase, and isolating these Start-Up Zones, which form the chapter organization of this book, the process becomes much more clear, focused, deliberate, and attainable.

Increase your probability of success and take your business to a deeper level of prosperity with the TriStart Matrix.”

If you are starting a business, this book will save you thousands of dollars in time, money and manpower by doing your business start-up intelligently.  Order your own copy for a $20 Donation to the Dive Industry Foundation.  Contact gene@diveindustry.net 

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DIA Members to Exhibit at Our World-Underwater 2016

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Gene Muchanski

DIALogo-tag-200The following Dive Industry Association Members are exhibiting at Our World-Underwater (Chicago) on February 26-28, 2016 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL.  Make it a point to visit our DIA Members FIRST.

Local Retail Dive Centers

Local Dive Boat Operators

Manufacturers

Travel Businesses, Destinations, Resorts, & Dive Operators

Non-Profits

Associations, Media and Shows & Events

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DIA Members Exhibit at Lone Star Dive Show 2016

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Gene Muchanski

DIALogo-tag-200The following Dive Industry Association Members are exhibiting at the Lone Star Dive Show (Our World-Underwater Dallas) on January 23-24, 2016 at the Embassy Suites Dallas-Frisco Hotel, Frisco, TX.  Make it a point to visit our DIA Members FIRST.

Manufacturers

Travel Businesses, Destinations, Resorts, & Dive Operators

Retail Dive Centers

Non-Profits

Associations, Media and Shows & Events

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Beverly Factor’s SEADUCTION – The Sensuous Side of the Sea

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Gene Muchanski

BeverlyFactor_pict-200by Beverly Factor
Laguna Beach, CA

SEADUTION – The Sensuous Side of the Sea is a stunning collection of photographs that capture the abstract side of sea life which explodes with color, texture, and visual excitement.  Photographed by world-renowned underwater photographer Beverly Factor, the images are so otherworld that they capture one’s attention immediately.  Nature’s complexity is front and center in these incredible images of various underwater creatures that invite multiple viewings and interpretation.  Called the Georgia O’Keefe of the underwater realm, Beverly’s seductive images portray the ocean’s magical world in intimate close-ups, featuring outrageous color combinations, mysterious patterns, textures, and sensual movements.  As Jean-Michel Cousteau says of Seaduction: “Dive in and enjoy the beauty of the sea, nature’s work of art.”

SEADUCTION-Cover-100Book Details: Seaduction is a 12″ x 12″ hard cover (with dust jacket), 176 page coffee table book with 162 color photos.  Retail price: $60.00

Contact Beverly Factor at Envirovision for more information: Phone: 949-673-2555.  eMail: bfactor@beverlyfactor.com  Web: www.beverlyfactor.com

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