In Reply to: Re: Re: 2 day wreck trip aboard the Peace-Sept.5 & 6 posted by socaldiver on August 19, 2014 at 16:36:26:

I am at a little disadvantage here because I have no clue who you are but either way my answer will be the same and this will be the last reply about this from me. Also, anyone who would like to talk about it more please call me 805 469-7288 as I believe this forum isn’t really the place for people to wine about things they really don’t know anything about. Pat is correct in that I also agree your reply is totally uncalled for.

Anyways, here is one definition of SoCal and about the same as all the rest which is exactly what I always thought and this would include any boats in Ventura, Santa Barbara & San Diego and anywhere in between. “Southern California, often abbreviated as SoCal, is a megaregion or megapolitan area in the southern portion of the US state of California. Large urban areas include the Greater Los Angeles, and Greater San Diego. The region generally comprises California's southernmost 10 counties, stretching along the coast from about San Luis Obispo County to the United States and Mexico border, and from the Pacific Ocean inland to the Nevada and Arizona borders”.

You are correct that there are many boats in what you consider the SoCal area as being the LA/Long Beach/San Pedro area and that is for what I believe is the same reason there are so many different makes and models of cars-we all like choices. If we were all clones you would only need lots of the same exact boats going to the same exact places, offering the same exact food with the same exact crew, using the same exact dive gear and the list goes on. I don’t know about you but that sounds REALLY boring to me!

For people like myself with a business the choices we make are based on many things and those things are based on what we as business owners would like to accomplish and what we think the customers we hope to have like. Sometimes along the way those things change for the business owner and the customer just as it does for someone who is going to college. If any business owner could please everyone there wouldn’t be a need for anyone or anything else and that is just not right in my book.

Now I can’t speak for anyone but myself but I work very hard at making Channel Islands Dive Adventures the best I can not to mention I also work a full time job. I go to lots of dive club meetings & CIDA supports 8 dive clubs, CIDA supports the Avalon underwater cleanup along with the Catalina chamber & DAN, CIDA has a 10% military discount on all SoCal trips & CIDA supports the SoCal Shootout. I try and put into it all the positive energy I can and it seems to be working. It can be overwhelming at times but is worth the effort.

Now last but not least you said “he can get the price he wants” and you couldn’t be more WRONG! Because I do lots of charters with some of the boats I SOMETIMES can get the better dates if something is or becomes open, but getting the price I would like-I wish. Believe me I have asked and anyone running a business should ask but the boat owners are not giving on this because once they do everyone will expect it and with the cost of running and owning a boat they will be making very little if they did.

You didn’t mention this but I will also add that all CIDA trips go no matter how many people are on the trip unless weather keeps us from going. I add this because people like myself who charter boats have to sign contracts which prevent us from canceling out at the last minute without a cost unless we have talked to the owners and both agree on other terms.

Believe me I have had a few trips with some big loses. It is things like that I look at to see where I went wrong and what I need to do to not have that happen again. If some of the boats are having difficulties maybe they need to look at themselves and their operation to see what they need to do to make things better.

Keep Diving, Ken