In Reply to: Where is the Love? posted by WalterM on June 18, 2016 at 19:29:48:

Perhaps I was not clear originally. I do indeed realize that most dive centers are not hugely profitable businesses anymore. For most of the now belly-up ones and others that have fallen to the wayside, I am soundly convinced it is because they would not adapt, or adapt fast enough in a couple centers I used to use, to the changing virtualscape of their marketplace.

Most certification agencies are run as companies, that is what they are no difference in being for or not for profit, try very hard to get the new and intermediate diver pool to invest in their world of certification. The longer the diver is enamored in the certification companies as they tout their own marketing line and SALES models the more cash flow is realized by certification entity X.

The centers and instructors also get their piece or else there is no real motivation. I used to know a couple who ran a training and travel agency from the garaqges. They always were touting that they are a business and they have an investment nut to cover. If they cannot turn a specific 5% profit on their P&L, they would close the business.

Nobody works for free. After the initial cert costs and the pressure from the agency and instructor, new diver can start to add another $100 plus for each "specialty" or hundreds more for an advanced, uber-rescue whatnot is a waste of time unless you have no one to mentor you who is already tits-deep in experience to tag along with. Just think of the multi-hundreds or thousands of dollars that could potentially be spent elsewhere on the sport like taking those $160 local boat trips.