RETAILING continued
growing customer base and adds excitement to each successive trip,” adds Zach. “We’re thrilled to have enthusiastic divers join us from all across North America for these diving adventures, and thank our loyal customers for their years of support.” Five Ways Dive Shops Can Follow ScubaBros’ Lead Scheduling a series of international dive trips annually, as ScubaBros has done, can really help: Turn Local Divers into World Travelers: Once divers get ▪ a taste of warmer, clearer water with fantastic marine life and three meals a day filled with dive talk, they often sign up for one or two trips every year. Sell More Gear: After customers sign up for any trip, ▪ that’s the perfect time to introduce them to your latest gear, especially if they haven’t dived in years or have out- dated equipment. For example, let them try on a travel BCD, shorter fins, a lightweight wetsuit, or a low-profile mask or computer to enhance their dive vacation. Expand Your Community: Traveling together can create ▪ stronger camaraderie among your customers, and even at- tract new divers who are enticed by social media images,
A History of Great Group Trips Back in 2012, ScubaBros held its first group trip with eight divers to Cozumel. In 2013, an excursion to Fiji attracted 26 divers. Since then, they’ve averaged six to eight international trips annually. “We’ve traveled to some amazing dive sites with energetic groups of loyal customers over the years,” says Michael. “We once had the crazy idea of a ‘Mystery Trip’ in 2024. We ad-
vertised that you only needed a passport, a wet- suit, and the desire to get wet in warm water. After a single social media post, the trip sold out in two days with 36 divers. We ended up in La Paz, Mex- ico.”
videos, and comments from customers about the latest trip. ◾ Build Customer Re- ▪ tention: Frequent travel programs like those of- fered by this Oklahoma City dive shop can en- courage customers to use their skills and gear more frequently, improve diver safety, and pursue ad- vanced certifications.
Now, they create a private Facebook page for each trip where customers can like content created by other group members, post images and videos, add comments, and share information. For the balance of 2026, ScubaBros has a Bahamas Liveaboard scheduled in mid-August; a Beaver Lake Summer Dive Trip in late August to Eureka Springs, Arkansas; a Roatán ‘BRO- Atan’ Fall Break Trip in October; and a Socorro Liveaboard in mid-December. Next year, besides the “Bro-Centennial” in June, they have another Bahamas liveaboard scheduled for April, a ‘Brosta Rica’ Costa Rica Trip in August/September, and a Bonaire Pre-Christmas Trip in early December. Their January 2028 Fiji “Back to Beqa” trip has only two spots remaining. “The frequency of our trips builds community among our
ScubaBros’ Mystery Trip, La Paz, Mexico
Promote Your Trips in Advance: ScubaBros’ website lists ▪ trips at least a year in advance to build momentum and accept deposits. This makes each successive trip more en- ticing to their customers. The Bottom Line ScubaBros’ “Bro-Centennial” is already making waves across the industry for its success in signing up 135 participants for its 100th trip, even though it’s scheduled for next June. The coming year can only solidify this Oklahoma City shop as
one of the leaders in international dive travel. To discuss more ways to promote your scuba- related business, please contact me today: gil@zeimer.com.
email Gil
22 | SCUBA DIVING INDUSTRY
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