FROM THE PUBLISHER
JERRY BEATY WAS RIGHT - IT ALL STARTS IN THE DIVE SHOP
At the Scuba Show in Long Beach this past June, we interviewed the late Jerry Beaty, one of the industry's most respected voices and someone who understood the business of diving better than anyone. When asked about the role of retailers today, he summed it up per- fectly: “Dive shops are the front door to the whole sport. It’s also the beginning and end of the industry.” – Jerry Beaty DEMA 2025 proved that point with data as clear as it gets. This year’s show delivered record performance across multiple sectors. Exhibitors reported some of the strongest sales and bookings in recent memory. One leading manufacturer added 50 new retailers. A major resort operation generated more than $200,000 in group travel from U.S. dive stores on the first day. Scuba Diving Industry Magazine brought more issues than last year, and they were gone by midday on day two. DEMA confirmed a 22% increase in total attendance and a 25% increase in retail buyers compared to 2024 on opening day. These buyers are the backbone of the show, and their presence reinvigorated exhibitors across the floor. Cline Research has long documented the reach of brick-and-mortar retailers. The average U.S. dive store maintains a customer list of roughly 2,500 divers, a figure validated by mul- tiple retailers and a Cline Group study. Multiplied across our verified list of 986 dive stores, that equals an estimated reach of 2,465,000 divers in the United States alone. During the four days of DEMA, our team collected 261 business cards and badge scans using our show software. After comparing them against our verified print list, we added exactly one new retailer. One. That brings the national total to 986 brick-and-mortar businesses. From a marketing and distribution standpoint, this accuracy matters. It ensures your com- panies, products, services, and travel offerings are reaching nearly every physical dive store- front in the country, stores that collectively generate just under $500 million in annual sales , according to DEMA’s research. Retailers remain the channel that shapes diver behavior. As Jerry reminded us in that same interview: “People walk into a dive shop and sign up if they trust that store… they look at it as trusting their life into this instructor’s hands.” – Jerry Beaty That trust is the foundation of training, equipment sales, and travel planning. It is why the retailer channel continues to drive the industry’s commercial performance. Our mission is to support retailers. Many of the same writers who worked with Jerry and Mark Young now contribute to us monthly, helping make our magazine the world’s only printed
Diving Industry ™ Magazine: (Print: ISSN 2996-1416, Digital: ISSN 2996-1424) Published monthly by Cline Group LLC, 1740 Airpark Lane, Plano, TX 75093. Printed copies are mailed within the USA to select dive re- tailers & advertisers. Subscriptions are free to dive profession- als & distributed digitally to 165 countries. POSTMASTER send address changes to Diving Industry Magazine, 1740 Airpark Ln., Plano, TX 75093. Any part of this publication may be reproduced, as long as the source is quoted “Diving Industry Magazine.” For editorial requests, email william@williamcline.com or 972-267-6700. The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Cline Group LLC or any of its affiliates. © 2025, all rights reserved by Cline Group LLC. Britain Cline, Advertising Sales Manager Carlos Lander, Latin America Ad Sales June Cline, Social & Podcast Producer Contributors: Gretchen M. Ashton, CA Jeffery Bozanic, CA Alex Brylske, Ph.D., FL Cathryn Castle Garcia, Azores, Portugal Terry Cummins, Ph.D., Australia Patrick Hammer, IL Shelli Hendricks, Ph.D., AZ Al Hornsby, Singapore Carlos Lander, Venezuela Barry Lipsky, NY Dan Orr, ID Margo Peyton, SC David Prichard & Lily Mak, TX Kramer Wimberley, NJ Gil Zeimer, CA William Cline, Publisher Patty Cline, Associate Publisher Amber Wagenknecht, Executive Editor Betty Orr, Senior Editor Neal Watson, Sr., Editor-at-Large SCUBA DIVING INDUSTRY™ MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2025 VOL. 2, NO. 11
monthly dive trade magazine. Our latest survey shows that 80% of U.S. retailers read every issue, and 84% share content with staff. That level of engagement reinforces the strength of the brick-and-mortar network and the accuracy of the list we serve. Thank you for visiting us at DEMA, and thank you, as always, to the 986 retailers who continue to lead this industry forward.
Watch Jerry’s June 2025 Interview on Marketing Minutes
William Cline, Publisher
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