Since 2001, Dive Sports has been a proud retailer of the Safe Sea Jellyfish Sting protective lotion. This is an amazing product and has protected millions of divers and ocean-lovers from the painful sting of jellyfish, sea nettles, and other stinging ocean organisms. There is no other product like it on the market and the folks at Nidaria, Inc. created a really nice product.

When we opened our online store, of course we put the Safe Sea lotion up as one of our very first products. We have grown to become one of the major retailers of this product in the United States; filling orders for dozens of bottles each week. During the time that we have acted as a retailer for this product, we have seen several North American distributors come and go…but we have always been able to maintain a good supply at a price that satisfied the market.

On Monday of this past week, we phoned Teeka Tan, the North American distributor, to place an order for approximately 50 cases of the product. I was stunned when I was told that they would no longer be distributing Safe Sea. Apparently, the manufacturer, located in Israel, is somewhat difficult to deal with and the buys for the North American distributor are gigantic. Teeka Tan feels it is no longer economically feasible to handle this product. That is really bad news for DiveSports.com and especially bad news for our army of faithful customers. Unless someone steps in and takes the helm with this product, we have no source of supply. We are already out of the popular SPF 30 version, and our supply is running short on other protection varieties. As much as I dismay in saying this, it appears that Safe Sea is no more.

Maybe we will be lucky and someone will step in and sign a suitable contract with Nidaria for this product. DiveSports.com and hundreds of other loyal retailers will happily provide the orders and the consumers, who have come to rely on this product for ocean protection, will make sure that the sales are there. Anyone interested in becoming the North American distributor for Safe Sea?

Phil Ellis

Save on Discount Scuba Gear at DiveSports.com

In Alabama, the mere mention of the word “snow” closes the schools, delays factory openings, sends everyone to the grocery store, and basically radically changes the lifestyle of several million people who think a harsh winter is two or more days below freezing. Our fear of cascading out of control down a snowy road, submerged forever in a dark creek or river, is stronger than any natural urge. Having been surprised in some select years in the past by heavier than normal ice and snow coatings, we are easy prey for the panic, doom, and gloom forecast by our local television stations. Yesterday and last night was typical of what we see about every two or three years…..a forecast of the “big one”.

I pride myself in not falling prey to the hysteria that is our local weather reporting. I laugh as my fellow Alabamians rush to get 10 loaves of bread and 5 gallons of milk “just in case”. Unlike others I know, I fear no weather! Unfortunately, this time they even got me.

I live in Florence, Alabama, about 60 miles from our store in Decatur, Alabama. To make my way to work, I must cross one of three bridges or river damns operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), a federal entity created nearly 75 years ago to manage the mighty Tennessee River and its water resources. TVA will close these transportation facilities at the drop of a hat, and when that happens, I have no way to get to the “other side of the river”. So yesterday, as everyone who dropped into the store talked about the blizzard of 2008 that was coming, I decided that I should spend the night in a local motel and eliminate the possibility of being stuck 60 miles away from my business, unable to do what I do every day, without fail…..open the scuba store. We had an open water class scheduled, we have a distinguished visiting guest from a major scuba company in today, and as always, we have the online orders that must be filled. So, for last night, I lived at the Best Western just down from the store.

Well, the Alabama blizzard of 2008 didn’t amount to much in our part of the world. A little sleet, a little snow, and a blistering 30F overnight temperature. Of course, that didn’t stop these gentle Alabama folks from creating chaos on the roads. Cars in the ditches, police cruisers everywhere, and not a gallon of milk to be found this morning on any grocery store shelf. All in all, we have survived here in Alabama. The Blizzard of 2008 will be much more interesting years from now when I am telling the story to my grandchildren. Prone anyway to a little exaggeration, I bet I will be able to tell it well 10 years hence.

Personally, I could kick myself for falling for it this time. I wasted $69 on the room fee, my skin will take weeks to recover from the scratchy hotel sheets, and Jan had to put the dog on the telephone this morning for his “daily walk” with dad. Oh well….time to go back to what we love, introducing a brand new crowd to this great sport of ours…..scuba diving. THEY will be able to say that they learned to dive during the Blizzard of 2008!

Phil Ellis

Rain, Sleet, or Snow…Get the Best Scuba Prices at DiveSports.com

I have spent the morning working on the next edition of our monthly newsletter and one of the articles I was considering got me to thinking….is the DiveSports network Web 2.0? To get a grasp on the answer to this question, we have to first define what Web 2.0 is. This term (Web 2.0) was first mentioned by Tim O’Reilly during a Internet conference in 2004. At the time, he defined the term as an Internet application where users provide content to move the modern website to a two-way communication device.

For my business use, I define the term Web 2.0 as an Internet application where we (the Dive Sports crew) begin to use the Internet to talk WITH you instead of TO you. Our old, static website simply gave you information about our products and our operation. It was a single platform of communication where we told you things about our products and services, without the capability for you to speak back. Our current website at www.divesports.com is, in fact, designed in keeping with our personal definition of Web 2.0 technology. Not only do we tell you about our products and services, but you have the capability to talk back to us through product reviews. You can use the Post a Review capability on every product page to tell us what you like and what you don’t like about that product. But your communication, through product review, goes even farther. You can directly influence our shoppers by having your reviews and comments published right there on the product page for potential buyers to read and consider BEFORE they press the Add to Cart button!

Taking this two-way communication concept a little further, we now envision our Dive Sports Internet presence not as a website, but as a network of sites working together. This web blog, the DiveSportsBlog, is just another part of this network. It is tightly linked to the primary website at www.divesports.com and extends YOUR capability to communicate with us even further. In addition, we have added opt-in email communications to our Dive Sports network, further extending the ability to communicate with our customers.

Later this year, we will begin adding content to another website designed JUST for product reviews. We already have another blog at www.divegearreviews.com waiting just for this purpose. We have not added any content yet, because we haven’t yet determined how this content will be added. We would like to have a number of friends and customers providing in-depth reviews of the products available to the modern scuba diver. If anyone has any suggestions for www.divegearreviews.com, we would love to hear them. We want to get this up and going, and providing you with valuable information and reviews, before the years end.

So, is DiveSports.com Web 2.0? I think so. Mind you, our technological ability is dwarfed by that of some of our competitors. That said, we are working hard and using every bit of our skill and ability to make our Internet network a two-way communication platform that achieves our business objectives while keeping a keen ear to the ground about what YOU think.

Phil Ellis

See Web 2.0 at Work at www.divesports.com

I have the helm by myself today.  The boys are out with customers doing open-water checkout dives and it is a little cold here in Alabama for many customers.  So, I have a little time on my hands.

I was just taking a look around our website and I have to say that Brad has been busy!  I am amazed at the number of new products he has added since we launched the new website.  It looks like he has been concentrating on accessories, gadgets, and other cool stuff.  He must have added over 300 products in the last couple of weeks.  If you get a few moments of spare time, spend it looking over our accessory categories and take a look at the stuff he has added.   At his current pace, he will have every accessory we sell available for electronic purchase in a couple of months.

 Anyway, thanks to all of you for helping make DiveSports.com a success.  We promise to continue to add products, continues to bring you deal, and as always….we will continue to give you the best service possible.  Remember, we want to be your local scuba store, no matter where you live!

Phil Ellis

DiveSports.com…you local scuba store, no matter where you live!

As part of our effort to improve and expand our Internet presence, we have one additional area that all of you can help improve.  Our new website at www.divesports.com has the capability of soliciting product reviews and comments on every single product in the site.   We would like for you to take a look at the things you have purchased from us and give us your opinion of the item.  If there is something you have on your serious want list, navigate to that page and tell us what you are thinking.

To write a product review or comment on www.divesports.com, simply move to any product page.  Just below the description of the item, you will see a link that allows you to make comments about that product.  In the screen shot below, the red circled area shows what this looks like on a typical product page.

Take a moment to browse our product pages.  Pick a couple of products that you think are worthy of comment.  When you have made comments or reviews on 5 products or more, send me an email with your full name and address, along with the name you used on the product review, and I will send you a little something in the mail.

Thanks for all of your support of www.divesports.com and our walk-in store in Decatur.  We look forward to diving with all of you this year.

Phil Ellis

Write a Product Review at DiveSports.com

I thought I would let you all know that Brad has not let up one minute since we launched the new website.  He spends his entire day taking photographs and adding products to the website.  He must have added over 200 additional products since we launched 10 days ago.  Most of it is accessory stuff like dive license tags and frames, o-ring kits, regulator mouthpieces, dive flags, first aid supplies, octopus holders, safety equipment, diving slates, and well…….the list is way too long.  You will have to take a look and see for yourself.

I think when you take a look at our new website, you have to agree that Brad is done a very good job.  It certainly is a long way from the cartoon-looking website we had before.  We hope all of you like it as much as we do.  And remember, ordering from the NEW Divesports.com is so easy!  How can you resist?

Phil Ellis

Save at the NEW DiveSports.com

For an active online scuba store, we realize that we have really been behind the eight ball on our technology.  Our move to the new website is one of several elements of our strategy to “get with the program” on the Internet technology front.

Finally, in our 8th year of business, we are starting to use email promotion to advance our business and let our friends know what is going on here at Dive Sports.  Our first Newsletter was sent out yesterday.  We used this first issue to announce the new website and to talk about some of the features that we think will be very satisfying to our customers.  Future newsletters will focus on what’s going on here at the store, announcements about new products, and information about our group dive travel and dive training.  We will also be sending periodic “special” emails that promote specific products or product categories.

Brad has created a Newsletter Archive link in the left column of all of our pages.  This will allow you to link to an index of all of our newsletters.  Obviously, we only have one newsletter in the archive, so I am providing a link directly to it below:

Dive Sports February 2008 Newsletter

If you know of anyone that might be interested, please direct them to our website or to this blog so they can sign-up for future editions.  We want to thank everyone for helping us build our business where is it today.

Phil Ellis

Get the Lowest Price and the Best Service on Name-Brand Scuba Gear!

Just wanted to post a note to remind everyone to use the email signup box in the right column to sign up for our emails blasts.  With the control the manufacturers are now placing on price advertising, email is the ONLY way we can let you know about some of our specials.  Thanks.

 Phil Ellis

Join Our Email List Now!

Some of you may have already noticed, but we switched our domain name over to the new server on Friday afternoon, a couple of day before the plan.  Over the past two days, some people have been getting the new site and some have been getting the old site.  Well, this morning, I officially switched the redirects off and everyone should now be getting the new website.

We will be sending our first email newsletter out early this week.  In the previous 8 years in our store, we have never used email as a promotion tool.  We realize that is now going to have to change.  We will be sending all of our promotional and newsletter email out through Constant Contact, a completely Opt-In email service.  We will not  purchase email lists or engage in any type of  email adress harvesting.  If you are not on our email mailing list, or if you are not sure, use the sign-up box in the right-hand column of this blog page.  Enter your email address and confirm on the page that follows.  Or, you can visit our new website at www.divesports.com and page down the left column.  You will see a sign-up box there.  With advertising and manufacturer price controls, there will be lots of specials that we will ONLY be able to promote through our emails, so please get on this list so you will not miss out on the great deals.

Thank you all for your support and I hope this new website provide you with a much better shopping experience, a much faster surfing experience.  We will continue to work hard to improve the website and the content.

Phil Ellis

Join the DiveSports.com Email List for the Latest Information and Bargains!

Well, this afternoon, we changed our DNS name server locations with our domain name service.  Some of you should begin to see the NEW DiveSports.com later tonight or tomorrow.  This is a little earlier than we had planned, but we couldn’t find any task left undone.  We certainly hope you guys will like the new website.  It is much easier to use, offers much better customer service options, and is certainly going to be a pleasure to maintain.

Watch your email box for our first email campaign.  We thought is would be important to let all of our customers know about the new site.  Thanks for all of your support.

 Phil Ellis

Visit the NEW DiveSports.com