In the wake of a global viral pandemic, what happens to an industry which relies significantly on travel? As a response to the current outbreak of coronavirus, or COVID-19, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is advising against all travel – a move which we at Girls that Scuba strongly support.
If your job allows you to be working from home and you’ve still got money to spare, there are many ways to financially support the dive industry despite not being able to physically get in the water at the moment. If you’re saving money because your commute is now only as far as your living room, or you’re skipping your daily overpriced coffee shop drink, here’s some ways you can spend the cash on your favourite hobby – scuba diving!
Yesterday we told you how you could support the scuba industry for FREE, now we are showing you ways you could help with any spare cash you have at the moment.
Ways to support the scuba industry without getting wet
Take courses online
Most certification agencies run online e-learning for their courses, so get yourself signed up for whichever course is next on your certification journey. You can usually complete the e-learning online linked up to a dive school of your choice in order for them to get the commission, then complete the practical dives whenever you can travel to them in the future.
There are also many specialty courses which can be run completely “dry” and don’t require any dives for certification; some dive operators are running these courses via video calls in order to keep their instructors in work. For PADI schools, dive-free specialties include Project AWARE Specialist, Enriched Air Nitrox, and AWARE Shark Conservation amongst many others. Other certification agencies will also have similar dry course offerings; check with your favourite dive school to see what courses you can take without getting wet.
Buy a gift card
If you know you’ll be visiting or revisiting a dive operator in the future, purchase an online gift card for their services. This could be to the value of a course you want to take or for a package of fun dives, however if you can only spare a smaller amount then buy it to a lesser value and top up the rest when your trip comes around. If you’re feeling particularly generous, gift the value of an Open Water course to a friend who you’d love to promote to dive buddy!
You can get a Girls that Scuba gift card here!
Book your equipment in for service
If you’re lucky enough to own your regulators or scuba cylinders, check the dates for when you last had them serviced or hydrostatically tested. Whilst we wouldn’t necessarily recommend travelling to take them in just yet, you can pay your local dive shop ahead for your servicing and then take them in at a more appropriate time.
Buy that new BCD
Let’s be honest, every scuba diver’s got a list as long as their regulator hose of equipment they want to upgrade. If you’re lucky enough to be in a financial position to do so, right now is a great time to buy any new gear you’ve been eyeing up. We have a full guide here on how to choose new scuba diving equipment, as well as a rundown of the best female scuba diving equipment to consider.
Every part of the dive industry is feeling the pinch right now so even buying from a large online retailer is appreciated, but smaller local dive stores will be particularly thankful for your business. Even if they’re unable to fulfill the order and ship it out to you at the moment, contact your local store to enquire about paying for your new gear now so that you’ll have something to look forward to collecting once you can get out and about again.
Some new equipment you may like…
Shop small
Much like local dive stores, other small scuba businesses will be especially grateful of your purchases right now. If your budget doesn’t stretch to significant purchases like a new BCD or regulator set, then you could treat yourself to a new rash vest, bikini, swimsuit, mask strap, or any other dive merchandise that takes your fancy! Our Girls that Scuba founder, Sarah, has been featuring a small scuba business every day on her Instagram – check out her posts over on @coffethentravel for some inspiration.
Here at Girls that Scuba we’re affiliated with a huge range of awesome small scuba brands, and you can get yourself some great discounts via our Membership Card. You’ll get access to these offers for life, and when the time comes to book a dive trip again there’s 5% off some incredible liveaboards!
The GTS Membership also gives you a discount on our very own merchandise, so if you aren’t already representing Girls that Scuba on your dive trips check out our online store and get stocked up!
Check out some other small brands needing your support – just click on the image to find out more
What are you doing right now to support the scuba industry? For more inspiring conversations on how we can make a difference be sure to join our Girls that Scuba Facebook group, and share any innovative ideas with us over on Instagram @girlsthatscuba!
