Rental programs are a great way to increase sales. Potential buyers may be hesitant to invest money if they are unsure a piece of equipment is right for them. Remember, the fear of making a wrong decision is greater than the cost. Is this product really solving their problem? Remember, we’re solution providers.
Here in Florida, you rarely find dry suits in dive shops. Most owners just assume no one wants a dry suit because they don’t use one themselves. After all, this is Florida…right? It’s too hot for dry suits. Heck, some dive operators don’t even think wetsuits sell.
This thinking is completely wrong. Go to the springs in central and north Florida. You will see many divers wearing dry suits. These experienced divers not only use dry suits for cave diving, but for multiple dives over several days.
Here is another example. Most offshore charters in the Gulf tend not to run during the late fall or early spring as water temperatures are “too cold.” That’s unrealistic. Divers in New England, the mid-Atlantic and Midwest frequently dive in water temperatures in the 50s and 60s all summer.
On Florida’s Atlantic coast, divers can experience summertime upwellings. When this happens, bottom temperatures can be 10 to 20 degrees below the surface temperature.
Finally, remember that dive travel isn’t limited to the tropics. Many retailers tell me they are getting more and more inquires for diving Iceland — dry suit required!
Compared with other merchandise, stocking dry suits requires a substantial investment. It really doesn’t make financial sense to put your cash in an area that doesn’t turn. Dry suits don’t fly off the shelves, unless you promote their benefits and use. This is definitely a try-before-you-buy piece of equipment.
This is where rental programs come in. Look at the world around us. Fractional ownership, is a big trend nowadays. Dry suits in rental give your customers an opportunity to try before they buy. Maybe they never buy but continually rent from you.
Unlike wetsuits, it requires training to use a dry suit. Having dry suits in rental makes offering this training possible. It not only helps generate rental income, but also revenue from diver training. Above all, it gives you yet another opportunity to get your customers more involved and to keep them diving.