Tuesday, March 11, 2025

NEW Free Infographics Reveal Key Insights on Diver Demographics & Buying Behavior

 ** Unlock Valuable Data on Open Water Divers, Continuing Education Divers, Equipment Buyers, and Dive Travel Enthusiasts **

In January, DEMA released its latest detailed demographic and life stage analyses, offering an in-depth look at divers across four key activity segments: Open Water DiversContinuing Education DiversDive Equipment Buyers, and Dive Travel Buyers. Now, we’re making it even easier for the industry to access these valuable insights—DEMA has just released a series of FREE infographics summarizing the key findings of this extensive research.

These reports and infographics provide critical data on the demographics and psychographics of divers, including their geographic distribution, income levels, home ownership and value, education, family life stages, and other behavioral patterns that influence their recreational activities. Understanding your customer has never been more essential, and these insights are designed to help dive businesses tailor their marketing, sales, and engagement strategies for maximum impact.

The infographics for Open Water DiversContinuing Education DiversDive Equipment Buyers, and Dive Travel Buyers are available at no cost to the industry. 

For those seeking even deeper insights, the full reports can be purchased online—DEMA Members can access them for just $59 each, while non-members can purchase them for $249 each. As an added benefit, 2025 DEMA Members who join by March 31, 2025, are eligible to receive one complimentary report.

To claim your complimentary report, contact Membership Manager Alicia Vasquez at alicia@dema.org or call (858) 616-6408. Ready to elevate your business with exclusive industry insights? Become a 2025 DEMA Member online here.

URGENT ALERT: New Year – New Congress and Time to Ask New Leaders to Support The DIVE BOAT Act

 DEMA first alerted its members to a congressional policy change that would dramatically impact the U.S. dive community back in 2022. Among other changes, Section 11503 of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act - the Small Passenger Vessel Act (SPVA) created retroactive liability exposure (2 years) for a subset of small businesses primarily in the dive community. This broke the commercial insurance market and dramatically raised annual insurance premiums for dive businesses. Notably, fishing vessels and cruise lines (among others) were exempted from these painful insurance hikes.

Why Does It Matter?

These changes, enacted by the 117th Congress, broke the commercial insurance market and increased business costs for dive stores and operators around the country, including those in non-coastal states. DEMA regularly hears from stores and operators about painful choices they face because of these increased costs. Sadly, DEMA knows owners and operators that had to forgo upgrades to their boats and/or equipment, lay off staff, limit staff hours, raise their prices for consumers, or even close their business. None of these decisions are easy or taken lightly, especially at a time when, “conventional water recreation” businesses, which includes scuba diving, saw 39% increases in operating costs since 2022 according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

DEMA is Working for You

DEMA believes in accountability when wrongful actions take place, but not at the expense of thousands of small businesses and employees who operate safely, lawfully, and responsibly every day. DEMA has worked tirelessly to educate members of Congress about the unintended impact of changes made by the 117th Congress, and we were close to striking a deal in the 118th Congress. As you know, once a Congress adjourns permanently, the legislative process has to start anew. DEMA is now educating newly elected officials serving in the 119th Congress and continues our push for a fix that holds bad actors accountable but does not unfairly punish the entire scuba diving community. 

The DIVE BOAT Act

In consultation with insurance actuaries, DEMA developed proposed language to help fix the broken insurance markets for those operating safely and lawfully. The proposed changes honor the spirit in which the SPVA was enacted by holding overnight vessels to a higher standard. If enacted, the DIVE BOAT Act would.

  • Adjust the timeline for filing a claim against overnight vessels to better align with how business insurance premiums are assessed.
  • Revert day boats back to the same standard as all other passenger vessel operators carved out of the SPVA (e.g., sport fishing, cruise lines, tow boats etc.)

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

The new Congress intends to update the “US Coast Guard Reauthorization” in 2025 because the last Congress did not finish its work. There is still an opportunity to add the DIVE BOAT Act to this legislation, but we will be much more successful if Congress hears from YOU! Now that there are NEW leaders in Washington, D.C. – we need YOUR HELP once again!

You can show your support for the DIVE BOAT Act and encourage your representatives to do the same.

Click here to use our advocacy software to connect with your federal elected officials and quickly send an email (with an option to use a new prewritten message for the new Congress).

If we continue to work as a community, we CAN minimize further losses and secure much needed insurance premium relief for the small businesses on which divers rely.

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

DEMA Releases Full Detailed Analyses of Diving Customer Research

 ** Four Market Segment Reports Assist Members in Understanding Current Customer Demographics and Behaviors **

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

DEMA has released detailed demographic and life stage analyses of divers participating in four different activity segments. The data was developed using the Claritas 360 Marketing Information System, including the PRIZM Segmentation Data, and is built around the actual purchasing behavior of customers randomly sampled from more than 7,000 diving consumers who have made certification, dive travel, or dive equipment purchases within the last three years. The research is divided into four separate reports based on different diving consumer activities: Open Water DiversContinuing Education DiversDive Equipment Buyers, and Dive Travel Buyers. 

“In 2025’s fast-paced business landscape, where information flows endlessly through social media and online platforms, the key to staying ahead lies in having actionable insights about consumers and leveraging that data effectively,” stated Tom Ingram, DEMA President & CEO. “With the insights provided in these reports, DEMA Members can identify the most strategic geographic areas to reach potential customers—whether locally or nationwide—and tailor their services and products to meet the evolving needs of their audiences.”

Information in the report includes demographics and psychographics of end-users and is based on the geographic location of the home in which the end-user resides. Each report covers data ranging from age, income, and home ownership/value to stages of family life, education, and other behaviors that govern their recreational activities. Understanding these variables provides a better awareness of customer buying behaviors and an understanding of where to find more and similar customers and is also far more reliable than single variable studies which may use age or income alone.

“Leveraging this data empowers businesses to gain a deeper understanding of their customers and address critical factors, such as whether end-users prefer online shopping, have children at home, or are married,” concluded Ingram. “Each of these insights can significantly influence the messaging businesses use to craft effective advertising and sales strategies.”

The reports are available for online purchase here to all DEMA Members for $59.00 each and can be purchased by non-members for $249.00 each. One complimentary report is available to 2025 DEMA Members who join by March 31, 2025. To request your complimentary report, please send a request to Membership Manager Alicia Vasquez at alicia@dema.org or call her at (858) 616-6408. Become a 2025 DEMA Member online here.


Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Cast Your Vote for the 2024 Wave Makers Award Recipient

 

Voting for the 2024 Wave Makers Award is now open to DEMA Members! The Wave Makers Award aims to recognize professionals who have been working in the industry for five years or less and have made a significant contribution to the industry during that time. 

The deadline to vote is 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Monday, November 4, 2024.

*Please note: You'll need to log in using your 2024 DEMA Member username and password in order to vote.  

 

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

DEMA & Scuba Retailers Write to Legislators Asking for Their Support of the DIVE BOAT Act

On September 27, DEMA, along with over 40 scuba retailers sent a letter urging Congress to support the DIVE BOAT Act.

 
The letter urgently appeals to congressional leaders to address the adverse impacts of the Small Passenger Vessel Act (SPVA) on the U.S. dive industry, which has led to significant and unjustified insurance cost increases for dive businesses. It requests support for modifying Section 11503 of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act with proposed changes outlined in the DIVE BOAT Act. Those proposed changes aim to ensure fair liability standards and prevent the unfair punishment of an entire industry and its consumers.
 
Learn more about the latest developments with the DIVE BOAT Act here and view DEMA’s letter here.


VIEW THE LETTER 

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

DEMA Board of Directors to Meet this Week

 DEMA’s Board of Directors will hold a video Board meeting on August 22, 2024, to discuss how the association can support and serve the industry and its members in the coming year. The Board meeting will begin by voting to approve the “consent agenda,” a Robert’s Rules of Order device used to obtain “general consent” intended to expedite approval of routine items.

Prior to the Board meeting, all reports and other documents, including consent agenda items, are provided to the Board. This allows Board Members to study the documents in detail before the meeting so that the Board can spend its limited meeting time discussing forward-thinking items, policy, and strategic issues that demand its attention.

For August’s meeting, consent agenda items include:

  • April & May 2024 Board Meeting Minutes
  • June 2024 DEMA Show Committee Minutes
  • June 2024 DEMA International Membership Committee Minutes
  • June 2024 DEMA Manufacturers Committee Minutes
  • 2024 Q2 Financial Report and Manufacturers Fund Recap
  • DEMA Membership Update
  • 2024 DEMA Show Sales Report
  • DEMA Rewards Program Status

The Board will use meeting time to review DEMA’s annual financial audit, discuss the status of the DIVE BOAT Act, discuss Board-related matters and priorities for 2025, set a preliminary budget for the upcoming year, and discuss other relevant topics. The video meeting will conclude with the Board covering any new business or consent agenda items that may require further discussion.

More information on DEMA’s Board of Directors and Bylaws is available on the DEMA websiteComplete minutes from past Board of Directors Meetings are available to current DEMA Members from the Member Dashboard of DEMA.org.

Tuesday, August 6, 2024

DEADLINE EXTENDED to August 12th for 2024 Wave Makers Award Nominations

These annual awards recognize new professionals who have been in the diving industry for 60 months or less, and are rising to the top and making a difference.

Honorees of the Wave Makers Award will be recognized at the Annual Membership Meeting taking place on November 20, 2024 during DEMA Show.

Learn more, check out our past recipients, and submit a nomination!

SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATION