July Newsletter
Katie Murphy Jul 27, 2023
Hello Adventurers,
I hope you are all enjoying your summer. It's been a full year since I took over the business, can you believe it? We have certainly faced our share of unexpected challenges - from the pandemic and the economy to a flooding sales floor on Christmas day. Not to mention my accident in January...
We have overcome every challenge so far and I know it's because of the amazing team and community we have here at Aquatic Adventures. I want to offer a big thanks to our team and I also want to thank you, reader, for your support.
A Year in Review
Let's take a look back over the past year. Classes have fully rebounded and are up since the pandemic. Travel was slower to recover, but with 3 trips of over 12 people in the past few months plus sold-out future trips, I think it's more than fair to say it's back as well. Equipment service is also healthy as a result.
We also have a thriving Dive Club, mostly due to the leadership of Denny Stephens - thank you! Through our partnership, we've learned that domestic trips are best arranged through the dive club so the shop can focus on what we do best - global travel.
What has been slowest to recover is equipment sales, which seems to be an industry trend. Amazon has become our largest competitor. With our Manta loyalty program, we can compete with online prices so please always consider buying locally with us - we depend on the business. If for some reason we can't help you with your needs, please consider other local shops like Columbus Scuba before shopping online.
Our brands are also showing their support - consumers will no longer be able to shop for Aqualung products on Amazon or eBay.
We'd love your feedback on how we've been doing this past year. Here's a short anonymous survey where you can do that, but always feel free to email me directly. We would also really appreciate it if you would consider leaving us a Google review here.
SECORE & Giving Back
Recently, I was accepted to the SECORE international board of directors and I couldn't be more excited. SECORE is a leading conservation organization for the restoration of coral reefs whose mission is creating and sharing the tools and technologies to sustainably restore coral reefs worldwide.
SECORE was actually founded here in Central Ohio, but they have recently moved their HQ to Miami. Stay tuned for upcoming events and opportunities to work with SECORE due to my board membership.
Here is where you can donate to their cause. I know I have struggled throughout the years to find organizations I feel I can trust with donations. SECORE is one of those you can and we would greatly appreciate any level of donation.
Travel
We just recently concluded some amazing trips to Costa Rica, Wakatobi and Italy. Italy was such a smashing success that we plan to offer a mixed diving/site seeing trip every year.
The next will be Greece in late September/early October 2024. We are likely going to cap that trip at 16 people, to ensure the best experience. We don't have pricing for that trip just yet, but if you do want to secure a spot we will accept a $250 non-refundable deposit. Please email trips@aquaticadventuresohio.com with interest.
We are almost sold out of spots to Grand Cayman in November, so act fast! We do still have 1 male and 1 female roommate opportunity and we can always inquire about additional room availability. Please complete a registration form if interested.
There are only 5 spots left on Maldives trip in January. We do plan to do a stopover in Dubai on the way back and you can bet we will be hitting Deep Dive, the famous indoor dive site!
Here is where you can find all of our upcoming travel.
Upcoming Events
We are always looking for Dive Masters and Instructors. We will be hosting an informational session here at the shop on August 2nd where you can learn about what is takes and also the perks. Pizza and drinks will be provided. You can RSVP here on Facebook (or shoot me a note) - I hope to see you there!
Our Monthly Travel Social is back on August 9th. Bimini travelers - be sure to come out to mingle with your fellow shipmates and get any questions you have answered about the upcoming trip.
Thanks again for an amazing year and I hope to see you at the shop soon!
Cheers,
Katie Murphy Owner & President
