Census Benchmarks “Be A Diver Program”

(March 28, 2008 - DEMA) - According to the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) Open Water level certifications in the US and US territories fell about 1.4 percent overall as measured from 2006, in spite of volatility and uncertainty in the overall U.S. economy.The census revealed that 160,249 divers were certified at the Open Water level in 2007.

Tom Ingram, DEMA’s Executive Director, explained, “The industry needs this important benchmark in order to gauge the effectiveness of the ‘Be A Diver’ campaign. Our goal with ‘Be A Diver’ is to increase the number of new, Open Water diver certifications by 10 percent over a two-year period. Since the campaign begins at the consumer level in 2008, the 2007 number is critical as our initial point of reference.”

Between the promotional campaign and the retailer and resort locator on the “Be A Diver” website, DEMA hopes to help retailers, and other stakeholders who participate with the “Be A Diver” program, increase the numbers of new divers and subsequently, increase gross sales in each industry stakeholder group. In order to achieve this goal, DEMA retailers are encouraged to participate in the “Be A Diver” campaign by incorporating elements of the promotional guide into their current and planned marketing efforts.

The Open Water diver certification data is collected and secured quarterly from participating training organizations by a third party research firm. DEMA Members can find the  complete report is available at  dema.org and clicking on Resources/Market Research.

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