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Sund Rock Changes

Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2017 3:13 pm
by FlyinV
I am sure you guys all got this today:
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Changes to Sund Rock access
Effective 01/01/2018

Hoodsport'N Dive is a regular user of Amazon and its efficient marketing and shipping. Being a retail shop, Hoodsport'N Dive is affected by such a large retail supplier. We could try and fight the behemoth, or we can learn to adapt and survive. The one thing that Amazon can't deliver is personal service and access to the greatest dive location in the Northwest, Sund Rock. In order to adapt, Hoodsport'N Dive is focusing on ways to market Sund Rock, increase rentals, have affordable air fills and affordable repairs. These are a few things that Amazon and other internet giants can't compete. We at Hoodsport'N Dive have taken a hard look at ways to maintain these services with a minimal impact on our customers. We have determined that to adapt we need to change long standing practices. The greatest change we saw involved our system of discounting, the practice of free access for some dive professionals. When we ran the numbers, we realized that continuing the practice of Sund Rock discounts was hurting us more than expected.

For those long-time divers, you may remember when Sund Rock was not accessible except by a dangerous climb down a steep trail, followed by a long surface swim. The Sund Family enjoyed their solitude on their private land and had no desire at the time to give divers easy access. Ron Ault and Cindy Sund got together and came up with a plan to allow divers access while still maintaining the integrity of the Sund family property.

An agreement was reached where Hoodsport'N Dive would lease the land, collect fees for the Sund family, maintain the road and install and maintain a portable toilet on site. On top of that local divers and dive clubs assisted in trail and parking maintenance. This business arrangement was reached to gain access for divers and to direct control through the dive store so that the Sund Family could ensure constant monitoring.

Divers must come to the dive store to sign liability releases before entering the property. A listing of cars is also maintained to ensure everyone entering the property has paid the fees and signed the waivers. The store must then track the data, pay the taxes, pay the Sund family and be available for the customers. All of which takes time and resources. The stores hope was that when customers were in the shop they might need to rent equipment, get an air fill or buy the newest light. As time has gone on less people appear to be buying products, which we attribute to the Amazon effect. Due to a decrease in sales we need to find revenue sources to pay our lease and give our staff a livable wage.

We do not feel it is fair to increase the price of gaining access to Sund Rock. The only other source of revenue would be to limit or stop the issuing of discount passes. That is how we have decided to proceed. As of January 1, 2018 we will no longer be offering free passes to instructors or other dive professionals. For the store to remain open and for continued access to Sund Rock we must make this business decision.

New Hoodsport Store hours beginning January 2018
Mon / Tue - 10:00-4:00 p.m.
Wednesday - CLOSED
Thursday - 10:00-4:00 p.m.
Friday - 10:00-6:00 p.m.
SATURDAY 09:00-5:00 ( NEW HOURS)
SUNDAY 09:00 - 3:00 (NEW HOURS)
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The biggest problem I see is opening later -- You just detoured all the weekend divers coming up from Portland/Vancouver
We like to get an early start so we can get home at a decent time

I'd just close the shop early not open later if you need to cut hours.

The rest of the changes are fine and not a big deal but to frame the hour change as "focusing on ways to market Sund Rock" is wrong.

Re: Sund Rock Changes

Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2017 11:49 am
by Desert Diver
Sund Rock is our most common dive destination because our group has schedules and when we find a date we can all dive the tides may not be good for other locations. Our last trip we missed a day diving Sund because we didn't call TWO days ahead to arrange access, only ONE day. Often we do 3 day trips and our last day we need to dive and run. A 10AM opening makes this hard. Business is business and the shop at Hoodsport has been good to us but this will affect how many days each year we spend at Sund Rock and whether we go to Hoodsport.

Re: Sund Rock Changes

Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2017 11:11 pm
by Jeff Pack
As I recall, they open later every year during wintertime on sat/sunday

Re: Sund Rock Changes

Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2017 7:41 am
by Tom Nic
Sund Rock is a fabulous dive site, and the multiple profiles really make it worth an entire day or more there.

I am grateful to Hoodsportndive and all who have made it such a great place.

The late start, however, is a non-starter for lots of folks. Hopefully a work around will still be available for those who ask.