HAWAI> S mCm>aTroNAx. Dna INDVSTRv: Resultsand Recommendationsof a 1990 Study

Raymond S. Tahata and Elizabeth R~rnolds

Sea Grant Marine EconomicsReport June 1995

UNIHI-SEAGK~T-MK-95-01 UH SeaGrant CollegeProgram Honolulu, Hawaii

Contribution No. 95 Ocean Resources Branch Department of Business, EconomicDevelopment K Tourism State of Hawaii

Thiswork is theresult of SeaGrant Extension Service A/AS- I!, sponsoredby the University of HawaiiSea Grant College Program, School of Oceank EarthScience and Technology under InstitutionalGrant No, NA36R0507 &om NOAA Office of SeaGrant, Department of Commerce; andthe Ocean Resources Branch, Department of Business, Economic Development 4 Tourism, Stateof Hawaii.The U.S. Govenment isauthorized to produce and distribute reprints for governmentalpurposes notwithstanding any copyright notation that may appear hereon. Thisreport hasbeen catalogued as follows:

Tabata,Raymond S,, andElizabeth Reynolds Hawaii'srecreational dive industry:results and recommendations of a 1990study. Sponsored by the OceanResources Branch, Dept. of Business,Economic Development k. Tourism,State of Hawaii,Honolulu: Sea Grant College Program, School of Oceank Earth Scienceand Technology, Universityof Hawaii at Manoa,June 1995.

23 pp. SeaGrant Marine Economics Report UNIHI-SEAG1VblT-ME-95-01; Ocean Resources Branch Contribution No. 95.

1, Scubadiving - Hawaii- Economicaspects. 2, Aquaticsports - Hawaii- Economicaspects. PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Mahaloto the Ocean Resources Branch, Department of Busness, Economic Development k. Tourism,State of Hawaii,for fundingsupport to updateinformation on Hawaii'srecreational dive industry.DBEDT funding made it possiblefor Ms.Elizabeth Reynolds to gather data &om dive businessesaround the state and to compilethe information. Special thanks to Dr.Craig hhcDonald, branchchief', and Ms. Athline Clark, Marine Programs Specialist, fortheir valuable support and suggestions.Mahalo to Ms.Jill Ladwigand Ms. Kim DesRochers, UH SeaGrant Communications, for assistancewith editing.

Theauthors hope that this update will contributeto a betterunderstanding of trends in the recreationaldiving industry, as well as the issues and concerns expressed byrespondents. TASLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGh KÃl'S

LIST OF FIGURES . 1V

LIST OF TABLES

EXECUTIVE SUM

INTRODUCTION .. Objectives ...,, 2 2 Methodology...

RESULTS . Responses 3 3 Classification of Businesses .. Lengthof 01.1eration. Dive Tours and Courses Sold in 1990 49 5 Total Gross Sales for 1990 . EstimatedSales by RevenueSources .. ll Tour Customers' Place of Residence . 12 En1plOyment.. 13 AssistanceNeeded in the Next 5-10years 13

REFERENCES ... 15

APPENDIX A: DIVE BUSINESSES IDENTIFIED IN 1990 17

APPENDIX B: 1990 SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE, . 19

APPENDIX C: INDUSTRY NEEDS OVER NEXT 5-10 YEARS 21 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Classificationof Dive Businesses,1990....,...... ,,...,...... 3 Figure 2. YearBusiness Began Operation by Island.....,...,...,,...... ,..., 4 Figure3. IntroductoryDive Tours Soldby Island,Calendar Years 1986and 1990....,...,,... 5 Figure4. Certi6edDive Tours Soldby Island,Calendar Years 1986and 1990,... 6 Figure 5. SnorkelingTours Soldby hland, CalendarYears 1986 and 1990...... 7 Figure 6, ScubaCerti6cations by Island,Calendar Years 1986 and 1990...,...,..., .. 8 Figure 7. Total GrossSales Reported by Island,Calendar Years 1986 and 1990, ...... 9 Figure 8, Total ReportedGross Sales by Island- LowfHighValues, Median, and Mean Values... 9 Figure 9. EstimatedSales by Category,by Island,1990...,...,...,...,...... 11 Figure 10, EstimatedPercentages of Tour Customers'Place of Residenceby Island,1990...... 12 Figure 11.Employees and Contract Workers by Island,1990. 13 LIST OF TABI ES

Table I, Classi6cationof Dive Businessesby bland, 1990... Table2. Year BusinessBegan Operation by Island.. 45 Table3. "Intro" ScubaDive Tours Soldby Island,Calendar Years 1986 and 1990...... Table 4. Certi6edDive Tours Soldby ~ Calendar Years1986 and 1990. Table5. SnorkelingTours Soldby Island,Calendar Years 1986 and 1990.. 67 68 Table6, ScubaCerti6cations by Island,Calendar Years 1986 and 1990.. Table 7. EstimatedSales by Category,by Island,1990. 11 Table8. EstimatedPenmrtages of Tour Customers'Place of Residenceby Island,1990.. 12 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Hawaii'srecreational diving industry has grown substantially between the early1980s and the present,From estimated gross revenues of $7 millionin 1982 vanPoollen, 1983!, the industry expandedto $19,8million in 1986,and $26.9 million in 1990.Whereas 96 dive-rdatedbusinesses wereidentified in 1990,over 130 were listed in 1994by the DBEDT Ocean Resources Branch. The recreationaldiving industry is partof Hawaii'srapidly growing ocean recreation industry, projected to generate$748 millionin 1995 Mac&aaald andMarkrich, 1992!.

Thisanticipated growth reinforces the needto ! protectand manage the ocean resources that supportthe industryparticularly,nearshore reefs and other ecosystems attractive to divers,and ! providemarketing assistance ta ensurethe long-term health and viability of theindustry as a whole. For example,the ~6de day-usemoorings system sponsored by theDBEDT Ocean Resources Branch,Department of Land and Natural Resources,The OceanRecreation Council of Hawaii TORCH!, Hawaii SeaGrant ExtensionService, and MalamaKai Foundatian is criticalin protectingpopular dive sitesfrom unintentionalanchor damage.

DBEDT OceanResources Branch's recent publication of a posterpromoting diving in Hawaiiand accompanyingprinted materials, such as a divingdirectary in 1994,are praviding valuable informationta travelagents who arrangetravel for diverson theU.S. mainlandand elsewhere. This marketingassistance is especiallyhelpfirl as Hawaii Ocean Tourism Association dba Dive Hawaii!, a non-profitcorporation, is nowdormant. Pramotion of Hawaiias a divedestination has largely been in the handsof individualbusinesses advertising in traditionaldiving media such as Skin Diver Magazineand Rundale's . Caoperative distribution of divinginformation with the Hawaii VisitorsBureau and targeted advertising in publicationssuch as Specialty Travel lnder has helpedmake more diversaware of the manyoppartunities available on all the islands.In addition, theOcean Resources Branch's recent development of a themefor divingin Hawaii,"Hawaii Like No OtherPlace," will helpdevelop an image for Hawaiidiving as a whole.If dive businessescould integratethis themein their advertising as well asHVB's slogans such as "Hawaii the Mast Beautifulislands in theWorld," consumers would receivereinforced, rather than competing messages.The OceanResources Branch's participation in tradeshows with Hawaiidive businesses, suchas the annualDiving Equipment and Marketing Association DEMA! show,will helpincrease awarenessaf divingopportunities in Hawaii.Finally, with growing use of the Internetand World Wide Webfor destinationmarketing, creation and maintenance of a HawaiiDiving horne page will help infarm divers about Hawaii'sdive sitesand services.

A regularannual or biennialsurvey cosponsored by DBEDT OceanResources Branch and Hawaii SeaGrant Extensian Service would be helpfiriin documentingchanges in the recreationaldive industrybetween 1990 and the present.In lightof thesignificant increase in thenumber of dive operations about 56% over four years!, and external influences on Hawaiitourism such as the Gulf War andnatianal recession, it wauldbe useful to gaugethe more situation of theindustry, Also,more recent data could provide a benchmarkto help evaluate the effectsof targetingpotential dive travelerswhile monitoringdive industryissues and concerns. INTRODUCTION

Objectives

This report'spurposes were to ! obtainupdated information on Hawaii'srecreational dive industry with regardto incomeand employment for the calendaryear 1990;! documentchanges m the industrybetween 1986 and 1990;and ! recordconcerns expressed by membersof the dive industry,especially with regardto resourcemanagement and industry development, In 1987,a more comprehensivestudy of therecreational dive industrywas conducted for the calendaryear 1986 Tabata,1992!. This report updates the 1987survey by identifyingexisting dive businesses onthe variousislands as of 1990'.Information on the numbers ofvarious dive and tours sold, as well asthe estimatedvalue of tour andother salesin 1990was obtained as part of this study.This studyalso gathered data on operators'perceptions of wheretheir customerscame from i.e., placeof residence!.In addition,the numberof peopleemployed by dive operatorswas obtained.Finally, respondentswere asked, "What assistance, if any,does the dive industryneed in the next 5 to 10 years?"

Thefindings in this report werevalid in 1991when the datacollection was completed, but needto be reexaminedbecause of severalmajor events which havehad significant impacts on tourismand oceanrecreation businesses in Hawaii;the Gulf War in 1991;declining visitor arrivalsresulting fmm the domesticrecession that affectedimportant westbound markets e.g., SouthernCalifornia!; economicdownturns in eastboundmarkets e,g,, Japan!;and Hurricane Iniki in 1992that devastated tourismand ocean recreation businesses on Kauai,During the latter part of 1993and the beginning of 1994,there were signs that Hawaii'svisitor industrywas recovering.

Methodology

A completelist of knowndive operations in thestate was developed. A masterlist of theoperators seeAppendix A! wascompiled from severalsources, including: the originallist of businesses surveyedfor the 1986study ibid!; GTE HawaiianTelephone Yellow Pages;Hawaii Marine Directory DBEDT, 1992!; advertisements in various tourist publications and "rack cards" found at visitor destinations;and suggestionsfrom dive industryrepresentatives.

A surveyquestionnaire Appendix B! wasmailed to divebusinesses in July 1991. A follow-up mailingwas sent in September1991 to thosewho had not yet responded. The authors followed up withpersonal interviews in January1992, The authors obtained a totalof 63 validresponses, representing66'/o of the 96 businessesidentified in 1990.

All responseswere entered in a databaseusing dBASE III+. Statewideand island summaries were tabulatedin AlphaFour Version3; graphiccharts were generated with WordPerfectfor Windows.

' This informationhas since been updated in 1994by theDepartment of Business, EconomicDevelopment 8r. Tourism, Ocean Resources Branch. RESULTS

Responses

In the 1986 study, 47 out of 60 dive operatorswere personallyinterviewed 8% response!,For the current study, 63 out of 96 identified operators respondedto the questionnaire,either by mail or in a personalinterview 6% response!.Response rates by island were as follows. Kauai - 6 out of 12 0%!; Oahu - 21 out of 33 4%!; Maui - 23 out of 33 0%!; and Hawaii - 13 out of 16 81%!. Of the 63 respondents,29 had begun operationsafter 1985 6%!.

All initial non-responseswere followed up by telephonecalls and scheduled interviews. Of the 33 operatorswho did not participatein the survey,seven had participated in the originalsurvey; three specifically statedthat they did not want to participate,Non-responses by island were as follows: Kauai - 6; Oahu - 12; Maui 12; and Hawaii - 3,

Classification of BUsinesses

Operatorswere asked,"How would you classifyyour dive business?"Figure 1 summarizes the responses,Of the 63 respondents,41 5%! said that they operateda full-service "dive shop" that offered retail sales, lessons,tours, rentals,etc.; 22 respondents5%! operateda business that offered dive or tours only. Of the various islands,Oahu operators had a much higher proportion of full- servicedive shops8 out of 21, or 86%!; Maui and Hawaii operators,by contrast, were evenly divided. Table 1 summarizes the actual data.

Figure 1. CIassification of Di ve Businesses,l990. Table 1. Classificationof Dive Businessesby Island,1990.

Length of Operation

Operatorswere asked, "When did your divebusiness begin operation?"Figure 2 summarizesthe responses received.As noted earlier, 29 of the 63 respondents indicatedthey had started business between 1986 and 1990. Oahu and Maui had many operationsthat were relative newcomers: 11 out of 21 2/a! and 12 of 23 2/0!, respectively.On the other hand, Oahu had 10 businesses that wereevenly distributed overa periodextending back to the 1960s.Maui hadmany businessesthat beganin the 1970s. Table 2 summarizes the dataobtained by island.

Figure 2. YearBusiness Began Operation by Island Table2. YearBusiness Began Operation by Island,

Dive Tours and Courses Sold irI 1990

Dive businessesoffer a varietyof servicesfrom "intro" tours one-dayintroductory dives! to certificationcourses and dive tours for certifieddivers. Respondents were asked to estimatenumbers of salesfor the following categories:

"Intro" Tours. "Intro" tours showed a decrease in numbers sold, from 54,000 in 1986to 43,000 in 1990 see Figure 3 for comparisonsamong the islands!.The most marked decreases in numbers were for Oahu -3,200 or -20%! and Maui -5,540 or -20%! Tablesee3!,I3. Intraabclory igureDive Tours SoldbyIsland,Calendar Years 1986 and l990. Table3. "Intro" ScubaDive Tours Soldby Island,Calendar Years 1986 and 1990.

Certified Tours. Certified tours showeda significant statewideincrease of 13,000 additional tours between 1986 and 1990, a 19.1o/o increase see Figure 4!, Maui and Hawaii operations accountedfor nearly all of the increase:Maui 8,200, or 24,8/o, Hawaii 4,300, detailedor 29.3'/o,data Tablefor 4each showsisland.Figure 4.Certified DiveTours SoldbyIsland, Calendar Years I986

and I990.

Table4. CertifiedDive Tours Sold by Island,Calendar Years 1986 and 1990. Snorkeling Toura. Althoughthe statewide total numberof snorkeling tours sold remained essentiallythe same between the 1986 and 1990 studies, there were substantialshifts involving Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii. The total figures and the relative shifts, however, are not representativefor the snorkel tour industry as a whole because the surveysdid not attempt to include all snorkel tour businesses;rather, the studiestargeted dive operations some of which also offered snorkel tours and services. In addition,the 199flsurvey Figure5. SnorkelingTours Sold by Island, Calendar Years I986 and did not include two large J990, companiesthat were included in the 1986 study that provided snorkel tours. The overall snorkel tour industry is reportedly to be at leastas large as the recreationaldive industry, and possibly larger. Figure 5 and Table 5 show the data obtained,

Table 5. Snorkeling Tours Sold by Island, CalendarYears 1986and 1990. Scuba Certlflcations. Over the period 1986- 1990, scuba certifications increased from 8,700 to 12,900 statewide, with most of the certi6cationsprovided by Oahu and Maui operations.Figure 6 and Table 6 summarize the data.

Figure 6. SnrbaCerlifications by Island, CalendarYears 1986 and 1990,

Table 6. ScubaCertifications by Island, CalendarYears 1986 and 1990. Tatal Grass Sales far 1990

Operatorswere asked, "What was your total gross sales for 1990?" Total sales reported was $26.9 million, comparedto $19,8 million for 1986.Figure 7 shows gross salesreported by island.

It is difIicult to directly comparethe total salesfor 1986 and 1990 because the mix of operatorswho provided information has substantiallychanged; this is due to turnover in businesses and non-participationin this surveypf pperatprswhp had Figure7. TotalGross Sales Reported by Island, Calendar Years l986 participatedin the earlier survey.

The 1990data, however, are based on a 66%return and a largernumber of respondentsthan the earliersurvey 3 vs. 47 in 1986!.A cursoryreview of non-respondentsfor the currentstudy reveals that only a fewof themcould be consideredsubstantial i.e., over$500,000 gross sales!. Therefore, the $26.9estimate for 1990is consideredan approximatebut conservativefigure for the industry.

Closeranalysis indicates that the range i.e., lowestto highestreported values! of grosssales varies from islandto island.For example,Maui operationsreported the greatest range. The average i.e., arithmeticmean! sales reported were: Kauai - $204,000;Oahu - $393,800,Maui $506,400;Hawaii - $443,700,Because of the greatvariation in salesreported, however, the medianvalues are probablymore meaningful i.e., medianrepresents a mid-pointvalue!. Median values were; Kauai $125,000;Oahu - $300,000;Maui - $190,000;Hawaii - $315,000.

Figure 8. TotalReported Gross Sales by Island - Low/HighValues, Median, and Mean Values. Figure8 illustratesthe high and low values, as well as median values for each island note: the verticalscale for sales reported islogarithmic to reduce the influenc of exceptionallylow and high values!.Thc 6gure shows that Maui has the greatest range in terms of sales,perhaps due to the relativelyupscale market attracted to Maui.Although mean sales are highestfor Maui $506,400!, themedian value is highest for the Island of Hawaii $315,000!, probably because ofa fewvery high salesvalues for Maui that raise its mean. Estimated Sales by Revenue Sources

Operatorswere asked,"Of your business'total gross salesin 1990,what percentagecame from the following generalcategories: dive tours "intro" and certified!, snorkel tours, dive certification courses, dive retail, miscellaneous?" Percentageswere appliedto the gross salesreported to derive relative values for the variouscategories, Figure 9 illustratesthe proportion of salesderived by category, Table 7 provides more detaileddata by island,

Figure 9. EstintatedSales by Category,by Island,l990.

Table 7. EstimatedSales by Category,by Island,1990,

Kauai Oahu Hawaii

intro Tours $375,000 $1 430,000 $1,187,000 471,000 3,463,000

Certified Toiirs 342,000 1,557,000 5 290,000 1,435,000 8,624,000

Snorkel Tours 120,000 33,000 887,000 1,997,000 3,037,000

Certification 230,000 1,339,000 784,000 298,000 2,651,000

Retail Sales 191,NN 2,824,000 3,24G,G00 1,322,000 7,577 000

Miscellaneous 29,000 1,076,000 207,000 300,000 1,612,000

TOTALS $ 1/87,000 $8,259,000 $11 595,000 $5 823 000

Statewide,$15.1 million was reported for divingand snorkeling tours, or 56%of totalrevenues; $7.6million was attributed to retailsales, or 29'/oof all revenues.Ainong the islands, "intro" tours weresubstantial for Oahuand Maui operators,while certified tours were iinportant for Maui in particular $5.3 million, or 19.7%of totalrevenues statewide!. Retails sales were also very important for Oahuand Maui a total of $6 million,or 22.3%of total revenuesstatewide. Tour Customers' Place of Residence

Operatorswere asked, "Of all your customerswho bought a diving or snorkelingtour in 1990,what estimatedpercentage camefrom the following areas: mainlandUSA, Japan,Canada, /New Zealand,Europe, Hawaii residents/military!, other areas?"The responses were averagedfor each island to show the relative contribution of the various geographical markets Figure 10!. Table S shows more detailed information by island,

The majority of dive tour customers statewide, approaching75% on Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii, are from the mainlandUSA. TheJapanese Figure 10.Estimated Percenlages of TourCustomers' Place of marketis especiallysignificant Residenceby Island, 1990. on Oahu 6% of tour customers!,while Canadiansare slightly more prominent on Maui. Australians,New Zealanders, andEuropeans appear to bemore significant for Kauai.Unlike on the other islands, Oahu operators relyvery heavily upon the resident and military market 2% of tourcustomers!; the Big Island followswith only 9%. Theresults, in termsof the geographicdistribution of customers,are similar

Table 8. EstimatedPercentages of Tour Customers'Place of Residenceby Island,1990.

12 to findingsfrom the 1986survey, and reflect the general island-by-island pattern of visitor residences as a whole.

Employment

Operatorswere asked, "How many employeesand contract workers did your business have as of December 31, 1990?" A total of 102 contract workers, 108 part-time employees,and 381 full- time employeeswere reported for a statewide total of 591persons'. See Figure 11 and Table 9 for detailed information. Oahu operationsappear to rely equally on both part-time and full-time employees, whereasMaui and the Big Island operationsrely more heavily on full-time staII Figure 11. Employeesand Contracl II'orkers by Island, 1990. 80% and 69/o, respectively!.

Assistance Needed iA the Next 5-10 years

AppendixC detailscomments provided by respondentsto the question,"What type of assistance,if any,does Hawaii's dive industryneed in the next5 to 10years?" Some of the majorcoinments can be summarizedas follows not in priority!:

MarketHawaii as a primedive destination; target Japanese market. Protectthe marineenvironment, habitats, and water quality. + Promote the useof day-usemoorings to preventanchor damage to corals, + Establish areasthat areprotected from consumptiveuses. Improve harbor facilities, access,and navigationalaids. Create artificial reefs for habitat enhancement. + Reduce businessexpenses i,e., fees,taxes, insurance premiums for TDI, workers'comp!. Improvethe regulationof illegaloperators who undercutcompetiton,

'Thisestimate is probably higher than during the "shoulder" seasons spring and fall months!as December31 is in themiddle of thewinter "peak" season that begins in mid-December.

13 + Restrict tropicalfish collectors. + Improvethe enforcement of eidsting conservation laws lrnprovethe organization of dive business interests with regard to representationbefore governmentagencies and the Hawaii VisitorsBureau. REFERENCES

Departmentof Business,Economic Development &, Tourism,State of Hawaii.1992, I99I-92 Hawaii Marine Directory. OceanResources Branch Contribution 97. Honolulu.

MacDonald,C. D. andM. Markrich.1992. Hawaii's ocean recreation industry: Economic growth 981-1995!and management considerations. InMTS '92 proceedings, October I9-2I, I992, Wuvhington,D.C. VohrmeI, pp.371-377. Marine Technology Society, Washington, D.C. reprint availablefrom DBEDT Ocean Resources Branch, P.O. Box 2359, Honolulu, Hl 96804!.

Tabata,R.S. 1992, Hawaii s recrea]ionuldive imkcsiry and Use ojnearshore dive sites. University of Hawaii SeaGrant Marine Economics Report, UNIHI-SEAGRiQ4T-ME-9242. Contribution No. 9$, OceanResources Branch, Department ofBusiness, Economic Development & Tourism, State of Hawaii. Honolulu, vanPoollen, H,W, 1983,Recreaii anal selha diving industry mrvey and business analysis, Siaie of Hawaii,I982. Working paper No 52.University of HawaiiSea Grant College Program. Honolulu.

15 APPENDIX A: DIVE BUSINESSES IDENTIFIED IN 1990

Ksuai Surf N' Sea UnderwaterSports of Oahu AquaticKauai VehonDiving Adventures Beach Activities of Kauai WaikikiDiving Center Bubbles Below WindwardDive Shop Dive Kauai Fathom Five Divers Kautu SeaSports Maui OceanOdyssey PolynesianDivers AmericanInstitute of DivingWest SeaSage Diving Center AquaticCharters of Maui The PoipuDive Company B>ll'sScuba Shack TropicalPacific Divers Capt,Nemo's Ocean Emporium Wet-N-WonderfulOcean Destination Pacific Dive and Sea Center Dive Maui Oahtj Dive Pacific Ed Robinson'sDiving Adventures Aaron'sDive Shop Extended Horizons Alii Divers FantasyDive AlohaDive Shop 'sSnorkel N Dive Aqua Blue Adventures Fun Pac Activities Aqua Lung Hawaii Hawaiian Divers Beach Divers Hawaii Island Scuba BojacAquatic Center Kapalua Dive Co. BreezeHawaii Diving Adventures KSM ProfessionalGroup Dan'sDive Shop Lahatna D>vers Divestar of Hawaii Makena Coast Charters Down Under Divers Maui Academyof UnderwaterInstruction Hawaii Sea AdventuresAVindward Maui DiveShop HawaiianMaritime Exchange Maui Hawaiian Pleasure Divers Hawaiian Sea Adventures Maui Sun Divers Island Quest Adventures Mike SevernsScuba Diving Leeward Divers Little Mermaid Ocean Activities Center OahuSchool of DivingR ProDive OceanEnterprises Ocean Adventures Pacific Dive Services Ocean View Divers Pacific Marine Institute Omnique Pete'sParadise Diving Paradise Snorkel Adventures Reef Encounters Rainbow Divers South Shore Wind and Dive South Pacific Scuba Sundance SouthSea Aquatics Trilogy Excursions Steve'sDiving Adventures West Maui Charters

17 Hawaii

Big IslandDivers Dive Makai Charters Fair Wind Gold Coast Divers Jack'sDiving Locker King KameharnehaDivers Kohala Divers Kona Coast Divers Live-Dive Hawaii Mauna Kea Divers Nautilus Dive Center Ocean Sports Waikoloa Red Sail Sports Sandwich Isle Divers Sea Dreams Hawaii Sea Paradise Scuba APPENOlX 8: 1aao SuRVEY QUESTloNNAlRE

UMVKRSITY OF HAWAII SEA GRANT EXTENSION SERVICE STATEWIDE DIVE OPERATION SURVEY

Name of Business:

Nameof personcompleting this form: Person's title: l HowweuM you dassiJy your divabusi«asst Q Diveshop mroil, kssons, tovrs. rsntois, src.! Q Divetours only Q Snorke}tours only Q 0th;

2. Doeryour divabusitsess opertrtafrom morc'than trna locatttm7 QNo Q lf Yes,please list names and locations:

3. Isyour dive basinsss a bra«ck or dhisl'o«ofa hugercorporation P If yss, pkoss «arne. Q No QY~:

4. Wksnkdyowr diva busI«ass bsgi«qperetto«7 month

5. pIsasssstbnats bow nra«y scuba'snorksb«g toursand conrsss yo«r 6«sutsss soldin cekndar year l9tt0: "intro" scuba dive tours: Certified scubadive tours: Srorkelingtours; Total tours sold; Scuba certi5cation course:

19 6. Wk«tuesyewr toe«l gr«ss asks for 1990?

7, Of yowrbttshtess'sos«l gross s«far hs f990, ~psrottutage cwuaefsww tkefomtrtsbrg gsw«r«i o«atm'~t Dive tours: 'httro' Certi5ed SaatM tours Dive oertdlcation ooureca Dive retai0 saks, rep«irs, retttair, oir fills. etc! MisoeHaneous photogrepphy, other sports! TOTAL 100%

Of «gyewr ewsaatautre ~ boatgkt « ~ or strctrkelhg~ bs 1990,wb«r csntw«t&~gggmgg o«twe frees tbe fonotsktg«re«s? Mainland USA: Japan: Canada: Australia/New Zealand Europe: Hawaii residents/mili tory!: other areas: TOTAL

9. How nt«uyewtpkrpoes astd cotrtr«ct ww hers tnd yottr bttstttess k«ve ? full-time: part-titne: contract:

10. Doyou know of anyrecently opened dive/snacks businesses that we should contact for thissurvey?

11.fVk«t type of «sslst«stoa,if «sty, does Hmwrii's tkse kstktstry treed itt eke stettt S to10 ye«rs?

Th«ttkyottfor compktittgthis yestiontt«ite, Pkuse retgrtt the jorm to U,H,Seu Gruttt Brtensiott Servia irt theself- uddressedstumped em«lope, or FAXto 956-28S8.

2G APPENDIX C: INDUSTRY NEEDS OVER NEXT 5-10 YEARS' e Hawaiineeds to bemarketed as a primedive dcstirunitm. Organize reef protection and reef clean-up protpems. Pnstitutc]higher fmcs and cnforccmcnt of regulationsfa. scapollutcrs.

~ Enviromncntaleducation.... Save the . Promote the use of moorings.Enceurage dive educators to conduct businessprofcanonally.

~ Recogmnonasa valuablemdustry. Mocenga to ~ rccfs onhigh ue andpark areas.

~ Areaswhere no marine life is allowedto bc taken, Established nKering site to reduoereef damage. hnprovcd access snd park facilities.

~ Better hartin+ facilities.

~ Marineocean conservation, DLNR protectcnamltmcnt.

~ Arti6ciai reefs.Marut g.ifc] ConservationDistricts.

~ Organizedrepresen4tton m mattersdealing with thc state.

~ Morewreclm need to bcsunk off' the Waianae coast for diving.Need more overall publicity that reflects well on the . Nccdregulation for shabbyoperators.

~ [Because]most of mybusiness is boat related, I would suggest the harbcss spending morc money on mght navigationaids, Most of the aidsare broken and do not light up. Nightdiving is becomingmore popular. Also I fcclthat tighter regulations cenccnung stamhrds and procedures of diving should be better enforced. Even thoughmost of my businessis mainlandU.S.A. I fccIthat conununication procedures for Japanesetourists and divingexnpmies [should]be bettermanaged,

~ [Provide]more commercial boat hsrbots, repeal conuncrcial beach permit fcc, open lagoon at Magic Island for classesagain.

~ Weneed access to divesites, sholem facilitics, parking, mostly accessibility. Basically, we need an organization to make governmentaware of our needs.

~ Lowertaxes. Mooring fec lowered, Insurance premium too high, TDI andworkers' compensation too high. Small businesscanus continuewith presentstructure,

~ Hawaii'sItarbcss, ramps, on Maui are the worst I haveever scen anywhere in the USA. No rcstnmrns, terrible dock facilities,lousy wash down area, no fueldock, no pumpout.

~ Moreadvettising for smallerdive shops.Target Japanese market for scuba!

~ Comttruction of new marina facilities,

~ BeachPark laws need to be reviewed, talked about with Ihe diving industry to makethings work out with each other.

"ntesecorntrtents were in respotutcto question I I of thcsurvey questionnaire which read, "What typeof assistance,if any, does Hawaii's dive industry need in thenext 5 to 10years?" With a few exceptions,the comments arereproduced verbatim with minimal editing.

2l ~ Promotionof industryby Stateof Hawaii.Better cooperation &em DOT onixsnmcreial use. of Hawaii'swaters, harbors, ctc,

~ Settingof mocrings.Placement of artificialreefs and strue4ues

~ hunirancereform. HVB marketing.

~ Kauai needsniooriiigs nowt

~ Lesslaws and rules - taxes&m thc stategovcrninent. Enforce the lawsaheady present suppoisxfiy protectmg rsir pristirwwaters and marine life.

~ Enforceregulations against unliccnsix$ operators. We can't compete with theirprice cutting. Of coursethey can chargeless bcciiuM: they don't bother with permits,license andtaxes. When we try to reportoff~ we are told theymust bc "caughtin thc act' of acceptingmoney fix. services and nothing can bc doneon ~.

~ Stoptaxing us while leavingother water businesses tax free.Allow us accessto beaches.

~ Group togcthcr.

~ Lots'IMany operators work out of their garagesillegally. Enforcement of subcontractlabor laws,public accesslaws, andOcean Recreation Management Arcs permits.

~ Habitatprotection, habitat protecbon, habitat protection l Runof problems,moorings, restrictions on number of comincrcialpermits, tropical fish collectorsclearing coastal ~ enforcement of preserveareas.

~ Prnprove!water quality.

~ Artificialreefs, No spearsor collecting.More moorings. Less Harbor Division fees.

~ ProtrxSdive sites&am overfishing and pollution.

~ Stoptropical fish collecting,Artificial reefs.A diveron thc Boardof HVB. Hawaiiwill neverbe rated as other US andworldwide dive locationsuntil we haveaction with lesstalk-less paper work andmore action. 'Educate law makers'.

~ Stateassistance in sellingscuba in advertising.

~ Statewidemoorings. Water quality monitoring. Better health insurance for sinai1 business.

~ Protectionof ourmarine resounds fiern over fishing especially tropical fish collecting! and pollution Sum development.

Bigisland needs more nsxrings. Avoid restricting usc of thcocean.

~ Approvaland plamnent of mooringson Big island, Thc reef must be maintained and conserved. Expiinaiixi of small boatharbors, especially Kawaihae. The dive industry canaN grow to aixxxrunodatethose who want to dive there unlessthere is room for more boats.

~ Regulabonof illegaldive charters.

~ MiirkiMg prornadons.

~ Moorings,especially in KeslakekuaBay. ~ CooperationSion the state in adverusing Hawaii aa ~ divedestinatim. The staLe has not understood thatto promote theindustry will benefitthe state as a whole.

Morctourism through: I ! advcrtismg.! lowerair fares;! morcaloha; ! betterhighways; ! lowertaxes; and ! lower hotelrates,

~ Publicizing thedive ~ would bring in nxre custctncra.

~ Promotionof Oahuas an excellent place Lo dive, i.e., Mahi shipwreck and Makaha caverns.

~ Permanentmoorings fta diveboats, a wreckdive site for Maui which would help Lo ccesene Maui's reefs, OUTLAWfish feeding.

~ Promote underwaterHawaii as well as on top,

~ Keep thcreefs clean and alive, enforce laws, spend money on education, and make PADI andNAUI teachreef conservation in their courses.

~ Hawaii needsday-use moorings all overfor reef ~on, subsidizedive industry with tax-brcaks, greeter ~on of dive~, notjust golf courses,

~ Moorings to avoidcoral reef datnage, improve quahty of harbor and wharfs and facilities, help promote Hawaii as a dive location.

~ Ecological preservationand concern. Accessibility to diveareas.

~ The dive/chartmboat industry should be linked togelher and represented asone,

~ We asan industry have to bebetter represented, not just on thc state level, but on the federal side too. It wouldbe a blessingtohave representation, especially with up-snd~ing legislation directly effectin our industry. Direct needs: I ! Expandingthe dry dock faciltties at the Maalaea Harbor or moveto KahuluiHarbor. 2! Havethc state supply the chartm boat operations with mooring equipment: as these items, chain and linc, arerapidly used up ~ of theterrible surge and wuid problems at MaalaeaHarbor. 3! Increasingthe wood surface arcs on the loading dock at Lahainaharbor. Much damage has been created by vesselsbecause of thedocks' poor design.

~ I! DBEDTneeds to accurately report the activities industry, 2! Stateneeds to enterinto a tnorccomprehensive method of distributinginformation to tourists, Distribution needsto beexpanded and made morc effectiv. The cnd result being that the tourist is informednot by moneybut by merit. 3! Theactivities industry is whypeople come here, and the industry needs equipmcmt repair services and boat repairservices in orderto stayin shape.

23