So it is 5 in the morning and for some crazy reason I am awake! I have no idea why I am up, as I am normally the last one to drag myself out of slumber each morning – but I am. In fact the only two people awake are me and our lonesome guard who is completing his ‘last call of duty’ before heading home to a warm bed and a cup of milo! So why am I up, could it be that constant nagging in the back of my head that I have forgotten something important, have not answered an email to a prospective customer, forgot to order that necessary item!! Who knows….actually it is not that bad, Tim is still asleep with both the kids, the dog is napping quite happily in the corner and the sunrise is amazing! I rarely get a moment of such tranquility, so regardless of the time I may as well enjoy it!!
The thing I find funny here is the looks we get when we say ‘we are opening a dive resort’. Most people answer this with ‘for whom?” Don’t get me wrong I understand that neither Tim nor I ooze that resort owner type of attitude and nor do we really want to. But is it that hard to believe that we are both doing this!! Let’s recap why we are? After 10+ years in the industry of working in some fantastic places for some wonderful people, certifying hundreds of divers and learning new skills every day. We have finally decided that we have had enough time playing with other people’s money and it is now time to mess up our own finances!!
For those of you out there who are thinking of doing this, let’s talk!! A few things you need to be aware of. First and foremost make sure that you really truly madly & deeply love and trust the person you are going into business with, as this will be a stressful, worrisome, frantic and scary time! Once you have that first step covered it is really about the logistics. Deciding between spending your hard earned savings on the extra room or the compressor; the new cooker or the freezer; the extra set of dive gear or 4 more tanks, there really are a lot of questions! A simple thought like should we build a swimming pool or make the generator shed a touch larger, will haunt you for years to come when you realize the headache that this actually entails.
After a while you begin to compromise – in a big way. Always wanted a large eucalyptus tree in the garden – lets settle for a bonsai frangipani! Really wanted that fiberglass speed boat – lets settle for a plywood local Bangka! Thought the swimming pool should be Olympic size – lets go for very large kiddie pool! Thought a full contingent of staff would help ease the load – let’s get one lady in to help clean, cook, chat to customers, tend the garden and do all the laundry! In a dive resort there are probably 2 areas where you cannot compromise no matter the cost! The kitchen and the dive shop!
Let’s face it divers in general are not a fussy bunch – which is why we like this industry so much! As long as they have good equipment for those renting, a good dive guide or instructor who is chatty, funny and can find the tiniest of things, good company on the boat or jeep, nice weather does help but is not a necessity and a good variety of interesting dive sites then divers are normally happy people. When returning to the resort after their day of diving again most divers are easy to please. A nice cold beer, glass of wine or decent size rum and coke waiting on the bar to be followed by a wholesome, hearty, large portioned well cooked dinner and again smiles all round. So major rule – do not skimp on the dive shop or kitchen, happy divers will overlook a plethora of minor issues if they are content in mind and stomach.
The sun has now risen and I can hear the delightful yammering’s of two young children wondering where mum is, which means it is time for another day of being a dive resort owner – well builder at the moment! As stressful and worrisome as it can be, deep down we both know we are finally doing what we have dreamed of for many years. So on to another day of deciding between the blue grass or the fringe palm; the handmade curtains or the store bought; the small engine for the putt putt or the oar! One day we may even look like dive resort owners!
