12/07/2025
Hey scuba peeps! After talking with many professionals in the area and getting all positive feedback, I want to share a letter I sent to all the local dive organizations and professionals I had email addresses for. This is the letter I sent about a week ago:
Hello fellow dive shop owners and dive professionals in the Charleston area,
I’m Joe Laposta, and I am reaching out to you all today with one simple goal: to connect and see if we can work toward a more cooperative, professional environment to promote and grow diving in Charleston.
Like many of you, I fell in love with diving over two decades ago, and that shared joy is what brought us all here. Unfortunately, the local dive landscape in Charleston can sometimes feel disheartening. When our few local dive organizations can’t seem to get along, I fear it turns potential divers away from continuing in the sport. The competition we should be focusing on is with other outdoor activities like boating and kiteboarding, not with each other.
To move forward, I propose a new approach rooted in professionalism and shared growth:
Our Proposal for Professional Collaboration
Acknowledge Distinct Markets: We are all very different businesses—from Dive Locker’s full-service center, to Omar's low-cost retail at One More Chance/Blue Line Scuba, to Joe’s Scuba’s focus on small-group instruction. We cater to distinct markets and should view scuba as a non-zero-sum game. When one of us gains a student, it does not mean another has lost one; it means diving in Charleston is growing.
Focus on Shared Growth: The more we collectively promote diving and make it a welcoming, drama-free hobby, the more everyone benefits.
Support Each Other: I actively encourage my own students to take classes at other shops like Dive Locker and Blue Line Scuba to gain diverse instruction. We must also support local services like charters (Dive Locker and Whole Other World Scuba) to keep divers on the water.
Commit to No Negative Talk: I have a policy in my instructor contract to not speak negatively about any other organization, and I promise to hold myself and my team to this standard. I sincerely hope that all of us can do the same.
I acknowledge I have made mistakes in the past, including issues with Jeff at Dive Locker and Omar at One More Chance, and I apologize for those missteps. My decisions have always been guided by making the student and diver experience the best it can be. As I run Joe’s Scuba more as a dive club—a hobby where I can prioritize the experience over revenue—I feel uniquely positioned to advocate for this positive change.
The ultimate goal for all of us must be sharing the joy of diving and making the sport a positive, welcoming, and fun experience for everyone in Charleston. If every customer interaction with any of our organizations is positive, we will only grow diving to its fullest potential.
I offer an open door for dialogue and feedback and welcome anyone to reach out directly.
Sincerely,
Joe Laposta
Joe's Scuba