Two Questions for San Diego Boaters

[fstbttms]

Bash wasn't suggesting that he wasn't getting his money's worth from his diver; he was taking exception to what he mistakenly thought I was proposing, which was that we go to 14 cleanings per year here in the Bay Area. I actually suggested a 6 cleaning per year regimen.

[JiffyLube]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Bash wasn't suggesting that he wasn't getting his money's worth from his diver; he was taking exception to what he mistakenly thought I was proposing, which was that we go to 14 cleanings per year here in the Bay Area. I actually suggested a 6 cleaning per year regimen.

Looks like that I may have not read Brash's post exactly right.

Do you think that Brash's diver is charging twice what my diver is charging because Brash's boat is getting more growth on it than mine?

[MikeinLA]

Just a quick note about more frequent and hence gentler cleanings. I just did the bottom on my Catalina 36 and when the yard checked my file they found that it was last painted in 2002. Yes, 7 years! (Five of those years were a blur working in the L.A. real estate market). Anyway, not 1 square inch of paint was missing, not even at the water line, and there were zero blisters (thank you Frank Butler). Anyway, the yard manager attributed this to the fact that I have a good diver who uses the gentlest method possible. The diver comes every 4 weeks and I also pay a buck a foot.

Mike

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by JiffyLube

Do you think that Brash's diver is charging twice what my diver is charging because Brash's boat is getting more growth on it than mine?

No, the primary reason there is a large discrepancy in hull cleaning rates between Northern and Southern California is the increased pressure from competition in SoCal. I can't speak authoritatively on the LA/Orange County regions, but I do know a lot about what is going on in San Diego. There are many more hull cleaners servicing a fewer number of boats there as compared to the Bay Area. This keeps prices down. In fact, I have spoken to several friends this summer who have well-established dive services in San Diego and they tell me they've lost 40% of their clientele in the last year or so due to independent divers walking the docks and doing work at cut-rate prices. That kind of thing just doesn't happen much up here, where there are more boats, fewer divers and harsher dive conditions.

I also supect the down economy has hit that region harder than here and San Diego boat owners are trying to save pennies wherever they can. In addition, slip fees are much, much higher there than here and that certainly doesn't help either.

[JiffyLube]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

No, the primary reason there is a large discrepancy in hull cleaning rates between Northern and Southern California is the increased pressure from competition in SoCal. I can't speak authoritatively on the LA/Orange County regions, but I do know a lot about what is going on in San Diego. There are many more hull cleaners servicing a fewer number of boats there as compared to the Bay Area. This keeps prices down. In fact, I have spoken to several friends this summer who have well-established dive services in San Diego and they tell me they've lost 40% of their clientele in the last year or so due to independent divers walking the docks and doing work at cut-rate prices. That kind of thing just doesn't happen much up here, where there are more boats, fewer divers and harsher dive conditions.

I also suspect the down economy has hit that region harder than here and San Diego boat owners are trying to save pennies wherever they can. In addition, slip fees are much, much higher there than here and that certainly doesn't help either.

I guess somethings are more expensive and less expensive in our areas, depending on what we're paying for. Before I brought our boat down to San Diego from San Francisco, I had all the boat's major systems work done in SF because of the higher costs in SD. I can attest to the cheaper slip rates in SF. I kept our boat at the seller's broker slips in SF for a few months before we brought her done, and the slip rate was almost half the cost of a slip in SD.

Like I've mentioned before I've never haggled about the price for a cleaning, I've just asked what they charge. I know what that type of work is like, because I did it for awhile while I was a young man (I also did commercial ab diving too), and I know how being in the water all day can really sap your body.
I would think the ratio of divers to boats would be about the same in SF as in SD, but I guess that's not the case. Could some of these independent divers be laid off employees from the established dive services? That type of thing happens in construction ever time there is a work slow down...the workers become competitors.

I have noticed more empty slips in all sizes at marinas in Shelter Island, but I often wonder where those boats go since all of SD is priced about the same...maybe they're leaving SD for Mexico.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by JiffyLube

Like I've mentioned before I've never haggled about the price for a cleaning.

I wasn't suggesting that you had. I'm just pointing out that SoCal boaters enjoy the cheapest hull cleaning rates to be found in the state, maybe in the entire country, and while competition is stiff enough that if you were so inclined, you could probably drive the price down with your (or some other) diver, you won't hear me cheering about it. Your divers down there are likely just squeaking by as it is.

Originally Posted by JiffyLube

Could some of these independent divers be laid off employees from the established dive services? That type of thing happens in construction ever time there is a work slow down...the workers become competitors.

Not gonna say that is not happening in some cases but the word I get from my friends in San Diego is that the influx of cheap divers is from south of the border, if you get my drift.

[JiffyLube]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Not gonna say that is not happening in some cases but the word I get from my friends in San Diego is that the influx of cheap divers is from south of the border, if you get my drift.

I get your drift...just like in construction.