category: From the Publisher (3 min read)
Sponsors: DAN, Aggressor Adventures
Cline Group’s 3 Year State of The Industry Study and a Look to 2026
William Cline, Publisher, Scuba Diving Industry Magazine and President, Cline Group
January has a way of forcing honesty.
The calendar turns, the noise quiets, and what remains is reality. For the dive industry, that moment matters. Not because a new year magically changes conditions, but because it gives us the space to step back, review the full picture, and ask better questions about what comes next.
Over the past several years, this industry has navigated momentum, disruption, correction, and recalibration. Each phase brought its own lessons. Some were encouraging. Others were uncomfortable. All of them were instructive. What has become clear is that growth today does not come from waiting for external forces to improve. It comes from understanding the signals in front of us and responding with intention.
This issue was built around that idea.
Later in the magazine, you will find our State of the Industry guide for 2026. It draws on survey data, Cline Group’s fourth quarter results, and direct input from dive professionals across retail, training, travel, and manufacturing. Its purpose is not to predict the future or offer one size fits all answers. Its purpose is to clarify where the industry stands today and highlight the patterns that are shaping what comes next.
Before you reach that section, we wanted to set the context.
Paid Advertisement
The dive industry is no longer operating in a recovery cycle. The conditions that carried businesses forward in the post-COVID years have faded. In their place is a more deliberate market, one where customers are selective, operations are scrutinized, and outcomes are earned through execution rather than momentum. That shift can feel challenging, but it also creates opportunity for those willing to adapt.
Throughout this issue, you will hear from contributors who are navigating these realities firsthand. Store owners refining their training pipelines. Operators aligning travel with education. Retailers rethinking how equipment is presented and sold. Their experiences echo what the data reinforces. Success in 2026 will favor clarity, consistency, and systems that work in real world conditions.
As you read the State of the Industry section, we encourage you to approach it as a tool, not a verdict. Use it to benchmark. Use it to question assumptions. Use it to spark conversations within your team about where focus and resources are best spent this year.
Our role at Scuba Diving Industry Magazine is to listen first, analyze carefully, and share insight that helps the industry move forward together. This guide is one part of that commitment. We hope it helps bring the year ahead into sharper focus.
Recently, I heard about a shop near us in Dallas that hosts a monthly “island party” happy hour, open beer and wine, divers and non-divers welcome, just talking stories and talking diving. That’s brilliant. That’s diver community at its best.
Paid Advertisement
Research consistently shows that divers who have more diver friends stay active longer, spend more on equipment, and travel more often. The 2023 DEMA Consumer Survey reinforces what many retailers already know instinctively: community drives retention.
Creating a sense of community at the local dive store isn’t just fun, it’s smart business. It’s also why dive retailers remain the heartbeat of this industry.
Thank you to everyone who has read our issues over the past 24 months. And as always, thank you to the 986 dive retailers who continue to lead this industry forward in the U.S.
If you have an innovative way your store has helped engage your local community, I’d love to hear about it. We would be happy to share your story with other retailers looking for ideas and inspiration.
Click here to read the full article on our Flippingbook platform.
More from This Issue:
JANUARY 2026 ADVERTISING PARTNERS
