We are sad to announce that we will be closing Go Dive on the 6th October 2024. This is not an announcement we ever wanted to make, and we are devastated it has come to this. Go Dive has been part of the UK diving scene for over 30 years but it has simply become unsustainable for us to continue. UK diving has changed considerably in this time, and we have been there for the highs and the lows. From a small shop started by Mark Hudson in central Derby, to the large showroom we have today, we have seen many changes. The bustling dive shows where the community all came together seem a long time ago now and we are sad to see that less and less people are enjoying this sport that we all love but we understand that it is an expensive hobby at a time when people do not have disposable income or the luxury of time to dedicate to it.
James has been with Go Dive 21 years, and Mark and Alison came on board as co-owners with James when we took the reins from Mark Hudson in 2018, at that time we could never have foreseen the hurdles that were to come. Brexit, and then covid, saw a huge loss of not only revenue, but customers with people failing to return to diving even after the lock downs ended. Shortly after covid, the Ukraine war led to a cost-of-living crisis and huge energy bills, all of which has had a devastating effect. For a long time, we have ploughed on and supported the business, but sadly it can’t go on for ever.
We have long championed and helped support the smaller dive shops and the dive boat skippers, without them there is no UK diving. If you can’t get an air fill then you can’t dive, if you can’t get a dive boat then it’s an awful lot harder to get to the wreck. We would really like to encourage everyone to use your local dive store and get out diving with your local skipper or if we are not careful there will be no UK diving for the future. Facebook marketplace and eBay undoubtedly have a role but the rate at which people have stopped buying new equipment has had a huge impact on us. We have seen servicing of second-hand equipment skyrocket but this income alone is not enough to sustain a store with a large range of equipment for divers to browse and try.
To our dedicated team in the shop, Jon and Mark, Lee and Flora: Your passion and hard work has helped us to thrive and get through the last few hard years, we are beyond sad that the journey is ending. We thank you for everything you have done and wish every one of you the best of luck for the future.
To our instructors and dive masters: You have given so many people the opportunity to experience diving and we thank you for that. You are part of the Go Dive family in so many ways and you are often the faces and names that people will remember when they look back to when they learnt to dive. Memories that will last for ever.
To our customers and supporters: Thank you. Your belief and trust in us have been the driving force behind our every step. It has been a pleasure to meet so many of you over the years and we will miss seeing you in the shop and meeting new people.
While this chapter is ending the bonds and memories we’ve created will endure. We’d love it if you could share your favourite moments and stories with us as we close this amazing chapter of our lives.
We have thought long and hard about the best way to close and have decided rather than shutting the doors immediately we will be holding a closing down sale over the next month. This allows us to ensure that we can finish courses that have been booked, and finish the equipment servicing we have in store, whilst lessening the impact that this will have on our suppliers. The easiest way to take advantage of this is to visit us in the shop but we will also be posting offers on social media and our website.
Please bear with us over the next month, this is an incredibly tough time for everyone. We will be open as usual for at least the next week, but opening hours and days might change over the coming weeks if there is little demand from customers for sale items. We will still be offering air fills during this period.
We are eternally grateful to anyone and everyone that has been part of the Go Dive story.
James, Mark and Alison
