How do I find a dive shop for sale?

Dive shops are small, specialist businesses, and few are listed at any one time. Many combine several activities under one roof, so two shops with similar names can be quite different to run. Start by deciding which parts of the trade you want, and which you would rather avoid, before you contact anyone.

Where dive shops come up for sale

Check business-for-sale sites under recreation, sporting goods and tourism, and ask brokers who handle retail or recreation businesses. The diving community is close. Gear suppliers, regulator technicians, instructors and club members often know when an owner wants out. Introduce yourself to them, and be clear about your experience, since a seller will want to know the shop is going to someone who respects the sport.

The kinds of dive business

• Retail: selling and servicing masks, suits, regulators and other gear.
• Training: courses run by instructors under a training agency.
• Fills: air and gas fills, tank testing and equipment servicing.
• Travel: organised dive trips and holidays.
• Charters: boat dives run by the shop or a partner.

First questions for a seller or broker

Ask which of those activities bring in most of the income, and which ones the owner personally runs. Ask whether the shop owns its building and its boat, or leases them. Ask whether instructors are employees or contractors, and whether they have said they will stay. These answers show you quickly whether the shop fits your plans, before you invest time in a full review.

Before you go further

Once a shop looks promising, ask for recent financial statements and sign a confidentiality agreement before receiving detail. The rules for instructors, tank testing and diving operations are for the regulator and your lawyer to explain. When you are ready to dig in, read what to check before buying a dive shop.