Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Weiss.
Hi Robert, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Lake Travis Scuba provides dive charters to locations not accessible from shore for divers enjoying a fun dive blowing bubbles underwater with other divers or conducting training to extend their dive skills. Divers from all around the world have joined us for a dive.
My entry into scuba diving began in 1988, but it wasn’t until 2001 that I actively began recreationally diving. In 2006 I received my PADI Instructor Certification when working with a local scuba diving retailer. After learning about scuba equipment service and sales, instruction and travel, I was investigating alternative options for using my scuba skills beyond working in the retail environment. Lake Travis Scuba was founded in 2007 as an extension to my scuba instruction and recreational scuba diving activities.
Our pontoon boat was found on a Craigslist posting and modified to support eight divers with durable aluminum bench seating to handle any equipment configuration, a robust dive ladder for divers to exit the water and all the safety equipment needed in an emergency. A local graphic artist created our branding, website and marketing materials, local printers produced our marketing brochures, stickers, boat and truck graphics and local craftsman provided the expertise to build-out Giant Stride, the dive boat. An idea was imagined in late 2006 and in short time we were in business for the 2007 dive season.
Through interacting with the dive community on www.Scubaboard.com before social marketing exploded and then moving to Facebook, constant messaging through Charter Reports raised the public awareness of our service offering. Divers seek out new opportunities to drop below the surface to blow bubbles and return to those locations that deliver an enjoyable experience. We created interest in Lake Travis by naming various sites and giving Lake Travis a variety of dive locations to experience that divers have not heard of before.
Diving continued to grow and services were expanded to make the diving simple for the guests with air and gear rental available. Hauling tanks can be a daunting task for some divers, especially during years when low lake levels create longer walks from the setup site to the water.
Divers are frequently contacted to assist the general public locate a valuable item dropped into a body of water. Our dive guests regularly assist boaters and party barge guests with recovering personal property lost to the lake during a day of fun. The catalyst to Lake Travis Scuba Search & Recovery Services expanding as an increasing part of our service offering came as our reputation for successfully recovering property spread from a local news report on the recovery of a wedding ring from 75 feet below in 2014. Through social media and local news coverage, Lake Travis Scuba has become synonymous with lost property recovery in our local waters.
Scuba divers, like any consumer, want a service with a fair value and outstanding customer service. Providing our customers with a quality experience at a fair price and exceeding expectations has been the simple formula for our success.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
For the most part, our journey has been smooth sailing and happy diving. The biggest challenge we faced and overcame was transporting divers to the boat during the 2015 drought. Our divers were required to walk to the boat down a sloping, rocky path with all their equipment before we moved to our current marina with concrete path and stairs and we began offering tank rentals. The divers were committed to enjoying some time under the water and supported us despite the increasing distance from the shuttle to the boat.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
In addition to managing one of the largest swim schools in the country during the week, Lake Travis Scuba keeps me busy running scuba charters on the weekend and conducting search & recovery jobs any time needed.
Our business is the only professional dive charter business providing transportation to dive sites that shore-entry divers never get to see! We run two charters a weekend day during the summer season and one charter per weekend day during the remainder of the year. We provide dive training for the beginner though advanced and specialty courses.
Our reputation for search & recovery is rapidly growing as a result of the many success stories publicized through social media and news reports. Our phone seems to never stop ringing to assist in recovering personal property
Throughout the years, we have recovered and returned heirloom jewelry, helped with location and removal of a biplane that crashed into the lake, cars/trucks that have rolled into the water and a boat sunk during a boat parade, hundreds of cell phones, and many more valuable items. We have removed over 1000 bags of trash during our dives.
Of all the recoveries, the most rewarding was assisting local law enforcement locate and recover lost drowning victims for the return and closure to grieving families. Applying a skill usually reserved as a hobby for personal pleasure for the benefit of helping others brings a large sense of satisfaction.
Unlike the other brick and mortar stores in our market, we do not sell gear or travel. We are known for providing a safe and enjoyable boat dive experience on Lake Travis and successfully recovering personal property never expected to be seen again.
What’s next?
We continually monitor the dive community activities for growing trends that fit into Lake Travis Scuba’s strengths and expertise. At this time, we are reviewing the increasing search & recovery activities to determine how to best serve the market without interruption to our charter activities.
Pricing:
- Two-tank charter – $60
- Air tank rental – $12.50/tank
Contact Info:
- Website: www.LakeTravisScuba.com
- Instagram: laketravisscuba
- Facebook: Robert Laketravisscuba Weiss
- Youtube: Lake Travis Scuba Search & Recovery
- Yelp: Lake Travis Scuba
Image Credits
Photos courtesy of Lake Travis Scuba/Robert Weiss
