Diviac Goes to PADI

We live at a time when you can make more money from selling a business than you ever could from running it. Some training agencies have been bought by major equipment manufacturers looking to extend their reach (Mares bought SSI), but the biggest dive training agency of all has gone in the other direction, getting bigger by acquisition.

Diviac, the online booking service for dive resorts and liveaboard dive boats, has been sold to PADI, itself owned by venture capitalists who bought it from other venture capitalists. Now Diviac will be known as PADI Travel (https://travel.padi.com)

Always looking for ways to expand its revenue base, PADI says it will keep the service team of experienced divers in place, and the only difference is that the online business now sails under the PADI banner, with a redesigned website. Existing customer login details are the same, and the service still claims to offer the best price guarantee.

Last July and August, when Undercurrent sought your opinions about online booking agents for liveaboards, most of the replies we received were by and large not complimentary. Our experienced and knowledgeable readers prefer to deal with full-service travel agencies such as Reef and Rainforest, Dive Discovery, Island Dreams, and Caradonna.

And, we wonder. How long will it be before PADI completes the circle and buys a major equipment manufacturer too?