Jakarta's dive centers survive economic crisis

JAKARTA (JP): Dive centers in Jakarta have survived the worst times in recent Indonesian history, and some have even discovered that the situation here can be an advantage for their business.

When the rupiah started depreciating against the dollar in 1997, diving became a relatively cheap sport for many expatriates, compared to what they would have to pay in other countries. Many took advantage of this opportunity and pursued the sport, leading to a small boom in the business among the expatriate community.

"When we started this center, our business was aimed at the locals," said Indah Waty, a dive instructor at Aquapro. "When the economic crisis hit, we quickly shifted our target to the expatriates, and since then business has been good."

Expatriates now make up 90 percent of Aquapro's clientele. Most of the other dive centers also now cater mainly to expatriates.

A big contribution to the boom came from the way the centers coped at the onset of the economic crisis. Some centers began charging in rupiah for their courses at a time when the norm was to charge in U.S. dollars. Bubbles Divers, which was only one week old when the rupiah plummeted to Rp 12,000 against the dollar, was the first to do so.

Competition arising from his move quickly pushed the prices of other centers down, making diving suddenly much more affordable for expatriates.

Jenny Antonius, the owner of Sea Dragon, which caters mainly to the Japanese market, points out another factor behind this reported growth: "A lot of expatriate men who have sent their families back suddenly find themselves alone in Jakarta. They want something to do over the weekends and diving is a popular choice." As a result, her company is still making up to two dive trips every week.

Some centers report either a slight or no decline in the number of trips, suggesting that even though there are less divers now that many expatriates have left Indonesia, those who dive are diving more.

What's more, diving seems to allow Jakartans to escape from the stress brought on by the recent developments in the country.

"During the election campaign, some of my clients were so fed up with the rowdy activities here that they asked me to take them away to some island to escape," said Jono Sugiyanto, a director at Laut Dive Indo.

But others who have been in the business longer are less enthusiastic. "Business had been good for us until the economic crisis," said Nunung Hasan, business manager and an instructor for Dive Indonesia, one of the longest established dive centers in Jakarta. Her business picked up again a few months ago when the rupiah settled at Rp 8,000 against the dollar.

Most centers say the number of local divers has dropped drastically. instructor Daniel A. Carnadie, a co-owner of Bubbles Divers, said he had lost clients because they have lost their jobs.

Moreover, that timeless attraction of taking up an expensive sport during tough times may have contributed to more locals diving. "Most of the locals from Jakarta who dive do so because they are drawn to the prestige associated with the sport," said Indah.

Whether it is a matter of wealth or prestige, it is not unusual to see a local diver decked from head to toe in every diving accessory available on the market. Which is precisely why Nunung prefers local clients. "The locals are willing to invest in the equipment, whereas foreigners prefer to rent them," she said. Unfortunately, as fewer locals visited her shop, revenue from diving equipment was drastically reduced.

Like many other dive centers, she began to cut down on stock, carrying only the basic items or the latest designs. According to Jenny, however, since last month's further strengthening of the rupiah, more people have made purchases at her shop.

Indonesians started taking up diving around 1990. By 1994, diving had become a popular sport. Its popularity continued to rise until the nation's economic and political turmoil disrupted the trend.

But according to Klub Corona, an organization aimed at promoting diving in Indonesia, the sport is as popular as ever among locals.

"Those who dive belong to a segment of society that isn't much affected by the krismon (monetary crisis)," says Wilhan Thendian, an events coordinator for the club, which offers courses in the Indonesian diving certification, POSSI, and organizes dive trips for members.

On the whole, those in the business are optimistic that diving will become even more popular in the future.

"During the spate of demonstrations recently, there were times when we wanted to close for the day," Nunung said of her two shops. "But we continued to receive enquiries, which showed that even under the worst conditions, people were still interested in diving." That, she believes, is a sign that diving will become even more popular in the future. (Sadie Mah)