The future of Rodale's Scuba Diving

Officially:

All staff, including Director of Photography (Stephen Frink), have had their contracts extended. The magazine isn't being shut down.

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As we all know, Stephen Frink is a member and regular reader of our boards here. If you have something constructive to say about the magazine (criticism or praise), I'm sure he would be interested. If you have something that isn't constructive, you are of course welcome to share your thoughts as well, but ... the conversation won't be as useful.

I've heard that the new publisher is very strong in niche publications, and that he has an excellent background in photo publications.

Here is the news release that announced the acquisition:

<<F+W Acquires Rodale's Scuba Diving Magazine

F+W Publications announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Rodale's Scuba Diving magazine from Rodale Inc. Scuba Diving, established in 1992, has a circulation of more than 185,000 and is the leading magazine title for scuba and skin diving enthusiasts in the U.S. Terms and purchase price were not disclosed.

"Scuba Diving offers its readers the most thorough, authoritative editorial coverage of the sport and the magazine represents an opportunity for F+W to add an exciting new subject area to our portfolio," said Stephen J. Kent, President and CEO of F+W Publications. "We have the highest regard for Rodale and the team that puts out this great Scuba Diving product, so it is our good fortune to have Scuba Diving part of the F+W portfolio."

"Thanks to the excellent work of a very fine team, Scuba Diving is the number one title in its space and a first-class travel and destination publication," said Steve Murphy, President and CEO, Rodale Inc. "For F+W, one of the largest special interest publishers in the world, Scuba Diving with its highly targeted audience represents a wonderful strategic fit. We believe the Scuba team will find a great new home at F+W, and we want to thank them for all of their hard work and the many contributions they have made to our company."

"Our move from Rodale to F+W is an opportunity to move from one good home to another," said Dane Farnum, Scuba Diving Publisher. "There will be many advantages to being housed within a company that has built its success with a portfolio of vertical titles and we have every confidence that we will continue to thrive within their organization. We will maintain our standing as the trusted source for divers the world over and, of course, will always be an ideal home for a wide range of advertising partners."

Scuba Diving marks the fifth acquisition for F+W Publications in less than two years, including Horticulture (Aug. 2002), Print (Nov. 2002), Adams Media Corporation (July 2003) and Pastel Journal (Aug. 2003). All employees of the magazine have been offered employment with F+W, and the title will not be relocated, consistent with standard practice by F+W in its acquisition program. Scuba Diving will remain in Savannah, Georgia.

Scuba Diving, published 11 times a year, is edited to provide information on the practice of diving, dive travel opportunities, the reader's health and safety and the dive equipment on which they depend. Editorial focuses on both domestic and international dive travel and comparative product reviews.>>

Personally, I'm eager to move forward to the next level.

Here is the news release that announced the acquisition:

 

 

Personally, I'm eager to move forward to the next level.

I like hearing that kind of statement. I personally had stopped my subscription as I found the magazine to be basically the same stuff every year. It also seemed to cater to the entry level diver. Not a bad thing just not a lot of new information for myself.

Hoping to renew my subscription in the future.

Eager to see the magazine reach the next level also! Hope the new situation works out for ya Steve. Any word about direction for the photo department of the mag????

Hope all is well!!!

Todd Richard

www.synergy-productions.com

Does this mean less monthly trips down to Cayman ....

Rodales has always had a very stong involvement with the island .. i just read you guys are sponsoring a travel event or show or something done by our Tourism Dept.

Always nice to keep the diving interest in Cayman (always nice to see the monthly Cayman article too)

but Im Biased

Giles

Hi Giles - I don't know about "monthly" trips to Cayman, but for sure we'll be covering Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands. You know I can always manage an excuse to visit your islands at least once a year!

Good to hear from Todd too.

We'll have some meetings in Savannah in the next couple of weeks to strategize new directions. The May issue is already done and looks good. Any new changes can't really happen before the June or July issues. Eric mentioned that I am happy to hear constructive thoughts about what you'd like to see in a magazine ... bring 'em on. We'll appreciate the input.

Steve

Stephen,

Great news that you're positive about the new direction, especially given that a new owner isn't always looked upon favorably. I'm looking forward to what's in store.

I'd love to see Scuba Diving incorporate something similar to Pop Photo's "your best shot" as well as the critique section (can't recall the name) where they make suggestions about some of the photos submitted. I'm sure you'd get plenty of submissions just from this community alone.

Keep up the good work...

Tom

Stephen,

 

Great news that you're positive about the new direction, especially given that a new owner isn't always looked upon favorably.  I'm looking forward to what's in store.

 

I'd love to see Scuba Diving incorporate something similar to Pop Photo's "your best shot" as well as the critique section (can't recall the name) where they make suggestions about some of the photos submitted.  I'm sure you'd get plenty of submissions just from this community alone.

 

Keep up the good work...

Tom

Thanks Tom ... very nice thought. I'm forwarding this thread to our editor Buck Butler so he too can view your comments and suggestions. We sincerely appreciate your comments.

My $.02:

I, too, had vowed not to renew my subscription. Apart from my dislike of the newer seemingly disorganized fomat, one of the main points for me was that they seemed to have a love hate relationship with product vendors and consequently more and more vendors were refusing to take part in tests (while this may be unavoidable in a relationship where vendors are expected to donate gear for review despite the possibility of very public negative feedback, some of the local dive shops I've worked with have been very bitter about the perceived bias of Rodale's reviews (of dive fins, it seems, in particular) and the effects on their business -- something akin to a Consumer Reports phenomenon). I've also been put off by the very large sections (it seems a third of the magazine sometimes) with "special advertising section" in very small print at the top and bottom of the page. I used to get and still get many magazines (diving-related and otherwise) that I was and willing to pay extra for because of the limited advertising and decent content (e.g., Fathoms; unfortunately, Ocean Realm collapsed under the weight of apparent mismanagement, Oceans Illustrated apparently couldn't keep a robust enough subscriber base). With RSD, despite the relatively low price, it's quite the opposite for me at the moment.

Anyway, I will be interested to see what comes out of this shake up.

Mike

OK, I'll chime in too.

The magazine has too much bias to the east coast and Caribbean in terms of destinations. Waay to many advertiser related stories and the reviews are biased, in terms that they only review the equipment that is given to them to review, not what is out in the market. Yet they claim "The 10 Best masks...", etc.

I enjoy the photos, but wish the magazine was more "diver to diver" related in their stories and less location/resort/industry related.

I miss the Skin Diver of olden days...

Jack

In the UK I read this mag a couple of times and found it to be really `old` in its style and layout.

On the otherhand `Diver` magazine in the Uk is fresh, up to date, varied and contains material for the wide spectrum of divers around the place. In my opinion this is the benchmark that should be met - take a look at it (and no - I dont work for them !!)

I have a subscription and have actually thought about not renewing. It was extended only through default when Skin Diver was taken over (I had a subscription to both)

Why does Rodales seem to think that someone can only dive in warm water?

And why is Canada almost NEVER mentioned? And what about eastern Canada? I suppose I shouldn't ask that my local waters be covered in depth since even the 2 Canadian dive magazines seem to think the best dives are in the Great Lakes and BC, but Halifax and the Bay of Fundy both have incredible diving.

As far as "The Best XX Whatever Gear You're Testing" ... how about drysuits? how about cold-water regs? how about tech gear?

And the 14year old girl who is now has her own column should be taken out of the magazine - it's a waste of a page - "look what I did on the weekend with my affluent friends." Please!!!!

I tend to read Sport Diver (even though it contains a lot of pro-PADI babble) and learn more from it, including their photography articles.

Just my thoughts.

Kim

Hi, guys.

I don't really read any dive magazines. I flipped through them when I come across them, but for some reason have never been interested in "normal" recreational diving publications, especially ones that tend to focus on crowded, tourist areas to please the typical recreational diver.

I just took read the current Rodale's issue, and don't think that it's as bad as people here are saying. Cold water is fairly well represented in the issue, despite claims by that it isn't. It looks like a magazine that both beginners and enthusiasts might enjoy. But hard-core photographers and marine-life enthusiasts may not get as much out of it. I read a couple issues of Dive Magazine (UK-based) and the magazine seemed to have more "meat" to it -- with long, in-depth articles on various subjects (like Rhinopias, for example).

But as a recreational diver, I would probably enjoy Rodale's.

Anyway, I hope that what constructive criticism lies in this thread will be useful for the Rodale's folk. I wonder if there are folks out there in the Wetpixel audience who enjoy the magazine and are just not chiming in here. It's usually the upset folk that are the most vocal, and it leaves a bad feeling in my mouth when I see so much negativity (even in cases when it may be warranted).

I would like to agree that I too like UK based Diver magazine. It is one of the most in depth magazines I've read and their website is great also. I also like Imersed very much. I think the problem with Rodales Scuba Diver and PADI Sport Diver is that they cater to the new/infrequent diver as apposed to the regular diver which is why I rarley see an active diver with a subscription to these magazines.

To Rodales defence, I think the 14 year old is actually in SPort Diver. And, I have a feeling the editor with the same last name may be her mother also.

Eric, I think the problem you will have for defence of Rodales is most people here will be more advanced divers looking for more in-depth articles like you mention in the UK magazine.

I'm not saying that Rodales is a bad thing just maybe catering to a different market. I do agree with the equipment review biasing being unattractive.

Eric, I think the problem you will have for defence of Rodales is most people here will be more advanced divers looking for more in-depth articles like you mention in the UK magazine.

I *think* that was what I was trying to say.

I really miss the Skin Diver Photo Annual. Print it on thicker stock, maybe a larger format, and showcase the talents of the great photographers who aren't represented here, and who's images never really "fit" in an article.

I know you expected to hear something like this on a photo board, but I know many non-photog friends who have echoed the same sentiment.

I also really like the "your best shot" idea.

I have kept my subscription to it, as well as Sport Diver, Diver-UK, Immersed, and Fathoms. I do this to see what kind of photo information my customers are reading, and for occasional creative ideas.

I don't mind the publication formerly known as Rodale's. I don't hold any stock in the equipment reviews. Diving equipment is far to personal to be "reviewed" and "tested". I think if someone wants to learn about equipment, it should be done at a good local dive shop, and if someone wants to learn about photography, it should be done on one of the two exceptional digital photo web forums.

Interesting comment on Dive magazine (not to be confused with Diver. Dive magazine is a local BSAC publication as is thought of in some quarters to be old fashioned.

Just goes to show you will never please everyone !!

Hi, guys.  

 

I just took read the current Rodale's issue, and don't think that it's as bad as people here are saying. Cold water is fairly well represented in the issue, despite claims by that it isn't.

Well, except they don't research their facts, or at least talk to people that dive the areas they write about. Point in case, they talk about their contest for the "Best Walls in the World" in a recent issue and say that WA state came out near the top, but then mention 2-3 of the worst dives around, completely neglecting the San Juan Islands which is probably what most people voted for. They often have bad facts like this int he mag.

I think why you're seeing negative comments is that they are so arrogant in their claims "The 10 Best..., etc" and people react to those type of false assertions. IE they don't admit their bias.

Jack

I have to concede that I don't know much about scuba magazines in general. I just gave my 2 cents after seeing the magazine really for the first time. I'm on the road so much that it has become impossible for me to subscribe to any magazine -- except for Harpers, which I read religiously.

Anyway, I hope this thread ends up being useful for the Rodale's folk.