Dive Post: 'it has to be as good as possible'

Dive shop Dive Post in Valkenburg, South Holland, is one of the largest dive shops in the Benelux. However, it is not just about offering a wide range of equipment for diving. 'It has to be as good as possible. We are constantly looking at what the customer wants', explains owner Cees Langmuur. The shop originated from his own hobby for diving. 'If you go under water with your head, you enter a whole different world.'

Diving has never bored him. 'It is varied and I combine it with my passion for photography', says Cees with a laugh. In '99 he started a small dive shop. He was a driver, 'but I was looking for more of a challenge.' Almost twenty years later, the store has grown enormously and moved to a different location. 'We started here four years ago. It really was a ruin, but we have completely renovated it.'

Practical thinking
The idea behind the innovation is very practical. 'So is the filler panel at the entrance. Then you don't have to deal with heavy bottles.' The layout of the store has also been considered. 'We want customers to see recognizable things, such as a snorkel set or diving mask, upon entering.' This practical and critical approach is typical of Cees. 'Of course I am proud when I look around me, but I also always see improvements.'

Cees likes to be critical of himself and wants to keep innovating. 'We strive to take everything to the next level.' For example, Dive Post just went online with a renewed webshop with no fewer than 4000 products. 'The original idea of the store was to sell materials online.' There were no mail order companies and web shops yet. "That's where the name Dive Post comes from."

Large assortment
Nevertheless, the main focus for Dive Post is in the physical store. 'We think along with the customer and that is best done in the store. Here they can see, feel and discover the products.' Cees does not like to say 'no'. “There are very few products that we don't offer. Each product has its own characteristics and therefore fits better with the wishes of a particular customer.'

In addition to selling products, Dive Post is also a PADI five star IDC Dive Center. There are two theory rooms in the store. 'We practice the practice in an external swimming pool area in Katwijk.' The range of courses on offer is wide: it starts with an introductory dive and ends with a Padi Instructor course. 'But also think of specializations such as deep diving, dry suit diving, night diving and wreck diving in the North Sea.'