Coral Scuba

By:style='mso-tab-count:2'> Jennifer Workman

Skip Lawrence is a native Floridian. And a self-proclaimed

water person. So, as any sensible Floridian who loves the water would, he

decided he wanted to spend his life in and around water. What better way to do

that than to take your hobby and make it your career? “When I got into scuba, I

decided it would be a good way to be in the water and enjoy the Florida

lifestyle,” says Lawrence who partnered with Mary Falotico last October and

opened Coral Scuba, a scuba-supply store, training facility and repair shop.

“Most businesses just concentrate on one thing. We are an

all around, full-service business. Whatever you need, we do,” says Falotico, a

mid-westerner who was introduced to the scuba experience by Lawrence who is an

instructor.

SCUBA isn’t traditionally considered a women’s sport, says

Falotico, but because she quickly developed a love for it and the calming

effects it had on her, she decided she would like to use the business to

encourage other women to give the sport a try.

In fact, Falotico and Lawrence so enjoy the sport and

participating in it together that they give the impression that they would like

everyone to give scuba a try. They say the shared experience tends to bring

people together and that it is a family sport. Lawrence says that many kids

won’t go to the movies with their parents, but won’t turn down a trip with mom

and dad to go scuba diving in the Florida Keys. “It’s a good, exciting family

activity,” says Lawrence.

Scuba is also a couples’ sport, say Falotico and Lawrence

who aren’t just business partners. “We’re partners in many aspects of life,”

says Falotico who not only works in the store, but is in nursing school and is

a mother as well. The couple has a two-year-old son, Stuart, who spends a lot

of time in the store. Falotico says his presence lets people know that Coral

Scuba is a family business.

“A lot of our customers are younger people with younger

children,” says Falotico. She says that customers are often hesitant to come

into the store with young children, but they are quickly comforted when they

see Stuart.

Because they have a son who has taken to the water and they

have so many customers with young children, Falotico says they are trying to

include more children’s products -- such as snorkeling sets and vests -- in the

store inventory. Lawrence says, he hopes to have a children’s experience

program in place by next year for kids too young to be certified to dive.

Starting new programs and offering the latest technology is

part of the reason Lawrence decided to open his own store. “There is new

technology and things on the market that some stores don’t think there’s a

market for, but, there is.” One of the products Coral Scuba carries is the

rebreather system. The apparatus is the latest in diving equipment and allows

the diver to have more time under water. Lawrence says, his is the only shop

that he knows of in the region that carries rebreather systems.

It’s been a pleasantly hectic year for Lawrence and Falotico.

“Our expectation for the first year was getting organized,

but since opening the doors we’ve been running full blast,” said Lawrence who,

before opening Coral Scuba, spent 8 years working for Scuba Quest where

he built a loyal customer base. Many of those customers followed him when he

opened his own store and, there’s been no shortage of new customers either.

“The new student response has been tremendous,” says Lawrence.

And while Lawrence wasn't expecting so many customers so soon,

he also wasn’t expecting to have to move the store in the middle of the first

year of operation. In March, due to changes at the plaza where the store was

initially located, Lawrence made the decision to move the store to its current

Del Prado location.

“It’s been stressful, but we’ve come through it very well,”

says Falotico of the first year in business.

Along with Lawrence and Falotico, the Coral Scuba staff

includes a full-time repairperson, who is also working on his instructor training,

and two other part-time, as-needed employees.

With a year behind them, the Coral Scuba team is looking

ahead. They are planning a grand opening anniversary sale for December and

hoping to get more women and children excited about the sport. “I think we’re

at a good level now,” says Lawrence. “We can start focusing on more and better

programs for the future.”