Rodale’s Scuba Diving

An Interview with Mike Ball

Those in the dive industry might be surprised to know that Mike Ball is actually from Great Britain. He’s seemingly been associated with Australia and diving for so long that everyone just assumes he’s an Aussie. However, Mike and his company have certainly put the ‘Land of Oz’ on the map when it comes to diving.

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions offers some of the best diving, boats, and facilities for Australia and Papua New Guinea. His website reveals a wide range of offerings to a diverse group of divers (two-thirds are from the United States), including shark diving, whale diving, nautilus dives, coral spawning, wreck diving, nitrox, deep diving, and even ‘muck’ diving. We caught up with him right before DEMA to learn more.

RSD Extra: How did you end up in Australia and why for 30 years was a backwater location like Townsville your HQ? Why have you now moved your HQ and all key personnel to Cairns?

Mike: I emigrated from England to Sydney, Australia in 1969. I bought a 1957 car for 50 pounds (no dollars then!), and headed north for the Great Barrier Reef. The car broke down in Townsville. I had $200 in my back pocket. Fortunately, Townsville is situated about halfway along and adjacent to some of best Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea dive sites. In fact, my favorite dive site is Townsville's Yongala Wreck.

Recently we consolidated our headquarters in a move from Townsville to Cairns. This is a geographical decision. Cairns is centrally located to three of Mike Ball Dive Expeditions liveaboard locations of Papua New Guinea, Cairns, and Townsville.

RSD Extra: Is it true you are looking at 2 new vessels in the near future?

Mike: Yes. We should have news on this for DEMA 2001. We are very excited about the new design we have finalized which will be our best liveaboard yet. The new design will be larger and more beautiful, have the best facilities, and many improved seagoing qualities.

RSD Extra: Do you fear any type of downtrend in the US bookings? It's a well-known fact that you do a great deal of marketing in the USA. How important is this market to you?

Mike: We're very conscious of the US economy because more than two-thirds of our clients are from the US. The US diver has always been the core focus or our business plan and product design. I'm not particularly concerned of a US downturn because we have survived them in the last 20 years. Of course a major US downturn would affect us and most everyone else in the industrial world.

RSD Extra: What has been some of the key factors re your success in marketing tot he USA market? what would be your key philosophy or mission statement re dealing with the demanding and discerning diver from the US?

Mike: The quality and value of our product is the key to our success. We are dedicated to the principle that product quality and value is as defined by our customers. We are not happy with maintaining the status quo. we are dedicated to continually seeking our better dive sites, improving service and designing new vessels to ensure our customers expectations are exceeded.

RSD Extra: Mike, for a man in your position, rumor has it that your school report was not so good. Anything to say about this?

Mike: You must have been talking to Ron Steven, my Sales & Marketing Manager! Well, you asked for it! These quotes are direct from my school report:

"This report represents a serious and inexplicable deterioration to work and school life...his attitude makes a mockery of external examinations...it is about time Michael learned that community life demands observance of community rules however much they may be resented...he has remained the complete individualist and developed an anti-establishment attitude."

My own biggest mistake was letting my 2 school age sons see my report!!

RSD Extra: How do you see the liveaboard industry changing in the next few years?

Mike: On holiday, most divers want facilities as good or better than home and want to live their own adventure. Vessel facilities will become more and more refined. Adventurous itineraries will be more and more off the beaten track. In the past 25 years, I've seen how scuba diving has changed many undeveloped backwater locations into thriving dive destinations. The dive industry now needs to be mindful that over development will take away the values that make such dive destinations great.