Land Diver Society

First off, I want to say that I hope everyone had a good month of August. Today we are going to do the monthly Land Diver Society update for September.

September is the month I am supposed to be taking a break from posting as much across all platforms so I can spend more time with family and friends and focus on some other hobbies. That is still the plan. I will still be posting content, just not as frequently.

Even though we are taking a break, that does not mean things aren’t still going to be happening in the background. We have a few bigger things we have been pushing off for a while, and September gives us some time to finally work on them.

First, we are going to be working on coming up with a consistent schedule for uploading across the different social media platforms and the website. Up to this point, we have pretty much been posting whenever we feel like it, and that can become chaotic. We want to put together a schedule so we can set deadlines for ourselves and make sure we are hitting the self-imposed marks we have set. The goal is to have content going up daily on Instagram, start getting dispatches posted consistently on the website, and finally start utilizing the TikTok account that we have been very spotty about posting to.

Secondly, we are taking some time to clear up the collection and make room for pieces we want to bring in. We are parting ways with some watches that we have really enjoyed and loved, but at some point you have to free up funds and space. We have had a lot of dive watches in the collection for a substantial amount of time, and it is time to start experimenting more with other styles while keeping a more limited number of divers around at any given time. As I said in last month’s update, just because the word Diver is in the name does not mean that is the only style of watch that will be covered here.

Over the next couple of months, you are going to see reviews and articles focused mainly on two styles of watches: chronographs and GMTs. There will be one new diver mixed in, with another watch technically being a dive GMT. As I write this, I have three watches arriving today and one more on the way that will all be in the lineup for reviews and first impressions, along with two watches already in hand. A couple of them should have their first articles written within the next few days.

Watches we currently have content in the works on include the Seiko SSC965, Timex Deepwater Meridian GMT, Monterey Watch Co. Moonstream, Timex Waterbury GMT, Timex Q GMT, Ratio FreeDiver GMT, and Citizen Promaster Lefty Automatic.

We are also getting close to doing the first giveaway in the history of Land Diver Society. We are still working out the final details of what the giveaway will be and what all of the rules will look like, but we will likely have more information in early October. That information will be posted on Instagram and right here on Land Diver Society. Hint, hint: if you aren’t already, make sure you are following @landdiversociety on Instagram, to say the least.

One question I have been getting since people saw that I am taking a break is whether I am doing it because of medical issues. I have shared my health struggles over the last year, including having a stroke and a heart attack, so that is a fair and valid question. The answer is no. Actually, to be honest, my physical health has been pretty damn good for the last month or so. No major issues, and at my most recent check-up last week, my doctors were all very happy with where things are at.

Maybe a little bit of taking September off is for my mental health. I am the kind of person who, when bad things happen, tends to make myself busy. I throw myself into working on things and never really deal with the emotions or give myself time to process what happened. To be completely honest, that is pretty much what I have done for the last year.

After my stroke, I was back to work the following week. After the heart attack, I focused on watches, getting L.D.S. up and running, and then getting straight back to work. When my grandma passed on Mother’s Day, I handled all of the funeral things and then threw myself right back into work until I had my heart attack. I have gotten pretty damn good at staying busy. I haven’t been nearly as good at actually stopping and dealing with everything.

Taking this time gives me a chance to actually process and handle some of what has come with all of the bad that has happened over the last year. But the main reason I am taking the time is much simpler than that: my wife and I have projects around the house that have been getting pushed off for a while, and we would like to finally get some of them finished. More importantly, we just want to spend some good quality time together without one of us always focusing on something else.

So September is going to be a little quieter for Land Diver Society, but quieter does not mean gone. There is still plenty happening behind the scenes, plenty of watches waiting to get time on the wrist, and plenty that I want to write about. If anything, slowing down for a month should give us the chance to get a little more organized and come back with a better rhythm instead of just constantly trying to feed the content machine.

Land Diver Society was never supposed to become another job or something that takes time away from actually living life. The watches, articles, photos, and everything else are supposed to be part of that life. So for September, I am going to practice what I preach a little bit: use the tools, enjoy the hobbies, spend time with the people who matter, and let everything else happen when it happens.

Thanks to everyone who has been reading, following along, commenting, sharing, and supporting Land Diver Society. There is a lot more coming. It just might come at a slightly slower pace for the next month.