How often do you dive? How often is "realistic"
- Thread starter filmguy123
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
100days-a-year
Contributor
Once I concentrated on Diving and let some other hobbies lapse(NFL games,hunting and golf mostly) I spent more time U/W.I live less than 5 minutes from a boat ramp and there year round diving here with 8 months of it being what I consider good.Recreationally or Commercially I've averaged over 300 and closer to 400 a year since 1998 when my wife got certified.We have maybe 1500 together and I am closing on 10,000 in a couple more years.
I had the opportunity to grow up traveling the world with my parents and then joined the Navy and got to see even more.I have dove or snorkeled in a lot of places.I believe the thing that makes a dive is not location but attitude.I've been unhappy in supposed paradises and ecstatic with a few new friends in the springs or shallow in the Keys.
I had the opportunity to grow up traveling the world with my parents and then joined the Navy and got to see even more.I have dove or snorkeled in a lot of places.I believe the thing that makes a dive is not location but attitude.I've been unhappy in supposed paradises and ecstatic with a few new friends in the springs or shallow in the Keys.
Avonthediver
Contributor
I dive most every weekend and take special trips so I average 100 to 200 a year bad I'll only see 30 or 40 dives.
DaveJo127
Contributor
clownfishsydney
Contributor
As to the OP's original first question, no, it probably is not realistic to dive this much given your circumstances. Most people dive less than they expect to (as well as less than they actually think if they do not keep a detailed log).
I am lucky in that I live within 15 minutes of the boat ramp where we launch our dive boat, less than 30 minutes to a dozen great shore dives. I also had a well paid job before retiring, so had plenty of money to dedicate to diving. For the past 29 years I have averaged over 130 dives a year, only not getting in 100 dives a year twice (due to illness and six month sailing trip). Very few non-professional divers in Sydney have averaged more dives than me but a couple have beaten me in more recent years (but none have averaged this for more than three or four years). I accept that I am the exception, rather than the rule.
Dive as often as you can afford to, both because of money and your personal circumstances.
I am lucky in that I live within 15 minutes of the boat ramp where we launch our dive boat, less than 30 minutes to a dozen great shore dives. I also had a well paid job before retiring, so had plenty of money to dedicate to diving. For the past 29 years I have averaged over 130 dives a year, only not getting in 100 dives a year twice (due to illness and six month sailing trip). Very few non-professional divers in Sydney have averaged more dives than me but a couple have beaten me in more recent years (but none have averaged this for more than three or four years). I accept that I am the exception, rather than the rule.
Dive as often as you can afford to, both because of money and your personal circumstances.
Thrawn7
Registered
I only just started diving last year.. Sydney based.
I do about 20 Sydney dives a year and 2 dive trips a year. Total about 60 dives a year.
I'm single and have a fair amount of free time. Sydney makes a pretty decent base with cheap and reasonably decent local diving. Also cheap flights to top Asian dive locations. I have a one week dive trip to Indonesia booked and total trip cost is about USD $1200 for around 20 dives which is a real bargain
I do some top dive locations in the mix. But I don't mind just pottering around on regular dives to practice and test dive skills or equipment
I do about 20 Sydney dives a year and 2 dive trips a year. Total about 60 dives a year.
I'm single and have a fair amount of free time. Sydney makes a pretty decent base with cheap and reasonably decent local diving. Also cheap flights to top Asian dive locations. I have a one week dive trip to Indonesia booked and total trip cost is about USD $1200 for around 20 dives which is a real bargain
I do some top dive locations in the mix. But I don't mind just pottering around on regular dives to practice and test dive skills or equipment
To put the following into context, For the first 6 years of my diving I achieved only 21 dives total.
in 2013 I was fortunate enough to move to a place that diving was accessible. Also because I club dive, going out on our club boats is included in the annual membership. This is kinda physiological, in that because you pay up front (and thus forget a month or so later) the diving appears to be "free"
To the original question, I get to have a 2 tank dive most weeks. Also 10 months of the year we have a 2 night trip on a boat each month. So club diving alone generally allows 100 dives per year up to . It doesn't always work out, as Dec and Jan are too cold (relatively speaking) and the summer months (July & Aug) are just too hot. When the air temp is above 110F and the water is 94F, frankly it's miserable as you just can't get cool
My wife an I both dive, indeed it's our time together each week. We get to pack up the kids each summer when they go to cooler climbs So we get a couple of dive holidays per year in too. This year will be particularly good as we had a 35 dive holiday in Raja MAmpat and have got another long summer one in Bali/Komodo which should add another 40-50.
Frequency of dives is what you are able to make time wise and money wise. I don't get hung up on numbers, I personally don't count training dives under instruction towards my total, nor any pool dives or any dives less than 20 mins duration or less than 6m depth. But that's just my personal preference - All are logged but not given a number
So the short answer for me would be an easy 100 quality dives per year or 100 hrs under water per year, which ever you like to count
in 2013 I was fortunate enough to move to a place that diving was accessible. Also because I club dive, going out on our club boats is included in the annual membership. This is kinda physiological, in that because you pay up front (and thus forget a month or so later) the diving appears to be "free"
To the original question, I get to have a 2 tank dive most weeks. Also 10 months of the year we have a 2 night trip on a boat each month. So club diving alone generally allows 100 dives per year up to . It doesn't always work out, as Dec and Jan are too cold (relatively speaking) and the summer months (July & Aug) are just too hot. When the air temp is above 110F and the water is 94F, frankly it's miserable as you just can't get cool
My wife an I both dive, indeed it's our time together each week. We get to pack up the kids each summer when they go to cooler climbs So we get a couple of dive holidays per year in too. This year will be particularly good as we had a 35 dive holiday in Raja MAmpat and have got another long summer one in Bali/Komodo which should add another 40-50.
Frequency of dives is what you are able to make time wise and money wise. I don't get hung up on numbers, I personally don't count training dives under instruction towards my total, nor any pool dives or any dives less than 20 mins duration or less than 6m depth. But that's just my personal preference - All are logged but not given a number
So the short answer for me would be an easy 100 quality dives per year or 100 hrs under water per year, which ever you like to count
george_austin
Contributor
- Messages
- 573
- Reaction score
- 289
- # of dives
- 5000 - ∞
5 dives a week on average. boat and beach, a little more in the summer - but I live in L.A. and am a remote worker so If I'm not traveling for work, I'm diving.
Bratface
Contributor
I think "normal" has a lot to do with where you live and how easy it is for you to go diving. I"m older, have raised the family and have no commitments, and I live on an island. I dive locally about three or four weekends each month and average an international trip once a year or every other. I usually log over 100 dives a year.
There's not one answer to "how often is realistic". Unless you have a distorted set of priorities life has way too many things that can take priority. Over 11 years I have ranged from 115+ to zero. The variability comes from numerous needs and life events.
I think the bigger question is how much should you be trying to dive to build a body of skill that will get you to a level of competence and move you away from the risk of being a new diver. Again there will be no one answer. Ideally you can get a good mentor into the mix. A dive a month with a good mentor probably beats the heck out of several bad dives a week with buffoons. The most important thing is that you dive with a spirit of continuous improvement. Continue to critically examine your configuration for things like weighting and weight placement. Consciously try to do SOMETHING better on each dive.
I think the bigger question is how much should you be trying to dive to build a body of skill that will get you to a level of competence and move you away from the risk of being a new diver. Again there will be no one answer. Ideally you can get a good mentor into the mix. A dive a month with a good mentor probably beats the heck out of several bad dives a week with buffoons. The most important thing is that you dive with a spirit of continuous improvement. Continue to critically examine your configuration for things like weighting and weight placement. Consciously try to do SOMETHING better on each dive.
Similar threads
