GrumpyOldGuy:
Scuba is most often enjoyed around the use of a limited natural resources. Over commericialization of these resources will destroy them. Marketing to the masses will encourage non-qualified people to dive. You all complain about PADI now being a C-Card mill, just wait until Scuba is on EPSN-15 or whatever. No Thanks!
I think gear will continue to evolve as they have over the past 40 years because there are enough people who truely love diving without the need for over hyped sporting events to get more big money corporation involved.
In other words, scuba should be reserved for the few elite who deserve it rather than the great unwashed grunion who don't? The great increased interest in winter sports has obviously "destroyed" the alpine areas? I think not. And equioment does not get better because people love diving. It gets better because more people want to buy better equipment. The companies don't improve their products as a public service. More money = more competition = better products at lower prices.
If scuba venues were essential for multimillion dollar events, the commercial incentive to preserve them (and to create new ones) would be much greater than it is now. What is the incentive to keep dive sites nice now, or to cultivate new ones? Love of diving? Please... that only goes so far. It takes money to sink big wrecks and maintain accessible dive sites.
If scuba were more popular, things would probably be much nicer, for us and the environment, than they are now.
I've been to the US Open (tennis) when no one cared about tennis, and most recently, last week. The facilities thirty years ago were mediocre, now they are gorgeous. As Gordon Gecko says, greed is good. Money gets things done and for a sport to have big money, it must generate big interest.
I sense the old Sierra Club mentality, that too many people + money= bad. The evidence shows this to be elitist rubbish. The big concern here is the same concern that my friends had when golf became so popular: will I still get MY tee time? Now that's GREEDY. Somehow, golf courses were supposed to be maintained in excellent condition, but no one but ME should be allowed to play on them. It doesn't work that way.
So I guess equipment manufacturers are supposed to make safe, good, cheap equipment and dive operators should run frequent, uncrowded, comfortable boats that go to pristine reefs for those worthy, proud and highly select few who LOVE the sport?