Reasons for quiting?

[g8trdiver]

Having a group of friends who dive is a big part of it. I dived on and off for 12 years, but when I started working at a place where several co-workers were divers, we all became very active again.

Now there are 5 or 6 divers at my NEW company one of whom just got certified, and the rest haven't dived in years... so I'm trying to get them involved again.... It's working for a few - we're planning a dive for mid-October, and 3 have SAID they're going (though they haven't paid their deposits yet.....).

Meanwhile, the summer I was certified, my sister had twin girls. That was 18 years ago- and now my sister finally got certified to dive. All these years, I think she'd been building some expectations of it as being more glamourous than it is ("....have you seen what saltwater does to snot?"), and she was concerned because her first experiences didn't knock her socks off.

However, I think she'll stick with it because it's a special thing for us to be able to share - AND she bought her own gear!!!

 

[Diver0001]

Scott M once bubbled...
I am new to diving, actually will be finishing my OW course this weekend.

Many of my friends have been diving for years and although I have been a water rat all my life I never thought of diving until my friends convinced me to. So far I love it and I can not see myself quiting.

My question: I have heard many stories and occasionally have read on this board and others that a significant number of divers get OW certified at home, make one trip and then never dive again.

What would some of the reasons for this be?

Scott M

P.S. Great discussion board, lots of useful tips and info.

I'll give it a go. Here's my top 5 list:

1) diving is expensive. In my experience if you don't buy your own gear you won't dive much. Period. The flip side of this is that once you have your own gear the costs are actually pretty minimal.

2) lack of a buddy

3) bored. If all you can do is dive in your local mud-pit then the fun wears off. Time to take a trip

4) time. Busy professional or family life will impede diving unless you give it priority.

5) One bad experience is enough to give you that 'feeling of mortality' that will stop you from getting back in the water.

R..

 

[WaterDawg]

Ck this out: http://www.goatdawgs.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=130

 

[mogwai]

Had a few dives abroad on holiday, tourist type get led around by the nose, don't touch your inflator, lots of weight to keep you down dives. Finally, although enjoying the experience realised i needed more. Day after coming home i signed up, for good or bad.

Always thought diving in the uk, especially in Scotland would be freezing, crap viz and even worse weather. Have been through my first open water dives, 8 meters viz, lovely and warm in my drysuit, loads to see and am giving it up for nothing. Totally beat any warm water dive i have had. As the weather gets cooler have been told i can expect up to 20 metres depending on certain conditions.

Got my last 2 dives to get my ow qualification next week. Onwards and upwards for me, or should that be downwards lol. Just thought i would give a bit of spin to the giving up argument.

 

[diverbrian]

I have had one warm water diving trip. In a few weeks will be my second. I had never been to the Caribbean until quite a bit after I certified to dive up here in cold water. Then, due to the expense, the only reason that I really took that trip is that I help with classes. I didn't want to be helping with a class and never have seen the type of diving that the students will be learning.

You know what, I still have no real preference. The warm, salt water is a change of pace. For myself, who dives shipwrecks I like cold, freshwater which tends to preserve wrecks (except those @$@!!$! Zebra Mussels ). It is like parents comparing their own children. They love them all, just in different ways. I could say much the same about diving!

 

[Jetwrench]

I guess it all comes down to"do you love to dive enough to find a way to continue diving?" I suspect the ones who quit don't have that drive in them. Money, time, a buddy, SO, etc. are all reasons that can be overcome with a little time and the want(maybe even the need) to Dive! Personally, I have entirely too much fun diving to give it up for any of these reasons. I'll bet the rest of you divers do too. MTC

Jetwrench

 

[flw]

mogwai once bubbled...
[
Always thought diving in the uk, especially in Scotland would be freezing, crap viz and even worse weather. Have been through my first open water dives, 8 meters viz, lovely and warm in my drysuit, loads to see and am giving it up for nothing. Totally beat any warm water dive i have had. As the weather gets cooler have been told i can expect up to 20 metres depending on certain conditions.


Scotland, imo has some of the best diving anywhere in the world, cold is relative, here it varies between 4 and 12deg, much the same as parts of California, mid winter ( inbetween gales) is the best time, 30m blue water viz, superb wrecks.........

F
(Shetland Isles, Scotland)

 

[mogwai]

Gotta agree with flw have loved the dives i have had here and can't wait to get lots more under my belt. Am ridiculously hooked, gimme dives aplenty as far as i am concerned.

 

[String]

flw once bubbled...

mogwai once bubbled...
[
Always thought diving in the uk, especially in Scotland would be freezing, crap viz and even worse weather. Have been through my first open water dives, 8 meters viz, lovely and warm in my drysuit, loads to see and am giving it up for nothing. Totally beat any warm water dive i have had. As the weather gets cooler have been told i can expect up to 20 metres depending on certain conditions.

OK, you're slightly lucky diving in a remote area like that. Off the mainland average vis tends to be 3-5m, occasionally less.

Ive had 1 dive this year with 9m vis and 4 where its been <1 to get an idea.

The further offshore and so on you go though the better the chance of better vis.

As for winter, Atlantic storms will churn up the vis and occasionally make the sea too rough to dive. Your best bet are the jan/feb high pressures with clear skies, no winds and air temps <0.

 

[Tractor Tom]

....certified in Hawaii in 1978 and made a LOT of dives while I was stationed there with the 25th Division. NEVER made a boat dive, always walked in off the beach or stepped in off the reef. Then was posted to Fort Gordon, GA, in Augusta. Had a wife and a kid, and was a long ways from the ocean. Never even considered diving in the freshwater, most of it was the color of day old coffee anyway... eventually sold my tank and regulartors and gear. Kept the mask, snorkle and fins (still have them) and gave away my 1978 White Stag jacket in 1989.

Jump forward to 2000. Kids are grown, were living back in Michigan where much of the water is clear but cold and known to have wrecks on the bottom. Took a refresher course in St. Croix, and did a lot of reading (including here) and began to buy up what I needed to dive all the time. I'm glad I got back, but at the time, with a new family and a total lack of money, getting away from it was the right decision.