What percentage of people actually care?

[wetman]

Maybe 'care' is the wrong word.

I was just wondering what percentage of divers who are active actually care about any of the stuff we discuss on this board? I know about 20 other people that dive in my immediate circles and i think maybe fewer than 3 would actually care to look further into it beyond diving under their usual schedule and forgetting it in between.

I know i've learned some good things from reading on this board, but in the end, if you just jump in, enjoy the view and get out, isn't that all that matters? No one seems to be dying like its prophesized here on the board and most people i know or have seen have a great time doing it. I know they appreciate little hints every so often as do most of us, but they don't seem to make a federal case of it. Maybe we think about it too much.

steve

 

[saying]

wetman once bubbled...
I know about 20 other people that dive in my immediate circles and i think maybe fewer than 3 would actually care to look further into it beyond diving under their usual schedule and forgetting it in between.

I only recently started diving. My irrepressible enthusiasm for it generated an interested enthusiasm in a co-worker. So he started diving.

Cut to a few months later...

All we talk about even at work, is diving. We've got trips and training and dives planned from now until forever. You know you've got it in a bad way when, in an office of three people, two of you play hooky to go diving in the middle of the week.

It's become more like 'we work during extended surface intervals' than 'diving under their usual schedule and forgetting it in between.'

 

[on my way wanda]

saying once bubbled...


I only recently started diving. My irrepressible enthusiasm for it generated an interested enthusiasm in a co-worker. So he started diving.

Cut to a few months later...

All we talk about even at work, is diving. We've got trips and training and dives planned from now until forever. You know you've got it in a bad way when, in an office of three people, two of you play hooky to go diving in the middle of the week.

It's become more like 'we work during extended surface intervals' than 'diving under their usual schedule and forgetting it in between.'

I have only been diving since june/02 and I still have a great passion for it. I am always looking for new spots to dive and dive buddies. I think when you get hooked and enjoy it, you want more and you start to look for more and interesting diving spots. I agree work is considered in my book extended surface interval.

 

[GeekDiver]

I think there are to basic "Camps" of divers which affect how they "Care" about the sport.

Camp 1
There are those who dive for what ever reasons and the Diving is just a means to and end. Kinda like driving.

You have to drive to get to the store, Drive to see a sports game or drive just to get away from it all to relax, see the country side etc etc. These folks dive cause it the way they get underwater to do what ever it is they do. The don't think much about it kinda like the driver who knows how to start there car, Put gas in it and go maybe kick the tires or put oil in it but as long as it works they don't care.

Camp 2
These are the divers who will dive for the sake of diving not as just a means to get underwater to do something else.

They want to know how the car works, why it works, how to improve performance, be more precise in there driving. Possibly to learn how to go faster or longer distances.

My impression of the two "CAMPS" are that the first group doesn't think about the specifics of diving only what they can do while diving so will tend not to "care" about the finer points. The second "CAMP" thinks about diving and will tend to invent reasons to go diving. They will be the ones who will "care" about the finer points.

Now still using the driving analogy is that the first camp may be safe but may not make a point of signaling or worry about how they are lined up in a parking space, maybe they will speed a bit cuz it ain't such a big thing and they wont get caught or there in a hurry. The second camp may speed but it's because they know they can drive fast and not have a crash. They may follow all the rules percisely to be a safer driver etc. They may hop up there car to race, go offroad or lowride.

Now my question is what camp do you belong to?

Geek

 

[deignor]

Geek-
I think there may be some of us that are a combo of the 2 camps. I dive simply to see the wonderful underwater world- I want to see the sea turtles, sharks, fish, shipwrecks, etc. I use diving as a means to accomplish that goal. Maybe a small underwater sub would work for me, but right now- I am a diver.

But that doesn't mean that I want to stop learning more about the whys and whats, how to improve, and practice. Using your car anology, I do want to know how to handle the car if it breaks down and there is no mechanic for miles.......

Diana

 

[cobaltbabe]

I have met a few of the divers off this board and for the most part I take things lightly but there have been times, and not in the last couple of days, that I have been sick to my stomach about things that have been said on this board and by this I mean things that I have said and what other people have said.

For the most part I treat people the same way on the board that I do in person.

 

[ew1usnr]

I stumbled across this site when I punched "double hose regulators" into my search engine. There are a lot of open minded, knowledgeable, experienced people here who have given me a tremendous amount of information and advice on a wide array of topics. Scubaboard is a good thing.

 

[GeekDiver]

deignor,

I would also put myself in the middle gound as well now that I think about it but seemed easer to just draw a line. Could be we need a 3rd middle camp so to speak.

I don't think there is a problem with either camp "caring" they just have differant goals in mind. When the two camps come together they will tend to get on each others nerves. I'm a bit of a gear head so it bugs me to see a broken tail lamp when it so easy to fix. To another it's not a big deal cause the turn signal still works and they have another tail lamp plus a third eye brake lamp. It doesn't make them unsafe or uncaring, they just have a differant outlook on things.

Mike

 

[bwerb]

I've said this before...there are two types of divers...those who want to look at the pretty fish and are just happy to be breathing underwater and there are those who want to take their diving very seriously and strive to really become fantastic divers.

Most people who care enough about diving to seek out and find an internet discussion board trend towards the second group. The first group doesn't even know we exist.

I care deeply about many things which are discussed on here. One of the things which is truly unfortunate within the realm of diving is that in most circumstances you have absolutely no objective way to evaluate a LDS or instructor prior to becoming a diver...quite frankly, you don't know what you don't know. Also, the media portrayal of diving both within and outside of the industry is anything but illustrative of what a "good diver" looks like or how to chose a "good instructor".

Boards like this really bridge the knowlege gap and are often the first exposure many divers have ever had to different ideas, techniques, equipment configurations and regional preferences.

 

[weekender]

im at work and check out the sight when im bored. only been doing this for about a week because its been a slow month. i found alot of redundency. seems like alot of threads turn into boring debates. im an active diver and instuctor but dont really care about most of the topics. im reallly slow at the office and obviously desperate to pass the time.