why are there very few young divers?

[Tzetsin]

What about surfing? Are numbers down significantly there as well?

building on what I've already said about our culture I'd have to say that surfing (waves) is down and (google) surfing is up

Please. You're not a REAL diver until you play Treasures of the Deep:

View attachment 168305

Lol, I missed that one, I did have a scuba game for the Wii though (or do I guess, its around here somewhere)

Edit: Found it!

 

[TMHeimer]

Tzetsin, Great post. I've been saying for 20 years now that the technological advances have brought some wonderous and amazing things to us. I can't imagine planning our usual Florida winter snowbirding without using online to book hotels, contact dive ops, check inlet tides, e mail possible buddies, and much more (though I could have managed these things 30-40 years ago, as I had no trouble planning trips back then). BUT, young people (AND some old) take it too far. Texting every minute, Twitter, etc. I know, I spend WAY too much time on SB. But I also have other interests and outdoor activities. And I'm retired, so it doesn't take away from my job. When I'm done with my other stuff (today included diving), I'm usually on SB or in front of the TV.

 

[Tzetsin]

Tzetsin, Great post. I've been saying for 20 years now that the technological advances have brought some wonderous and amazing things to us. I can't imagine planning our usual Florida winter snowbirding without using online to book hotels, contact dive ops, check inlet tides, e mail possible buddies, and much more (though I could have managed these things 30-40 years ago, as I had no trouble planning trips back then). BUT, young people (AND some old) take it too far. Texting every minute, Twitter, etc. I know, I spend WAY too much time on SB. But I also have other interests and outdoor activities. And I'm retired, so it doesn't take away from my job. When I'm done with my other stuff (today included diving), I'm usually on SB or in front of the TV.

You are absolutely right. Two weeks ago I went down to the travel agent and started planning a trip to China for Oct 07. there were a lot of plans to make and things to organize, and I rejected about 8 proposals because she just wasn't getting what I wanted to do with my trip. I do a lot of photography, and I was planning a trip to beijing, siem reap, Bangkok and Vietnam to get images of "Culture, Architecture and People" I asked for a private guide and translator in these destinations. She had me doing Group tours and deserted Island hopping... It finally came past the time that I would be able to get my Visas in order, so I had to scrap the trip to vietnam and China. Cambodia and Thailand were still available because i don't need visas there, but I was a little upset over the loss of my primary destination, Beijing. I went home, got on the internet and in less than one evening I had confirmed tickets where I was going and Now I'm packed and ready. All thanks to the internet.

I'll admit that I'm pretty heavy into this online world myself, but i've completely given up on "television" I havn't turned a TV on and watch satellite or cable in years. I still enjoy movies, but gaming on the xbox is the only thing I use my tv for. Even my daughter has never experienced cable TV, we've got netflix and she can watch whatever program she wants, whenever she wants as many times as she wants... It truly is a new age

 

[turnerjd]

Many people have identified the major points as I see then....

1. There just aren't the tv shown that there used to be. To have seen Cousteau on tv, you have to be at least 40...... And the nature / wildlife shows that there are, just don't seem to capture the magic of SCUBA. Without this, things under the sea, are not 'on the radar'

2. The current SCUBA business model, particularly in the US, does us no favors at all. I grew up with UK based BSAC (and PADI) clubs, and I now dive with a French FFESSM club. When I first learned, back in 1993 I payed £5 (OK, a university club, I currently pay about 180€ a year) to join the club, lessons were free, and for beginners the club had enough masks fins and snorkels that I didn't have to buy anything at the start. The club also had good BCDs and regs. Checkout dives were done in a rented suit. There was no commercial pressure on me, any I came away after buying most of my gear second hand with the feeling that I had bought because I wanted to, not because it was required, or necessary. Lots of people tried diving, and didn't like it. They left the club with only a minimal investment, and I think that the thought of cost vs perhaps not liking SCUBA puts many people off starting out today.

3. Time. Talking to 'oldies' there seems to be a general consensus that the time, energy, and effort necessary to establish oneself in life, particularly to establish a stable career is more then it used to be, with the knock on effect that after talking relationships, family, and job into account, there is no time or money left for diving.

4. Competition- there is too much of it, any many of the competing sports and activities are much more easily accessible, and have absolutely no training requirement. This is tied into 5...

5. Instant gratification. SCUBA isn't. Even if people like PADI and NAUI have tried to turn it so, people doing the shortest courses do not get the necessary skills and information so that they can immediately go out and enjoy SCUBA. (Different from being qualified!)

6. Their friends are probably not doing it..... Each year in our club we get two or three new people that come along because they have a friend that dives, and said friend has piqued their curiosity..... And most of them stay and become regular divers, not because of their friends, but because they find that diving is fun. Often these people say that if they hadn't had their friend talking about diving, they wouldn't have taken the initiative to find a club and learn.

Just my thoughts,

Jon

 

[DanMont]

Being 20 and having being certified last year I guess i fit into this young diver category nicely. I am a member of my university dive club and there are at least 60 of us involved ranging from 18/19 up to mid to late 20's. Many other universities have the same set up. So there are young divers around! We get a lot of interest from freshers each year (having over 400 people register for our email information list) but the cost of certification puts many off (despite the club having a full kit store meaning there is no need to invest in any kit unless they want to) and we have about a 10% conversion rate from people registering interest to actually joining, with most of those being people already certified, each year we train around 10-15 new divers.

 

[Aquana]

I'm 17 now and I'm diving for two years (I live in Germany). I think the main reason why people in my age don't dive is that it's an expensive hobby. Besides, they'd rather spend (or should I say waste?) their time and money for parties, gaming, smartphones and this stuff.
I've often dived with people who were older than me but had much less dives than me and I led the dives- strange feeling. I'd be really glad if there were more young divers.
Sorry if my English is bad, I'm just learning it.

 

[turnerjd]

I am a member of my university dive club and there are at least 60 of us involved ranging from 18/19 up to mid to late 20's. Many other universities have the same set up. So there are young divers around! We get a lot of interest from freshers each year.

Where are you? I had many years good diving with ICSAC (imperial) and AUSAC (Aston- Birmingham).

Both clubs had a room full of good gear, IC had a RIB and an inflatable when I was there.... IIRC the RIB was always called IcyDiver. Aston was the same. 60 is a good number for a club, not too big, nor too small.

Jon

 

[agilis]

I started reading this thread, got half way through and skipped to the end. Sorry if this was all mentioned already in the last 4 pages I didn't read.... (yet!)

At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist I'm going to start by saying that our culture has changed DRASTICALLY in the last 20 years. The advent of computers and the internet has created a sudo "Matrix" kind of lifestyle that a lot of people seem to enjoy. Not Only are people enjoying "living" in the online world (be it facebook, scubaboard or some MMO / video game) but corporations are pouring billions of dollars into campains that do their best to make us want to spend ALL our time there (every second you spend online, you're making somebody money) Corporations are extremely good at making us want to stay "jacked in"

This has created a culture of people who go online for entertainment. Do you all honestly think that the dirt bike, quad, race car, ski mountains, (the list of young people sports goes on) AREN'T having the EXACT same problem as scuba is having with gaining new young people's attention? Its not even just the sports, but the arts as well. Singing, dancing, painting, sculpting, musical instruments... these are all areas that are seeing exponential loss of attendance from anyone that isn't being pushed into it by their parents.

The simple reason that young people's attendance is so low for scuba diving is because they'd rather be entertained online.

Don't get me wrong, there are still plenty of young people that go out and are active outside the computer/xbox, but for every one you see out there (i'm pulling a number out of my butt here) there are probablly 1000 more sitting on their rear gaming or chatting or facebooking, or otherwise online.

I've recently turned old. (35 yesterday ;D) and I've grown up in this new, online culture and I have to say that of ALL the guys I know, I'm the ONLY one that actually gets off the couch and does stuff (I actually rarely get on the couch, but thats beside the point)

Anyway. Forget the money problem. Even when I was just a kid, I could come up with a grand if I really wanted something. A grand is nothing. And the fact remains that if you aren't "close" to a dive site, or live in an area where there is easy opportunity to dive, then you are going to have to go "out of your way" to do it, and thus, it will be less attractive and ALWAYS more expensive. However! If you DO live close to a dive site, the cost is SIGNIFICANTLY lower.

Lets assume that ALL the dive sites we go to, where we notice the complete lack of 18-28 year olds does in fact HAVE a population of 18-28 year olds in the direct vicinity, that HAVE the opportunity to dive relatively inexpensively (due to the close proximity to easy diving) but STILL aren't out there diving, We have to assume that these people are CHOOSING to do something else, NOT because of cost, but because they'd rather be doing something else. (and I've already expressed what I think that something else is) Now, that explanation firmly in mind, I think we should all be able to agree that it really ISN'T the money or the cost that is preventing these people from deciding to dive.

Now ALL THAT SAID... I gotta go. I'm 60% way through the new GTA 5 game, and there is some pretty cool virtual diving in it!

I agree that the sea change in global culture related to technology has dramatically changed those who have been immersed in it from childhood into passive observers rather than active participants. Playing video games or Wii is not really actual participation. I think you are right when you point out that sports like dirt biking, skiing, fishing, hiking, etc. are dealing with the same decline in actual participants.

Much of this is, as you point out, due to the revolution in on-line computerized activity and the behavioral changes this has created in younger people, especially millennials. It's an extension to a frightening degree of the passive group tendencies I alluded to in my earlier post.

I use computers extensively and have for decades, but I do not play any of the games so popular these days. I'd rather be out doing things. Real things. My wife, an IT engineer, has a smart phone, but I detest the thing, and am quite satisfied with my $12 (on sale) Samsung that does nothing more than function as a phone. I use it primarily as a safety fall back, so it's usually turned off. I use a $15 per month pre-pay plan (Verizon no longer offers it) and have accumulated 1000 unused minutes, the maximum the plan allows.

I think excessive texting has had a profound and destructive influence on society, and is creating something akin to a human hive, insects quietly buzzing to one another, increasingly oblivious of the outside world, the real world, and especially the non-human natural world. Perhaps that's inevitable as the natural world vanishes and electronic simulacra provide effortlessly accessed substitutes. Effortless is a key element in all of this.

One element that has not been mentioned in connection with the smaller number of young people involved in sports like scuba is the effect of the baby boom and the proportionally much smaller numbers of young people in Western industrialized nations. The growth in sports like scuba reflected the youth explosion of the 60s and 70s, as did college enrollment and other areas strongly related to that youth explosion. As the population in these nations ages, as the youngest baby boomers move into their 50s, the activities that expanded to meet their needs have changed from scuba and skiing to medical care, plastic surgery, and retirement investments. The kids play on their computers and their smart phones and the economy rolls merrily along -- or does not, as the specific case may be.

 

[blue steal]

What about surfing? Are numbers down significantly there as well?

I have surfed for 50+ years here in SoCal, but for the last 10 years have never surfed on the weekends due to just to many people out in the water.
Heck all you need is a board, leash, wetsuit and you are good to go.
So I would say surfing numbers are up.

 

[drrich2]

I agree that the sea change in global culture related to technology has dramatically changed those who have been immersed in it from childhood into passive observers rather than active participants.

Ironically, pre-computer, people were often passive consumers of televised & print (e.g.: newspapers) media. On the Internet, whether in comments sections related to articles, or e-mailing the author, or discussions on online boards such as this one, people can actively engage and contribute, not just consume, and their views & input can become part of shaping the message.

Part of what's engrossing about the modern online experience is that you can have input into it.

Richard.