Why is Diving MORE than a Sport?

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Otter

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There are so many of us who feel that diving is a lifestyle, not just something to do on Monday nights (like softball, soccer, etc..).

What is your view on what is so unique about diving that people are willing to give up their previous lifestyle and become diving fanatics?

Otter
 
For me diving is a part of my work, both in research and videography. However it is also so addicting as to become a lifestyle in itself as previously suggested. Most of my friends these days are divers or former divers. Most of my activities are diving or dive-related. Most of my non-diving time is spent writing about SCUBA diving (and sometimes research) or editing underwater video.

However to make it a true lifestyle, I need a dive buddy who is equally crazy about it... and me!

Dr. Bill
 
Being able to breath underwater is pretty darn cool, and being weightless while you explore and alien envirnoment is interesting as well.
 
I don't see diving as a sport at all ... that term implies some sort of competition, and that's the last thing I want in my mindset when I'm diving.

I see diving as a recreational activity ... more like hiking or sailing than like soccer or softball. The objective isn't to win, but rather to experience something you don't get in your normal life routine. Something that both challenges you and helps you relax. Something around which you can build a social circle .. and which if you want you can turn into a lifestyle.

For me, scuba has become an addiction. I know it ... so do those non-scuba friends who I almost never get to spend time with anymore.

I''ve often pondered why that is. About the best answer I can come up with is that it's the one place where an old, clumsy fart like me can go and do something that feels graceful and coordinated. There's a sense of wonder in experiencing all the underworld has to offer ... but the coolest part for me is just being able to hang in "space" and move about in three dimensions. Humans aren't typically programmed to do that ... and it's a way better high than drugs. Best of all, it's completely legal ... :eek:ut:

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
 
Diving is in many ways a way of life. My wife dives as do nearly all my close freinds. Divers share a common language of sorts and share common experiences that are outside the realm of experience for "normal" people.

Diving is also a sport where the mental component is often more critical than the physical component. It is one of the very few sports where men women, big, small, young, old, etc. makes no difference in terms of ability.

It is also one of those sports where a little inattention can kill and I think that is part of the appeal for many people. I work for the protoypical governement agency where being mundane is expected and pointing out the absurdity of something can get you fired. So after living in a Dilbert cartoon for a whole week it's nice to dive and not have to think about anything but diving and to know that there are rewards for being at the top of your game in something.

I like to dive deep because when I am down deep I have to focus on the tasks at hand and I am not able to think about all the other stresses and strains in life. A deep demanding deco dive is incredibly relaxing and refreshing simply because doing it safely precludes any extraneous thoughts.

It's also rather awe inspiring to go down deep, discover new things and realize that very few people have ever been where you are. There are very few frontiers left to explore and it's nice to still be able to find that kind of challenge in the world.
 
No phones, no pagers, no e-mail, no traffic jams, no boss, no creditors, no obnoxious noise, no air pollution, ......just floatiing serenely in the water column enjoying weightlessness and exploring new surroundings.
 
NWGratefulDiver once bubbled...
I don't see diving as a sport at all ... that term implies some sort of competition, and that's the last thing I want in my mindset when I'm diving.

I see diving as a recreational activity ... more like hiking or sailing than like soccer or softball. The objective isn't to win, but rather to experience something you don't get in your normal life routine. Something that both challenges you and helps you relax. Something around which you can build a social circle .. and which if you want you can turn into a lifestyle.

For me, scuba has become an addiction. I know it ... so do those non-scuba friends who I almost never get to spend time with anymore.

I''ve often pondered why that is. About the best answer I can come up with is that it's the one place where an old, clumsy fart like me can go and do something that feels graceful and coordinated. There's a sense of wonder in experiencing all the underworld has to offer ... but the coolest part for me is just being able to hang in "space" and move about in three dimensions. Humans aren't typically programmed to do that ... and it's a way better high than drugs. Best of all, it's completely legal ... :eek:ut:

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Not to argue sematics, I differentiate GAME from SPORT by a GAME having a competitive nature. In any case, it is way cool. I explain it to my friends as having

a physical component -- while not strenous, there is coordination, etc..

a mental component -- focusing on the dive AND also exploring/learning/finding new stuff

a spiritual component -- a realization that we are quite small in the vast ocean....serenity.....quiet.....beauty.

It still floors me how much I THINK about SCUBA.

Otter
 
PhotoTJ once bubbled...
I still think of it as an adventure!

When I think of a sport, I think competition. In a sport you have winners and losers. Diving is as much a sport as hiking, mountain climbing, and white water rafting.
 

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