Do you dive locally?

[Crush]

I have been following a thread at http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/5084126-post341.html where the statement was made "if all we served were local divers, probably 2/3rds of the shops here would close." How do you feel about this? Do you primarily dive locally, or primarily on vacation?

I realize that the fact that you are reading this on SB may well indicate that you are a dedicated diver who dives locally and the results will be biased...

 

[TSandM]

I do about two-thirds to three-quarters of my diving locally. But I'm lucky enough to live in a place that other people travel to to dive.

I do know a fair number of people in Washington who do NOT dive here, but most of them don't dive much, period. I know three fairly active divers who do not dive cold water. I certainly know a whole lot more who do!

 

[rstofer]

Just to skew the results: I dive locally but was not trained locally.

I was at the LDS the other day when one of the local firefighters was there to sign up for OW. His motivation: he was going to a wedding in Hawaii late in the summer and he wanted to be certified in advance.

Richard

 

[noreastDIVER84]

I do almost all of my diving locally and it is not the type of conditions that most people like. I generally have only 12-15' visibility, The water is generally cold (it ranges from about 45-65), and there is usually a strong current, which is ideal for drift diving.

 

[Blackwood]

Probably close to 90% of my dives were local.

 

[Belce]

I am fortunate to live in one of the best places to dive in the world.

 

[meagicano]

I'm newly certified and only have about 15 dives under my belt - all of which have been local, mostly in the St Lawrence.

 

[Crush]

Belce and meagicano,

You are both very lucky. Alberta is not known for spectacular diving (to put it mildly), though Lake Minnewanka is great for ice diving. Most of my dives are local - I get to practice my skills without the distraction of spectacular underwater views.

 

[Sas]

I dive a couple of times each week locally but take a few dive trips each year. This year I'll probably do half a dozen trips interstate to dive, no overseas ones planned this year though. Last year I did two overseas trips and three interstate trips where I dived.

 

[FireInMyBones]

All of my dives have been local, to date. I am looking forward to diving in FL this summer and maybe off the coast of NC.