Remember: Scubaboard is rated Parental Guidance (PG).
Hello Scuba,
Never considered scuba diving to be unpopular.
Like any sport/hobbies you want to name, it's not everybody's cup of tea.
I'm fortunate, in as much as I live in an abundant opportunity area, others who live in land-locked areas are not as fortunate, and have to travel, sometimes great distances, which adds extra cost to to sport.
As far as cost, tell me a sport or hobby that's not expensive. Motor cycles/snow mobiles/specialty automobiles/serious camping/hunting/rock/mountain climbing/skiing, and the list goes on.
And, considering some which I have listed above, scuba diving is a lot less expensive.
A lot of avid divers incur unnecessary costs, simply by having far too much gear/multiple systems/multiple rebreathers, kind of like specialty cars, one is fabulous, so a whole warehouse full has to be better.
Diving, in most cases, can be as economical or as expensive as the enthusiast wants it to be.
I own, primary/spares/backup, one system. For me, that's more than enough. I have no barriers preventing me from purchasing more, but for me, personally, I have no need/want/desire. Also, when I buy new, I trade in old, I have no need for 20 sets of regs/closets of old suits, or a garage full of tanks. In with the new, out with the old!
On a final note, I've never been anyone's captive audience, and in this sport, staying far away from the LDS, unless there is a need, will save you lots of money. Retail is retail, with the prime objective being, ''keeping the till well fed''
LOL,
Rose