What is the fundamental reason that prevents scuba diving from becoming popular?

[Rose Robinson]

for all my friends and girlfriend who started diving, but didn't keep diving, the answer was very simple.

Scuba diving is a Hassle.

It's as simple as that. We like to pretend it's not the case, but it's a hobby that involves tons of prep/maintenance and hauling around of stuff before you can do the actual diving.

Joris,

''Hassle'' can be applied to just about any sport/hobby.

Trailering specialty vehicles long distances to shows/displays, hauling skiing/climbing/cycling/motorcycling/snow mobiles/boats/camping gear/kite boarding to/from destinations, having to prep/service/maintain all of the above.

From a hassle stand-point, taking the above into consideration, diving comes out as a lot less hassle than most.

In the case of your friends/associates, it boils down to liking the sport, or coming up with any ''suitable'' excuse not to.

I travel a ferry every day to get from the Island to the mainland and back, unless I stay over. Would be a ''hassle'' to some, I find the time spent on the ferries to be very relaxing.

Personal likes and dislikes, apply to anything you can mention.

Rose.

 

[Joris Vd]

Joris,

''Hassle'' can be applied to just about any sport/hobby.

Trailering specialty vehicles long distances to shows/displays, hauling skiing/climbing/cycling/motorcycling/snow mobiles/boats/camping gear/kite boarding to/from destinations, having to prep/service/maintain all of the above.

From a hassle stand-point, taking the above into consideration, diving comes out as a lot less hassle than most.

In the case of your friends/associates, it boils down to liking the sport, or coming up with any ''suitable'' excuse not to.

I travel a ferry every day to get from the Island to the mainland and back, unless I stay over. Would be a ''hassle'' to some, I find the time spent on the ferries to be very relaxing.

Personal likes and dislikes, apply to anything you can mention.

Rose.

I disagree. Half of the sports/hobbies you state take alot less work than diving in both execution/ maintenance / prep and you picked some less than obvious general hobbies.

Likes and dislikes have nothing to do with it, it's a simple equation of time spent not doing the activity to prepare for the activity vs time that you can do the actual activity.
You might enjoy Ferries, but I don't enjoy rinsing my dive gear every evening or hauling everything in and out of my car all the time.

I do it, cause I love diving, but if I could have a way to just go diving without having to do all of this, I would do it instantly.
Honestly I don't think anyone on this board would still want to go for fills if they could have an infinite tank?

 

[Chavodel8en]

Diving is a hassle - more so than most sports -- its just that for most of us (scuba geeks) its worth the hassle -- although not when I drive for 4 hours roundtrip just to see green water and not much else, then I question my commitment.

For all of the list above, one difference is that you do not have to be certified to do the activities. And many are more ubiquitous geographically - to cycle, motorcycle, hike, even camp, EVERYONE is likely about an hour away, and buying equipment away from engaging in the activity.

I'll say again, I consider myself very lucky to be 2 hours away from good ocean diving, if that were not the case, I dont know if I would have become a local diver, and that might have prevented me from being a diver at all.

 

[tursiops]

it's a simple equation of time spent not doing the activity to prepare for the activity vs time that you can do the actual activity.

This would exclude downhill skiing from the list of things people like to do. Is that your intention?

 

[Lorenzoid]

I have long been curious to know the percentage of divers worldwide for whom essentially any diving involves air travel. I guess I am asking what percentage are what are often called "vacation divers," though I believe that term is imprecise. For many divers I know, the first thing that's mentioned when the idea of a dive trip comes up is "let's check airfares." Then, "let's check when I can get away for a week." Are airfares reasonable when they have time for a trip? Is it hurricane season? There are so many other activities that don't require air travel or even require leaving town for many days.

 

[tursiops]

I guess I am asking what percentage are what are often called "vacation divers," though I believe that term is imprecise.

Yeah, a better term might be "travel divers." Since it is the travel that is the point, not the vacation.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Yeah, a better term might be "travel divers." Since it is the travel that is the point, not the vacation.

The ideal term would capture the point that the travel involved is substantial, not just a day's drive. "Air-travel divers"?

 

[tursiops]

The ideal term would capture the point that the travel involved is substantial, not just a day's drive. "Air-travel divers"?

No, I have a number of times driven 12 hours to dive the next two days and then driven home. 6h is even more common. 2-3h is a minimum.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

This thread reminds me how lucky I am, and that I shouldn't complain about a defective bridge adding 10 minutes to my 20 minute drive to several decent marine dive sites....

In thinking about this more, there are several factors at play:

1. Geography. Living in the Dakotas would not have led me to SCUBA. Similarly, how many Belizeans downhill ski?

2. Swimming ability. Many of those who grew up poor in the USA, or in other parts of the world where "learning to swim" isn't a standard rite of passage, can't pass the swim test.

3. Cost. This really is big, especially among younger folks. I teach college students and have folks that would LOVE to dive, and are pretty good at it, but can't scrape together $300 to take, e.g., an Advanced class, let alone buy gear. (And these kids aren't downhill skiing, golfing, etc., either.)

4. Lots of personal reasons. The heavy gear puts my wife off: She'd rather just free dive. Some just don't see why you'd want to go underwater. It's not an attraction. Personally, I don't like car-camping. The only reason I'll sleep outside is if there's a place I want to be that requires me to spend a night in a tent a day's hike (or more) from the trailhead. And I'm a hazard when downhill skiing, though love cross-country. Some people get freaked out in any limited visibility situation. Some get freaked out if they can't see the bottom from the surface.

5. Medical reasons. They may really, really want to dive, but can't. I'd include in here folks with cognitive impairments that mean passing a SCUBA written exam just isn't in the cards. (I have a son with this issue, and he's a solid free diver. I even certified him as a skin diver because he could do all the skills, including orally inflating a BCD which my "typical" students often struggle with....) Some of these can be overcome (and they're great organizations that do this work), but others can't be.

 

[ssssnake529]

For me, the biggest obstacle was that, until very recently, my wife was not interested in diving.

I have wanted to dive since 15+ years ago when I went diving at a resort on the Great Barrier Reef on an island in northern Australia. However, my wife didn't want to do it and I didn't need another time consuming hobby that we didn't share.

Luckily, my wife recently changed her mind and became amenable to diving (mixed with other activities.)

I have seen similar situations with friends. They are interested, but their wives have zero interest, so it doesn't happen. Taking a dive vacation with the guys is politically infeasible.

I don't have any facts or figures, but I'd guess that there is a male/female interest gap in this sport. As long as this persists, it will be an obstacle.