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

[boulderjohn]

I have just started diving, baving only my OW and about 13 dives done. I have my own gear and really like it so far. If anything would cause me to stop eventually it is the grind of driving to yhe divesite, hauling about 40 kilo's on my back, dive for about 30 to 40 minutes and the do it all in reverse (hauling and driving). I would say that, including packing and checking gear, driving to and from, and cleaning and storing my gear, I get about 30 to 40 minutes diving out of about 2,5 to 3 hours preparing/driving/gearing op etc.

I wrote an article about exactly that a while ago. I called it the WTF factor.

In all activities, there is a ratio of Work to Fun. Work is everything that is unpleasant that must be done to participate in the fun of the activity, and that can include just about everything, including the amount of money required to participate. I mentioned above that I gave up skiing. That was partially due to knee replacement, but my orthopedist said I could skill ski, as long as I stayed with the easier slopes. That admonition greatly diminished the fun aspect of it. At the same time, the traffic going into the Colorado mountains on a ski weekend was so heavy that travel to and from the slopes took hours each way. That greatly increased the work aspect, and the WTF ratio was all wrong.

I see this a lot in technical diving. The amount of work and money required for a technical dive is significant. In the beginning, for many people, that extra work is actually part of the fun. After a while, though, the fun aspect subsides, and when it becomes routine, then it is just work. We had a thread maybe 10 years ago about the number of avid tech divers who were dropping out of that kind of diving, and I think that is the reason.

When the WTF factor is out of balance, "WTF" takes on a new meaning, and the participant quits.

 

[Mrs. B]

We call it the pleasure: effort ratio

I would say that flying on vacation where you rent a plane for 120 dollars / hr and fly for an hour around the area has a very good pleasure: effort ratio for example. We’ve done that a few times and you can usually not even plan it ahead.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

For me the WTF factor is pretty balanced.
I can get to a great dive spot in about 1 hour 10 minutes. The gate fee is $8 or if you have a state park pass you get in with that.
Gas is about $30 - $40 now days, it used to be half that. Air fills are $6 each.
Bring a lunch.
The more tanks you do the more cost effective it becomes. I hunt so if I get game then that counts for something too. That is food that I do not have to buy.
I would say overall it’s pretty economical measured against something like dirt bikes or four wheeling.
Not as economical as bicycle riding where you leave your house and return to your house on your own power. Bikes can be expensive though and I also believe it is more dangerous to ride a bike on a public road then it is to scuba dive, that’s why I gave it up.
When I owned a boat scuba diving was very expensive and I don’t feel that where we went to dive necessarily was always worth the extra effort and money to deal with the boat. A kayak can almost give me the same results, maybe not in the ability to cover dozens of miles, but just getting out to some outer reefs on a kayak is good enough. A lot of times they are the same places we were going with the boat.

 

[Bored]

Diving is cost prohibitive for me to do it on a regular basis. I want to return to blowing bubbles because I miss it, but for now life is in the way.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Diving is cost prohibitive for me to do it on a regular basis. I want to return to blowing bubbles because I miss it, but for now life is in the way.

Well, work to make it a priority.
What else do you spend your time and money on?

 

[Belzelbub]

For me the WTF factor is pretty balanced.
I can get to a great dive spot in about 1 hour 10 minutes. The gate fee is $8 or if you have a state park pass you get in with that.
Gas is about $30 - $40 now days, it used to be half that. Air fills are $6 each.

Same here. I can get to lots of dive sites with a boat ride under an hour. The only fees are to park the trailer which is $6.00 per day. And that hour can be in the fun side if the seas are cooperating. I enjoy being out on the boat, so unless the seas are real nasty, that’s fun as well.

Gas is a bit more, but not enough for me to skip the trip. Only weather has cancelled any recent trips.

Within that hour boat ride, I’ve got lots of choices of dive sites. Wrecks, artificial reefs, natural ledges, etc. Plus, there are inland sites if I must get in the water and the weather is keeping me onshore.

 

[Bored]

Well, work to make it a priority.
What else do you spend your time and money on?

Notice I said "cost prohibitive". My time and money is spent on eating and having a roof over my head.

 

[DanBMW]

It's a generational thing.... Look to the baby boomers as to why SCUBA took off in the first place. Mike Nelson played a part. We skydived, SCUBA dived, snow skied, played kick the can... etc... Boomers are getting older and many are no longer getting wet. The younger generations are more into virtual things...

 

[Bored]

I disagree with the generational stereotype. The millenials and GenZ folks in my circles are pretty active. They bike, trail run, play live sports, etc.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I disagree with the generational stereotype. The millenials and GenZ folks in my circles are pretty active. They bike, trail run, play live sports, etc.

Do they scuba dive or freedive?