Is scuba diving addiction worth being poor all the time?

[scubapro50]

You guys are only worried about the money ? Our sport has cost me several girlfriends and a wife when I was younger. If I liked a girl I would invite her over to go swimming and bring out the scuba gear to see how she react. If she did poorly or complained about it then I started looking for another girl the next day ....... lucky I found a women that loves the sport, been married 32 years and have over 300 logged dives together. We have spent as much as $8,000 of a scuba vacation together and loved every minute of it.

 

[Wingy]

I have a 15K annual dive travel budget.....its worth it, makes me happy, Im not using any credit, no one is going without anything, ive got one life and I intend to live it to the full doing what I love. Have not regretted one cent spent so far. OK..thats incorrect, I spent $1 on a flight to Vietnam and wondered why I bothered but no dramas another $100 later I was in Cambodia a few hours later. Im just making memories so I have something to close my eyes and dream back to when Im old and frail. That comes around quicker than we think.

 

[H2O Gal]

I like to do one liveaboard trip each year. They ain't cheap, but you can economize by looking for specials and going to close, not-so-exotic places. I've been to the Bahamas on 4 liveaboards, and even though the we go to the same places year after year, each trip is different, so I don't mind. My Hubby and I have never spent more than $2400 each, including airfare, and although we aren't extravagant the rest of the year, we are not destitute either. I believe it's possible to have one nice trip a year without being totally broke the rest of it!

Nice cars? Nah....Jewelry? Nah..... a nice dive trip once a year? Hells yeah!

 

[Pullmyfinger]

Diving is a priority for me, so I choose where I live and find employment based on being able to dive. The best way to make diving more affordable is to take advantage of the diving that is local to you.
I try to take one dive trip per year. I didn't last year, because I decided to spend the money on a new dry suit and other dive gear instead.
I don't care too much about having a nice car, but I live overseas, so I wouldn't be taking a vehicle to the States with me anyway. I do spend money on dive gear however.
I also make sure I check certain blocks, such as having money in savings, 20% toward retirement, and no debt. Once I pay my rent and utilities, and take care of checking the other responsible block....I have the remainder to be budgeted for whatever else I choose to.

Dont forget to pay your future self.

 

[BluewaterSail]

I strongly agree with those who have stated that saving for retirement isn't optional. You can choose to not have many luxuries in order to use most of your expendable income on diving. But in my opinion not having a retirement account that is planned in a way that you know that your minimum expenses will be covered is stupid. Actually worse than that. Some relative, who carefully budgetted their money over their working years, might feel some responsibility to help out poor destitute you. That really isn't fair.

Move someplace where you can dive locally and live cheaply. Buy your gear carefully and do as much maintanace yourself as your skills permit. Work overtime or get a new job to be able to afford what you want. But don't cheat your retirement account.

Just my opinion.

 

[Pullmyfinger]

You guys are only worried about the money ? Our sport has cost me several girlfriends and a wife when I was younger.

You may have gotten a good deal.:cool2:

 

[Peter69_56]

Hello, I am in my fifth year of this awesome fun adventuresome addiction. Got all my gear, a boat and just enough money to dive somewhere exotic every year. My dive buddy now has to w-o-r-k. That was the story when I lived near a great reef. So I was solo diving early on without drama yet knowing it was not the right thing to do. Removed myself from the tourist attraction and saving big money for group travels with different dive shops who put me with a new buddy. Have an upcoming trip soon which I meticulously planned during the hard cold winter under my happy light and it helped get me thru the season. Saved money, went without going out to dinner, decided to not buy a new car as the high mileage ones are still rolling and being maintained. What is scary is that if there was an emergency, all my extra cash is invested in scuba dive trips. How selfish! Today, after sleeping on it, I think the money would make me a lot happier sitting in the safe than traveling for a few measly dives which never seem to be enough! I have put myself in danger by solo shore diving where I was almost abducted, been in a third world hospital from toxic black mold which seems to be in every scuba destination hotel room and instead of saving for my retirement or buying a life insurance policy I am seventy feet underwater for not enough time! Satiated? Never. At least when you go out for a fancy dinner, you are full for a while. When you buy that new car, you enjoy it for a long time and it smells wonderful. Once I bought a pricy piece of jewelry which I had longed for many years and after I put it on I did not like it. It was bulky, uncomfortable and attracted unwanted attention. Sure wish scuba diving addiction felt like that piece of jewelry… Sure am happy my child has been going to Community College and is almost finished! I wonder is anyone else is in the same boat. Is this worth it?

Simply put YES.

I dive every opportunity I get, all our overseas trips are diving holidays. My wife comes along kicking and screaming but enjoys it as well. She didn't want to do tech diving but didn't want to be left behind so become certified. We either spend money on dive trips or diving gear for the next trip. I bitch and whinge about the cold water in winter, but still jump at a chance to go diving. Am I addicted, YES, its a feel good sport (so is sex and I love that too). We dive as many dives as we can a day when we are on holidays. We planned for 1 overseas trip a year but find we are doing 4 but still not enough. Where are you located? welcome to come diving anytime day or night. Ok see you are in USA, bummer well if you are ever in OZ feel free to email and we can arrange something, and some free accommodation as well.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I could think of a lot of other things that are worse than diving that take your money and give very little back in return.

 

[scubafanatic]

Hello, I am in my fifth year of this awesome fun adventuresome addiction. Got all my gear, a boat and just enough money to dive somewhere exotic every year. My dive buddy now has to w-o-r-k. That was the story when I lived near a great reef. So I was solo diving early on without drama yet knowing it was not the right thing to do. Removed myself from the tourist attraction and saving big money for group travels with different dive shops who put me with a new buddy. Have an upcoming trip soon which I meticulously planned during the hard cold winter under my happy light and it helped get me thru the season. Saved money, went without going out to dinner, decided to not buy a new car as the high mileage ones are still rolling and being maintained. What is scary is that if there was an emergency, all my extra cash is invested in scuba dive trips. How selfish! Today, after sleeping on it, I think the money would make me a lot happier sitting in the safe than traveling for a few measly dives which never seem to be enough! I have put myself in danger by solo shore diving where I was almost abducted, been in a third world hospital from toxic black mold which seems to be in every scuba destination hotel room and instead of saving for my retirement or buying a life insurance policy I am seventy feet underwater for not enough time! Satiated? Never. At least when you go out for a fancy dinner, you are full for a while. When you buy that new car, you enjoy it for a long time and it smells wonderful. Once I bought a pricy piece of jewelry which I had longed for many years and after I put it on I did not like it. It was bulky, uncomfortable and attracted unwanted attention. Sure wish scuba diving addiction felt like that piece of jewelry… Sure am happy my child has been going to Community College and is almost finished! I wonder is anyone else is in the same boat. Is this worth it?

Honestly, you've already answered your own question with a 'NO!' And I'd agree. Do you have a decent sized emergency cash fund ? Do you have a guaranteed job due to specialized job skills/degrees with a financially strong employer who can't go bankrupt or downsize you or your division ? Are you middle aged or older ? (American society heavily age discriminates, if you lose your job good luck getting a new one at 1/2 your old payrate!) Debt free ? Medically fit with no chronic medical issues or bad family genes predesposing you to inherited medical problems ? Are you expecting a big inheritance to fund your retirement or, more likely, will you be financially helping ailing, elderly parents or financially irresponsible children ? Have you done any retirement income planning to estimate the amount of $ you'd need to fund retirement ?

 

[Wookie]

Are you a diver, or are you just diving until something else comes along? If you're a diver, you can't spend enough. If it's a pastime, get out while you can. Go buy a used dirt bike. Take up fishing. This will suck your retirement, your house, and your life's blood.