Overlap between diving and aviation communities

[2airishuman]

@CuzzA observed on another thread that many of the posters were pilots. Anecdotally, there does seem to be a good deal of overlap. Is it common personality traits, or is there more to it?

I switched from flying to diving because I needed a cheaper hobby.

 

[BRT]

I'm betting motorcycle riding is over represented in divers too.

 

[Russoft]

I got interested in diving at age 8 after reading children's novels where the kids were divers who went on great adventures. I certified at age 12 with my dad/buddy. I remember my dad saying to me during the course "apparently a lot of pilots also dive". My dad has his commercial pilot's license, and while it's not his day job, he has a lot of friends and acquaintances who are pilots. I kick myself for not doing my private pilot's license while I had access to an airplane at $0/hr.

I just finished "The Last Dive" audiobook and found it interesting that Chris (and some of his friends) were both into aviation and diving. There's got to be something to it.

I can't say I know a whole lot of people personally who both fly and dive. In my field (biomedical engineering) there are a disproportionate number of certified divers among my colleagues both past and present.

 

[oldschoolto]

Like I said... I think it is a type A thing... The thrill of adventure...

Jim..

 

[RainPilot]

I have witnessed a lot of crossover. I took my OW in 2000 from a colleague who was a flight instructor with me. The course was comprised of 7 of us from the same unit.

Currently I have in my dive circle 3 airline pilots, 2 specops pilots, several ex SF jumpers and several divers who would fly if they had the budget.

With rebreather there is a definite mindset transfer (procedures, checklists, troubleshooting, calm under pressure etc)

I wonder if there isn't an ADD kind of thing going where some people need to "slip the surlies " and find a way to do it.

I for one get out of diving what I really wanted to get out of flying, the sense of 3D freedom.

I have that in an aircraft but there's a lot of insulation between me and the medium.

 

[flyboy08]

Fly, dive and ride....three ways to ensure you'll leave the kids nothing

 

[EdC]

@CuzzA observed on another thread that many of the posters were pilots. Anecdotally, there does seem to be a good deal of overlap. Is it common personality traits, or is there more to it?

I switched from flying to diving because I needed a cheaper hobby.

I have been diving for less than a year, but even in that short time I have to say I have noticed the overlap. Several divers that I have talked with at the local dive shop are pilots as well as those on SB.

I'm betting motorcycle riding is over represented in divers too.

I would also second the motorcycle connection, especially in the off-road crowd.

For me I find the risks/demands of flying similar to diving, and they are some of the last activities in modern culture where you still have personal responsibility, no excuses.

 

[admikar]

Fly, dive and ride....three ways to ensure you'll leave the kids nothing

Ironically, I found third part most dangerous. First two, you are mostly in control. Ride part, you are mostly at mercy of bunch of clueless idiots behind the wheel.

 

[Dave Bevan]

I'm an Avionics Tech if that's any help.

 

[1LE]

As soon as I started my diving training I found out that an awful lot of my pilot friends used to dive (none do currently though). And many of them also are motorcyclists too (about 50/50 on active/not).

Zero overlap between my auto racing friends and any of the above though oddly. You'd think it would be similar, but nope.