Why is Scuba Diving a Transitional Sport?

[scrane]

I like the three dimensional aspect of diving plus the ability to observe close up some pretty interesting creatures. I've been doing it for almost 50 years and I love it more than ever.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Hi Max,

I am about a year behind you with that 60 thing.

Did you buy your boat for diving and did you buy it early-on in your diving adventure?

If you answered the poll, did you choose question #1?

cheers,
markm

I answered #1. I averaged a little over 100 dives per year after my OW certification. I then got a weekend job at a dive shop for several years plus worked as a DM on a couple of local dive boats. My average shot down to about 35 dives per year. I bought a twelve foot inflatable and went back to diving a lot. I followed that up with a sailboat, then a 22 foot power boat and finally a 25 foot C-Dory Tomcat. In between boats I made a ton of shore dives. My average is back to around 100 dives per year. I wish it was higher but the ocean has not been compliant lately.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I have been diving continuously since 1959. I do not travel for diving, but rather dive my local dive site in the Clackamas River about a half hour from my home. I enjoy being underwater, and observing underwater life. Initially I started out diving, then got certified in 1963 (we had to import a LA County Instructor from California to get certified; my small dive club was called the Salem Junior Aqua Club, and we were with the Salem Aqua Club at the time. Dive clubs are important to keeping divers diving locally too.

Diving currently is set up as an industry for fairly wealthy people. But wealthy people are just trying out a sport, and want new experiences all the time. So they will dive for a while, then go to other sports.

I am not wealthy; I picked strawberries and beans as a teenager to buy my first Scuba unit, used. I rarely buy a new piece of equipment, and do not pay retail price for diving equipment, except for essentials (like my wet suit). I use equipment until it dies (wears out). I repair my own equipment (I recently got a U.S. Divers Company Aquamatic regulator back to life for a pool test--it probably won't go into open water).

What is lost is that while dive travel is a great industry, there is very interesting diving locally too. Here's a sampler from just one dive last year (August 27th, 2018) in the Clackamas River near Portland, Oregon (actually in Gladstone, Oregon at High Rocks Park). There are two of the small fish, a crawdad, and another photo which shows why so many people say there's nothing in the river. Can you see it?

SeaRat

 

[markmud]

Hi John C.,

Thanks for your post. I enjoyed the pictures.

You Wrote: "Diving currently is set up as an industry for fairly wealthy people. But wealthy people are just trying out a sport, and want new experiences all the time. So they will dive for a while, then go to other sports."

I tend to agree with that. Although, I don't think most are wealthy per se, but upper middle class with disposable income for sure. Not a criticism, I have a little different angle on your premise.

The club aspect is really a key for many I believe. I tried to join a Scuba club. They are a NorCal based club that focused on north coast diving. The club was filled with very nice people. We would have become members if they focused on dives to Monterey and south to the Channel Islands. You Oregonians are a hardy people, braving colder water than I could ever fathom. That club was way to hardy for my thin blood.

I planned-out the founding of a club. I called it "The Union of Advanced Recreational Divers". Its mission was to organize experienced recreational divers into a bargaining collective that could negotiate terms and dive sites with dive operators. In numbers, buying power exists; in terms of price (economies of scale) and preferential treatment.

Life gets in the way. And, Dennis and Roxanne are doing something that accomplishes the same goal for me, even though their mission statement is quite different.

enjoyed it!

markm

 

[icechip]

I stay with scuba diving because it is a great thing to do: physically, mentally, etc. It also co-aligns with and scratches some of my other interests like marine science, maritime history, etc. I think some people jump into it for the "trendiness" of it and then move on to something else, someone earlier referred to the 'bucket list'. I think that's too bad, but ok, good for them. Another earlier post said something about how years back they had been trained longer than what is being done now. Maybe that has something to do with sticking with it (or not) as well. My 1979 OW program through the Y was pretty rigorous, which I now greatly appreciate. Anyway, I dive because I enjoy it and I keep at it because it is my zen moment.

 

[Colliam7]

'Transitional' was / is a very reasonable term to use. For quite a few people, scuba is simply a recreational activity pursued after they stop, or begin to lose interest in, pursuing something else, and before they begin to pursue their next activity, as they lose interest in diving. Scuba is therefore what some people do when they are in transition, e.g. between bungee jumping and hiking, or between jet skiing and cross-fit training. Many people, particularly younger individuals it seems, are recreational activity dilettantes.

The term 'transient' also is applicable, given the relatively short period of time during which many people pursue the sport in their lifetime.

I confess, I came to diving not because of a love of water, or an interest in marine biology, but because I wanted to do things that not everybody else did. It was probably an ego booster. Given that background, I was statistically likely to engage in scuba as a transitional activity, and my participation in diving was likely to be transient.

What made the difference for me: a) I had a newly certified dive buddy who was equally enthusiastic about our new endeavor, and that got me into the water a number of times during that critical 6 month period after certification when too many new divers are not able to dive, lose most of their skills developed in OW training, and are increasingly reluctant to dive much after that; b) I happened to get certified through a shop where the owner was a 'pied piper'. He was such a cheerleader for diving that it was infectious. He and I became friends, he got me interested in buying gear. He persuaded me to take tec training, to enroll in the DM course, he made it easy to travel to dive (he drove much of the time). Diving became my primary social activity - a core group of us would go out to eat together, get together for Halloween, New Year's, Super Bowl, etc. So, it became a central part of my life.

I frankly admit, I was not all that comfortable underwater for quite some time. But, gradually, it became easier and easier, my confidence increased, my enjoyment of simply swimming underwater grew, and I came to look at every dive as a training dive, so I looked forward to doing something underwater, anything, better than I did it before. Now, I can go to the quarry where I have dove 100s of times, and find something new and interesting to do.

Now, diving has become a habit, it is something I am modestly competent to do, most of my friends are people who dive (it really is a self-selection process), and I work in the dive industry so I have a reason to go to the pool, the quarry, the coast, etc..

 

[markmud]

'Transitional' was / is a very reasonable term to use. For quite a few people, scuba is simply a recreational activity pursued after they stop, or begin to lose interest in, pursuing something else, and before they begin to pursue their next activity, as they lose interest in diving. Scuba is therefore what some people do when they are in transition, e.g. between bungee jumping and hiking, or between jet skiing and cross-fit training. Many people, particularly younger individuals it seems, are recreational activity dilettantes.

The term 'transient' also is applicable, given the relatively short period of time during which many people pursue the sport in their lifetime.

I confess, I came to diving not because of a love of water, or an interest in marine biology, but because I wanted to do things that not everybody else did. It was probably an ego booster. Given that background, I was statistically likely to engage in scuba as a transitional activity, and my participation in diving was likely to be transient.

What made the difference for me: a) I had a newly certified dive buddy who was equally enthusiastic about our new endeavor, and that got me into the water a number of times during that critical 6 month period after certification when too many new divers are not able to dive, lose most of their skills developed in OW training, and are increasingly reluctant to dive much after that; b) I happened to get certified through a shop where the owner was a 'pied piper'. He was such a cheerleader for diving that it was infectious. He and I became friends, he got me interested in buying gear. He persuaded me to take tec training, to enroll in the DM course, he made it easy to travel to dive (he drove much of the time). Diving became my primary social activity - a core group of us would go out to eat together, get together for Halloween, New Year's, Super Bowl, etc. So, it became a central part of my life.

I frankly admit, I was not all that comfortable underwater for quite some time. But, gradually, it became easier and easier, my confidence increased, my enjoyment of simply swimming underwater grew, and I came to look at every dive as a training dive, so I looked forward to doing something underwater, anything, better than I did it before. Now, I can go to the quarry where I have dove 100s of times, and find something new and interesting to do.

Now, diving has become a habit, it is something I am modestly competent to do, most of my friends are people who dive (it really is a self-selection process), and I work in the dive industry so I have a reason to go to the pool, the quarry, the coast, etc..

Hi Colliam7,

There have been many really good responses to this thread; however, this is one of the best. You went full circle.

The diving, the social aspect, the team or club camaraderie. Your LDS owner/instructor fostered all of that along with your buddy.

Thanks man as that was a good read,
markm

 

[drrich2]

Why is scuba diving a transitional sport?

How did you find your niche in scuba?

Long-term interest in reptiles, dinosaurs, sharks, 'creepy crawlies' and animals generally. Enjoyed walking the wilds looking at and photographing lizards, snakes, ground hogs, etc... Liked the scuba shows on t.v.; thought that'd be great to try, like an African safari or some such.

2005 - got engaged. Age 36. Planned honeymoon cruise, and saw opportunity for future wife & I to do something fun, adventurous, novel and a good memory maker. Researched online and took an OW course. Had never set foot outside the U.S., didn't really know the difference between going to the Caribbean and going to Europe (not a Geography whiz).

2006 - Honeymoon. Age 37. 2 Dives St. Thomas, 2 Puerto Rico. Enjoyed.

In years to come - 4 trips to Bonaire with group lead by my old instructor. Some cruise ship excursion diving. Got a comfort level for visiting the Caribbean - cruising helped with this. Started planning my own trips.

ScubaBoard does a great deal to keep the passion alive between trips.

That said, living inland in Kentucky, to engage the hobby in the way I got into it (e.g.: coral reef diving, sharks, etc...), with decent frequency, well, that's 2 trips with airfare/year. Solo, maybe $2,500 - $3,500, with family we're talking $6,000 - $9,500...per trip.

Wife hasn't been diving in quite awhile & prefers cruising, and we've got a 5-year old kid (obviously a non-diver); I'm an introvert who spend a lot of time in solitary pursuits and married late so I'm willing to pursue hobbies independently, but not everyone is to that extent.

Getting into an exotic hobby in a lasting way on those terms isn't going to stick with everyone.

I have a co-worker who runs in marathons. To me, why travel for that? You can run around the block at home! But I think running, like scuba diving, skiing and a number of other things, is a means for someone to engage/relate to a destination, create an experience that makes it a part of your life.

Richard.

 

[drrich2]

P.S.: If I'm blessed with retirement in the please-please-please!!! next few years, and our family income goes way down, I'll likely be pricing the cheapest Caribbean budget trips I can find, and such...Cozumel, Blackbeards, etc... And my close-enough-to-50-to-throw-a-rock-and-hit-it fat sedentary body with back issues ain't really the 'back packer' demographic.

Richard.

 

[markmud]

I have a co-worker who runs in marathons. To me, why travel for that? You can run around the block at home! But I think running, like scuba diving, skiing and a number of other things, is a means for someone to engage/relate to a destination, create an experience that makes it a part of your life.

Richard.

Hi Richard,

NIce hearing from you. I enjoyed meeting you and your family at the Surge.

Your paragraph above nailed my thoughts pretty darn well.

cheers,
markm