Future Directions: Where Is Diving Going?

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IMHO, diving in general is experiencing a temporary low. This does not concern me in the least as a local diver. All the interesting stuff is (and will be) still there.

So, really, is the 'tragedy' nothing more than our temporary lack of attention? If so, it will most certainly be re-discovered.

On a local Chicago area diving group on FB, there have been a number of people asking about diving the lake or the quarry since they can’t get to Florida or out of the country. One gal wanted to dive the lake this weekend when she had never been in a 7mm, let alone hood and gloves ever. I had a long private chat with her and had to explain that’s not the way you do it. She had only been in a 3mm once when diving in the “colder” water off Hawaii. She’s doing her AOW locally next month. I had to impress upon her the importance of telling the instructor a 7mm, hood, and gloves are brand new for her.
 
IMHO, diving in general is experiencing a temporary low. This does not concern me in the least as a local diver. All the interesting stuff is (and will be) still there.
Not convinced. Diving requires equipment, and even if you already have the equipment it requires air fills. As near as I can tell, and this is from before the pandemic, on on the northwest coast of the United States in between the Bay Area and Anchorage, there were two dive shops on the northern California coast, one on the Oregon coast, one sort of on the Washington coast, and one on the Alaska coast. That means stretches of hundreds of miles without a place to get air. And, as near as I can tell, this pre-pandemic count is probably the lowest for dive shops in decades; it for sure is far and away the lowest in Oregon. Granted, there are inland dive shops by the population centers. And if all you care about is a trip to Coz, then yeah, diving will go on. But local diving was already moribund in many places, and the pandemic isn't improving things.
 
Not convinced. Diving requires equipment, and even if you already have the equipment it requires air fills.
Undrerstood. Scuba diving started in the US on the west coast and was quickly embraced by the east coast. The milieus were different. Now we have east vs. west. Oh well. It didn't REALLY start here (on either of our coasts) so who cares?

Granted, there are inland dive shops by the population centers. And if all you care about is a trip to Coz, then yeah, diving will go on. But local diving was already moribund in many places, and the pandemic isn't improving things.
YMMV. Local diving is alive and well.

Do you dive the local scene?
 
Not convinced. Diving requires equipment, and even if you already have the equipment it requires air fills. As near as I can tell, and this is from before the pandemic, on on the northwest coast of the United States in between the Bay Area and Anchorage, there were two dive shops on the northern California coast, one on the Oregon coast, one sort of on the Washington coast, and one on the Alaska coast. That means stretches of hundreds of miles without a place to get air. And, as near as I can tell, this pre-pandemic count is probably the lowest for dive shops in decades; it for sure is far and away the lowest in Oregon. Granted, there are inland dive shops by the population centers. And if all you care about is a trip to Coz, then yeah, diving will go on. But local diving was already moribund in many places, and the pandemic isn't improving things.
What are the two shops on the Northern California Coast north of SF that you know of?
If Sub Surface Progression in Fort Bragg is one of them, it closed down several months ago because of no ab diving and lack of tourism.
Is there another one somewhere further north?
 
For those in Florida, New England, San Diego, Hawaii, and other "hot spots" for diving might not be too affected if they loose 20%+ of LDS.... but to others, in areas where diving is less popular, losing the ONLY two or three shops will be a huge problem. Sure, if the local shops are gone, you could still order gear online, but what about air fills and service? IMO, this is the most important time to support our local dive shops, as many are (or will be) at risk of going out of business....
 
What are the two shops on the Northern California Coast north of SF that you know of?
If Sub Surface Progression in Fort Bragg is one of them, it closed down several months ago because of no ab diving and lack of tourism.
Is there another one somewhere further north?

I think there's one in Samoa (across the bay from Eureka), Live 2 Dive, and maybe sort of one in Crescent City., Pacific Quest.
 
I think there's one in Samoa (across the bay from Eureka), Live 2 Dive, and maybe sort of one in Crescent City., Pacific Quest.
I have a feeling someone will start up a seasonal air fill kiosk or trailer somewhere in Mendocino County before long. Maybe even Vandamme parking lot.
 
I have a feeling someone will start up a seasonal air fill kiosk or trailer somewhere in Mendocino County before long. Maybe even Vandamme parking lot.
OSU's field station in Port Orford was, before the pandemic closed them, filling tanks for visiting divers when they had time to help. Not oxygen clean, though, I believe, so putting that air into a Nitrox tank would become problematic at the next Nitrox fill. But still a nice resource.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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