Dracunos
Contributor
Hello divers. I'm feeling a bit apprehensive about getting into this sport that I have so much interest in. It's not the physical aspect of breathing underwater (although you never know until you actually do it), or even the calculated dangers inherent in the sport.
My concerns are about two things.. My age and finding partners, and of course money.
Let's start with money.. The very basic and initial investment (for the course nearby) would cost 350, plus maybe 200 for basic gear, and I'm assuming there are other items I'll eventually need or want, so I could allow for another couple hundred for 'etc', maybe eventually a thousand (although I'm pretty stingy with my savings). But the initial cost isn't really THAT big of a deal to me (as long as my gi bill stipend gets here soon, at least
). I was wondering more about the operating costs. While I know there are always endless variables, I was curious about maintenance on equipment, refilling tanks, etc (not sure what else). Is travel usually the most expensive aspect?
In San Pedro, Ca, where I live, I'm lucky enough to have this nice dive shop (that offers courses) named Pacific Wilderness (that has nothing but fantastic reviews and referrals when mentioned), and they also have a seemingly pretty active dive club as well. But at the same time... I feel like such an outsider. Not only because I have no savvy for this sport, but also because I am only 24.
It seems like almost every other diver (at least around here) is like.. 40s+, and the rest are 30+. It makes sense, considering diving is a pretty expensive sport, especially the initial investment, and considering that most younger people just don't have that kind of disposable income. Or they'd rather spend it on drinking, smoking, and partying (which I theorize many kids probably spend more on than many of you spend on diving). But I don't like drinking and partying. It's not exciting or very interesting to me. I'm just secretly a nerd. I like science and huge amazing blow-your-mind type stuff, not talking to Becky about how Josh broke up with Janet. I really want to experience this whole new.. universe underwater, if you will. But it's hard because I feel so unwelcome when nobody around my age seems to frequent these places. I walk into a dive shop and feel this bad vibe like I'm not supposed to be here.. I couldn't possibly have enough money to afford this old man hobby (okay, not really old.. But still a generation or two above me). I could, of course, just be imagining it, but I would hate to join a dive club and not be able to find partners, or a friendly partner, to dive with, just because I'm too young and not 'supposed' to be here.
My concerns are about two things.. My age and finding partners, and of course money.
Let's start with money.. The very basic and initial investment (for the course nearby) would cost 350, plus maybe 200 for basic gear, and I'm assuming there are other items I'll eventually need or want, so I could allow for another couple hundred for 'etc', maybe eventually a thousand (although I'm pretty stingy with my savings). But the initial cost isn't really THAT big of a deal to me (as long as my gi bill stipend gets here soon, at least
). I was wondering more about the operating costs. While I know there are always endless variables, I was curious about maintenance on equipment, refilling tanks, etc (not sure what else). Is travel usually the most expensive aspect?In San Pedro, Ca, where I live, I'm lucky enough to have this nice dive shop (that offers courses) named Pacific Wilderness (that has nothing but fantastic reviews and referrals when mentioned), and they also have a seemingly pretty active dive club as well. But at the same time... I feel like such an outsider. Not only because I have no savvy for this sport, but also because I am only 24.
It seems like almost every other diver (at least around here) is like.. 40s+, and the rest are 30+. It makes sense, considering diving is a pretty expensive sport, especially the initial investment, and considering that most younger people just don't have that kind of disposable income. Or they'd rather spend it on drinking, smoking, and partying (which I theorize many kids probably spend more on than many of you spend on diving
). But I don't like drinking and partying. It's not exciting or very interesting to me. I'm just secretly a nerd. I like science and huge amazing blow-your-mind type stuff, not talking to Becky about how Josh broke up with Janet. I really want to experience this whole new.. universe underwater, if you will. But it's hard because I feel so unwelcome when nobody around my age seems to frequent these places. I walk into a dive shop and feel this bad vibe like I'm not supposed to be here.. I couldn't possibly have enough money to afford this old man hobby (okay, not really old.. But still a generation or two above me). I could, of course, just be imagining it, but I would hate to join a dive club and not be able to find partners, or a friendly partner, to dive with, just because I'm too young and not 'supposed' to be here.
