why are there very few young divers?

[Doc Harry]

I was at a lake and walked into the water to go diving. Two women with a bunch of kids were sitting on the beach. As I walked by I heard their conversation:

"Oh, look! A scuba diver! I dated a scuba diver once. They're rich people with nothing better to do."

---------- Post added October 4th, 2013 at 04:57 PM ----------

You guys are mere babies in regards to spending.

4 aluminium cylinders
4 steel cylinders
.
.

Dat ain't nothing. I'll call all of your gear and raise you by one compressor, a Nitrox mixing stick, a bank of 4500 PSI Nitrox storage tanks, fill station with high-grade filtration, multiple gas analyzers, cylinder inspection lights and optical scopes, a tank tumbler, and all the tools required to maintain all of the above.

 

[purepursuit]

Cost and perceived risk. The cost prevents the younger generation from taking up this activity without financial assistance. Its going to run you around $2200.00 to pick up gear and OW cert. Then in S.FL its $65.00 for a 2 tanker (Yes I know you can shore dive etc). To do it once a week you'd be laying out $260.00 a month + Fills + Servicing + ETC.. The perceived risk is what most likely sways parents from agreeing to foot the bill for their children to take up this sport (As opposed to Golf which has a similar entry cost).

That being said I'm 28 and Dive a lot..so we do exist.

 

[mathauck0814]

I was at a lake and walked into the water to go diving. Two women with a bunch of kids were sitting on the beach. As I waslked by I heard their conversation:

"Oh, look! A scuba diver! I dated a scuba diver once. They're rich people with nothing better to do."

---------- Post added October 4th, 2013 at 04:57 PM ----------



Dat ain't nothing. I'll call all of your gear and raise you by one compressor, a Nitrox mixing stick, a bank of 4500 PSI Nitrox storage tanks, fill station with high-grade filtration, multiple gas analyzers, cylinder inspection lights and optical scopes, a tank tumbler, and all the tools required to maintain all of the above.

^That, 2 rebreathers and scooters (just waiting for the first one to chime in with the ultimate trump card: Boat)

 

[TSandM]

Boat . . .

 

[pocky21]

The sad thing is, 9/10 friends I've had over the years will drop $100-$200 over a weekend on a liver killing "college experience". Well maybe not the hot ones, they spend it on clothes and get the drinks for free. Most of it comes out of credit cards and student loans, but every once in a while they have rich parents. And to those who claim the coastal influence - I know more die-hard young divers who live inland than on the coast. Most of the coasties take up surfing or, again, drinking themselves into oblivion. I always had a buddy when I lived in AZ, and nobody would bat an eyelash to a 2 hour drive. Here in N. FL - my first non-solo dive will be tomorrow, as part of a class I'm paying for.

Perhaps the problem is that we think of diving as this grand, luxurious escape to some far away tropical destination - surrounded by beautiful fish underwater and topside we'll be greeted by lavish, barely clothed island dwellers bringing us endless margaritas in a golden chalice.

OF COURSE YOUNG PEOPLE WON'T BUY INTO THIS!

Diving to me used to be waking up at 5AM - load the truck, pick up the buddy, drive 2 hours, sweat our asses off gearing up, freeze our asses off in 5' viz, rinse and repeat 2-3 times, chat about the dives over a burger & fries, and stay awake long enough to rinse our gear after the 2 hour drive home. And you know what, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world because it was a labor of love - and all I looked forward to after a week of work and school. The cost? Hell, so long as I could still afford ramen noodles, it was alright with me. I still averaged about $20 a dive, including the burger.

 

[drinksfromtap]

For me it was mostly cost and location. I'm 31 now and got certified a couple years ago. I'd always wanted to learn to dive, but it wasn't until I moved to SE Florida and got established in my career that I actually went through with getting certified. I grew up in Northern IL and went to school in Central IL, and there really wasn't much of a diving culture up there, so I never really put forth the effort to save the money and get my C-card when I was younger. I was going to post initially that I wouldn't have been able to afford it, but honestly, I probably could have if I really made it a priority and gave up things like eating out, etc. I definitely wouldn't have been able to afford my own gear then, though, so even if I had gotten my C-card young I wouldn't have been able to use it much. I am able to dive once or twice a month now, mostly off the beach, and consider myself lucky to be able to do that I'm not sure why more younger people don't dive. It seems like there's more focus on traveling, and using money to experience a wide variety of different things, than developing skill and expertise in one specific sport. Wish there were more, though.

 

[boulderjohn]

Diving to me used to be waking up at 5AM - load the truck, pick up the buddy, drive 2 hours, sweat our asses off gearing up, freeze our asses off in 5' viz, rinse and repeat 2-3 times, chat about the dives over a burger & fries, and stay awake long enough to rinse our gear after the 2 hour drive home. And you know what, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world because it was a labor of love - and all I looked forward to after a week of work and school. The cost? Hell, so long as I could still afford ramen noodles, it was alright with me. I still averaged about $20 a dive, including the burger.

I am sure such people still exist, but that's not what you notice when diving on a trip to a resort, so they are essentially invisible.

 

[Roko]

"Oh, look! A scuba diver! I dated a scuba diver once. They're rich people with nothing better to do."

Epic....

By the OP's criteria, I'm no longer a young diver now that I'm part way through 30... (30. Period. Not 30's. I don't consider myself "old" by any stretch of the imagination)

I got certified in high school, but didn't dive much until after university, partially due to finances, partially a lack of interested buddies, and partially not understanding just how much fun lake diving there was "nearby" even though I was land locked.

In my mid 20's I got back into diving big time, but many of my peers still had little interest.

I had a friend show me his new expensive plasma, then balk at what I had spent on dive gear (hint: roughly what his TV cost!) At the time I had a cheap old tube tv and was happy with it, and happier still with having the gear to go on amazing camping/diving trips to the mountains...

I suppose if you need extreme excitement, a murky mountain lake with no real life isn't a draw to diving. I just love being underwater, exploring and scuba in general...

Sent from my Zeagle N2ition

 

[EastEndDiver]

^That, 2 rebreathers and scooters (just waiting for the first one to chime in with the ultimate trump card: Boat)

How about BOAT ( 43' Viking Express ) and a second home in Grand Cayman.Plus Underwater Photography,2 housed SLR's (Nikon D-300 and Oly E-30) both with dual strobe focus lights etc. etc. and a Video set up also housed with Solas lights etc.

Yeah diving is expensive !!

Before anyone asks.NO I will not adopt you.

 

[mathauck0814]

How about BOAT ( 43' Viking Express ) and a second home in Grand Cayman.Plus Underwater Photography,2 housed SLR's (Nikon D-300 and Oly E-30) both with dual strobe focus lights etc. etc. and a Video set up also housed with Solas lights etc.

Yeah diving is expensive !!

Before anyone asks.NO I will not adopt you.

Yup... boat is the ultimate trump card in the diving expense game. Even if you've got $X00k tied up in gear, the boat is always more.