Why do so many lose interest in diving?

[chillyinCanada]

Might be easier to ask why some of us are so passionate about it or did RJP already answer that with the results of one of his surveys.

Frankly, though I've been a fanatical skier and windsurfer during certain periods of my life, I shall remain grateful that I didn't take up scuba when I was doing all that and more. Lord only knows what might have become of me, both geographically and financially.

 

[cb5150]

Scuba is no different than any other recreational hobby. Look on eBay or Craigslist and you'll find plenty of gently used golf clubs, pool tables, etc.

 

[archer1960]

I think (as others have said) that it's like many other hobbies and pass-times. It costs quite a bit of money to get started, though less to continue, but requires more ongoing planning and preparation than (for example) golf or skiing. And making a mistake in either of those hobbies probably won't kill you like it could in SCUBA. And people try it, like it a bit so they stick with it for a year or three, and then move on to something else.

 

[rhwestfall]

Get up at o-dark thirty, having packed the night before, and drive 1.5 hours to charter dock. Lug a bunch of heavy gear onto a boat after shelling out $$ for the charter. 45 min - 1 hour run, suit up, splash, and have a 20 - 50 minute dive (the high end only being 20 min of bottom time, and half of it in deco on an anchor line over deep water), get out, and repeat after an hour SI. Head back, unload the boat into vehicle. Travel home, unpack, dry everything, and put away.... 10+ hours for < 40 minutes of bottom time...... and 4-5 months out of the year?????

Too many alternatives give folks more "bang for their buck or time"......

Though I still love it.......

 

[Nasser]

More than anything I just think it's a change in lifestyle. Work commitments, family commitments, and all the time that takes up makes it a little more challenging to arrange time to dive more frequently... especially if you're in a region that either doesn't have any diving or favorable diving conditions for you.

 

[archer1960]

Get up at o-dark thirty, having packed the night before, and drive 1.5 hours to charter dock. Lug a bunch of heavy gear onto a boat after shelling out $$ for the charter. 45 min - 1 hour run, suit up, splash, and have a 20 - 50 minute dive (the high end only being 20 min of bottom time, and half of it in deco on an anchor line over deep water), get out, and repeat after an hour SI. Head back, unload the boat into vehicle. Travel home, unpack, dry everything, and put away.... 10+ hours for < 40 minutes of bottom time...... and 4-5 months out of the year?????

Too many alternatives give folks more "bang for their buck or time"......

Though I still love it.......

Or in my case, I can drive 15 -30 min to any of several cool shore dive points, or to a boat dock. But it's still likely to be more time setting up and breaking down than actually under water. And the cost of a charter (typically $140) is still pretty high for the amount of dive time you actually do.

 

[Dhboner]

Diving may be the least convenient sport there is! If we didn't have a fairly decent little shore dive spot 20 minutes from home where we can train and putter about I'm not sure how long I would stay in the sport. Packing up and traveling to dive just isn't always possible with family commitments and stresses. So I'm lucky, I can dive locally every weekend and get a few "expeditions" in every year.

 

[Doc]

Diving may be the least convenient sport there is!

This, from a man who has obviously never eaten breakfast while in ski boots.

 

[rongoodman]

I haven't lost interest yet, but if I do, it will definitely be due to a lack of local divers to dive with. A couple of weeks a year on vacation just aren't enough to keep technical skills sharp.

 

[RJP]

Some people just aren't that into it.

I think it's also a bit of a misnomer - for many - to say they "dropped out" of scuba.

It's more like they "dropped IN" really.

For some people scuba diving was merely an "I've always wanted to try it" bucket-list thing. Once they've tried it, they move on. Add to that the reality that in order to really find out if you like scuba diving... you need to get certified. So to us, who have stayed with it, it would appear that many folks "dropped out" after getting certified. But the reality is that it took them that long to find out that diving really isn't their thing in the first place.