Google showing negative trend in scuba?

[JohnE]

Having been iced in today I was goofing around on Google and found an interesting trend in google searches on "scuba":

Google Trends: scuba

It looks like the searches have declined to about 1/3rd their size since 2004.

What do you make of this? Economy? Aging population? Wars?

 

[Guba]

Naw...more people are tuning in to Scubaboard for answers to their questions!

Hey, might as well go where the "experts" are for answers.

And after a few months of accessing the boards, doesn't EVERYONE classify as an "expert"??? (One would certainly think so by listening in on some of the discussions, huh.)

 

[spoolin01]

One guess would be that online scuba gear availability has really taken off. Now everyone knows which sites to go to, heck they come to you! I started off with stuff like "online scuba", "discount scuba". Now I search for the item directly. Just a guess...

Could be "Into the Blue" too I suppose. Find gold and coke diving with Jessica Alba!

 

[DivingPrincessE]

My guess would be the economy. People don't have as much money for hobbies anymore.

I wonder if there would be similar results for terms like: Skiing, Boating, Vacation, etc

 

[OldNSalty]

I would go with what Guba and others have said. Once a search has been done you generally don't need to re-search again. A chat board like scubaboard is a better source of more direct answers then a general google search. After I found this site (and book-marked some manufacturers and online dealers) I don't really need any other searches.
I don't think the search results by themselves can be used to determine much about the general state of diving across the globe (except perhaps in very vague terms and extreme cases).
Down here on the Gulf Coast I haven't noticed any change in the number of dive shops or charters in the past...years(?)...Things look to indicate stagnant growth if anything. (but compared to a growing population maybe the dive industry is shrinking...)

 

[Damselfish]

it's really hard to say, but participation in online communities of various sorts has increased a lot since 2004. So for certain things that could have a big impact on how people find information.

 

[PvtStash]

this place is a goldmine.

 

[JohnE]

I tried to find a counter-trend that could show another thing ramping up in searches - no luck. Age related, activities, economic-related, nothing.

PADI statistics show new certifications slightly decreasing about 8% between 2004 and 2007 (PADI Statistics) That doesn't explain the google trend.

I couldn't find any statistics for Scubaboard. That might be interesting. I hope the ice thaws.

 

[drbill]

Hmmm... I wonder if there is a similar trend for on-line porn and other frequently searched topics (not by me of course)? Need to look at it in comparison with other sports activities as well.

 

[lmorin]

........
PADI statistics show new certifications slightly decreasing about 8% between 2004 and 2007 (PADI Statistics) That doesn't explain the google trend.
.........

It could. The PADI numbers indicate, at the very least, that certifications have plateaued. The new certs would be expected to make up for the yearly loss of divers who give up the sport. Also, newbies are probably more likely to do internet searches on a topic new to them. The diminished recruitment combined with the annual loss of active divers could easily account for the decline in Google searches.