Scuba a dying sport?

[Nemrod]

As a Dive Instructor I find that people want to learn to dive but do not stay active in the industry. -----
Also scuba is no longer an extreme sport or rather it is not being portrayed as an extreme sport. The availability of other extreme sports like skiing, snow boarding, rock climbing, ATV's, motorcycles, etc also appeal to people that may enjoy diving and with most people's schedule time is the enemy.---

This is just my 2 cents. if you discover anything startling let me know.

Tony Flaris

When I say the sport of SCUBA diving has undergone severe nannification this is what I mean. The industry talks down to the participants as if they were children. The sport which some no longer consider a sport has become to soft, to coddled, to nannified to appeal to adventure seaking types who just pass it up for something more, well, adventuresome. SCUBA is way to safety oriented and to beginner even at it's upper levels, advanced does not mean advanced, it really means barely capable of not drowning. SCUBA simply has no edge anymore.

N

 

[Coldwater_Canuck]

When I say the sport of SCUBA diving has undergone severe nannification this is what I mean. The industry talks down to the participants as if they were children. The sport which some no longer consider a sport has become to soft, to coddled, to nannified to appeal to adventure seaking types who just pass it up for something more, well, adventuresome. SCUBA is way to safety oriented and to beginner even at it's upper levels, advanced does not mean advanced, it really means barely capable of not drowning. SCUBA simply has no edge anymore.

N

But that's the case when anything goes mainstream. Yes, there are a few people out there who seriously want to risk their life for the "thrill". But most mainstream adventure types sports are very safety oriented. Skydiving, parasailing, skiing, I assume even rock climbing are statistically perfeclty safe. I think people want a sense of adventure in situations which are potentially life threating but in reality are relatively safe.

There is simply no sports/adventure activity I can think of which is both popular and statistically all that dangerous. Most of the truly dangerous things you can do are niche activities done by a select few.

 

[rstofer]

There is simply no sports/adventure activity I can think of which is both popular and statistically all that dangerous. Most of the truly dangerous things you can do are niche activities done by a select few.

Dirt bikes: hare scrambles or motocross Motocross is quite popular and definitely a dangerous activity. Hare scrambles is a lot less popular and perhaps a bit safer but you couldn't prove it by me!

SCUBA isn't supposed to be life-threatening. You're just looking at an aquarium from the inside. No big deal... Peaceful and quiet; that's just the way I like it!

Richard

 

[Nemrod]

There is a million miles between dangerous and nannified.

As to peace and quiet, I will get that when I am dead, I will pass on the SCUBA yoga practitioners. Do y'all take a pillow with you so you can get in a nappy time, lol.

N

 

[tflaris]

When I say the sport of SCUBA diving has undergone severe nannification this is what I mean. The industry talks down to the participants as if they were children. The sport which some no longer consider a sport has become to soft, to coddled, to nannified to appeal to adventure seaking types who just pass it up for something more, well, adventuresome. SCUBA is way to safety oriented and to beginner even at it's upper levels, advanced does not mean advanced, it really means barely capable of not drowning. SCUBA simply has no edge anymore.

N

PADI seems to advocate this and while as a business model it would be a benefit to have mainstream appeal.

I am a NAUI Instructor and do not agree with PADI thought but I do feel that change in the Industry is important.

Generations change and so must the dive industry.

 

[sandmanz32]

SCUBA is seen by many, old and especially young, as a geeky, nerdy, goofy, overly nannified activity. The "Scuba Steve" persona.

N

thats not nerdy or geeky to me

 

[Coldwater_Canuck]

Dirt bikes: hare scrambles or motocross Motocross is quite popular and definitely a dangerous activity. Hare scrambles is a lot less popular and perhaps a bit safer but you couldn't prove it by me!

Dirtbikes probalby are one of the more dangerous ones, but even that probably doesn't have some insane death rate. But motorcycles in general are just a dangerous mode of transportaiton, let alone recreation.

I don't necessarily think of scuba diving as "relaxing" but I also don't really think of it as a thing I do for an adrenaline rush either. It is a way to get outdoors, interact with nature, has some challenging aspects to it, it's fun, it's pretty exciting, but I get more of an adrenaline rush out of paintball than scuba. I don't dive for the risks.

 

[Coldwater_Canuck]

thats not nerdy or geeky to me

haha nice

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

Huh?

When you were certified, could you afford a flight and a week in Bonaire (Heck, I was a struggling college student... not me)

In my local diving I see them of all ages. Yes, diving can be expensive. Get away from Bonaire and dive where it's cheap... springs, shore, bridges, etc. and you will run into the masses of younger divers.

As many here have stated, it's all about where you are in life as to what you can afford. My first travel out of state to dive was a 4-day dive trip to Cozumel. The flight and hotel cost me $240 (I went for dive shop cost). I had to borrow $5 to pay my exit tax

 

[imasinker]

Huh?

When you were certified, could you afford a flight and a week in Bonaire (Heck, I was a struggling college student... not me)

In my local diving I see them of all ages. Yes, diving can be expensive. Get away from Bonaire and dive where it's cheap... springs, shore, bridges, etc. and you will run into the masses of younger divers.

As many here have stated, it's all about where you are in life as to what you can afford. My first travel out of state to dive was a 4-day dive trip to Cozumel. The flight and hotel cost me $240 (I went for dive shop cost). I had to borrow $5 to pay my exit tax

How many years ago was that...lol... For me to go to cozimel would cost me a 1000.00 bucks right now. black Beards just booked out of our dive shop for 900.00. I don't consider that cheap by any means. I agree stay home and dive local, We do have many great wrecks here in Ontario. I don't agree on diving being that cheap,

7 mm Wetsuit 300.00
hood 50.00
gloves 50.00
BCD 500.00
Regs 600.00
SPG Depth 300.00
Mask 100.00
Fins 100.00
snorkle (class) 40.00
Course 300.00
Tank AL 80 (1) 200.00

Total 2540.00 plus tax 304.80
Grand Total $2844.80

Thats just the basic ( cheaper) low to med quality equipment in Canadian funds that we need to dive with. Not including charters, no computer, air fills, travelling. This is just the basic set up. Now you may also see why so many go online for cheaper used eqipment and we won't start a new thread about that. It's not a cheap as some think it is and for students I say thats alot of money. Just an example. I won't tell what i spent this year..lol...