How to Engage Younger People in Diving?

[Marie13]

Another thing you can do is invite people to do a Discover Scuba. Some may poopoo DSDs being done in a pool, but in the depths of a Midwestern winter, it can be a fun couple of hours. For the folks who are really unsure about scuba, doing it in the pool is probably the best place (I speak from personal experience). Plus, for the kiddies, probably the best place.

 

[Ben_3]

Another thing you can do is invite people to do a Discover Scuba. Some may poopoo DSDs being done in a pool, but in the depths of a Midwestern winter, it can be a fun couple of hours. For the folks who are really unsure about scuba, doing it in the pool is probably the best place (I speak from personal experience). Plus, for the kiddies, probably the best place.

Pools are fine for DSDs. That’s all we have around my place because everything else is frozen half the year. I’v seen some shops do themed pool sessions too. That’s cool to me.

 

[AfterDark]

SCUBA Diving? Well...maybe, were can I get the app?

 

[Sean Walberg]

Another thing you can do is invite people to do a Discover Scuba. Some may poopoo DSDs being done in a pool, but in the depths of a Midwestern winter, it can be a fun couple of hours. For the folks who are really unsure about scuba, doing it in the pool is probably the best place (I speak from personal experience). Plus, for the kiddies, probably the best place.

I arranged a DSD for my scout troop, I think we had around 16 participate. It was in a pool, basically 2 lanes wide and the kids still had a blast. So much so that I think we're getting 8 more people certified, and next summer we have two crews (20 youth and adults) doing scuba adventures at BSA Sea Base.

If you can work out a good rate with the dive shop, a DSD is a great activity for any youth group.

 

[Angelo Farina]

One thing I’d correct you on relative to your #2: nothing in this world is “completely free” and you actually pay for your “free” healthcare in Italy with very high income taxes:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fo...-taxes-are-high-the-5-countries-with-the.aspx

True that taxes here in Europe are very high, and Italy is one of the highest in Europe.
But taxation here is highly proportional: there are no taxes at all for people with a low income, then the percentage grows proportionally with the income.
So the high costs of our public health, public schools, public universities, etc., is paid mostly by rich people, who can withstand a taxation which goes up to 80% of their gross income.
Youngster with low or no wage, instead, pay substantially nothing and get all these benefits for free.
I find this very fair.
But here we go into differences among different societies and cultures, which is quite off topic here.
My point was that, despite these large differences, the reduction of new young divers is happening almost everywhere (except perhaps emerging new economies such as China or S.Korea).
So I was suggesting that the factors causing this change of interests must be searched elsewhere, as all the economical facts reported about youngsters in US are certainly true, but this does not explain why the same disaffection occurs here, where none of these factors is so strong.

 

[Marie13]

I arranged a DSD for my scout troop, I think we had around 16 participate. It was in a pool, basically 2 lanes wide and the kids still had a blast. So much so that I think we're getting 8 more people certified, and next summer we have two crews (20 youth and adults) doing scuba adventures at BSA Sea Base.

If you can work out a good rate with the dive shop, a DSD is a great activity for any youth group.

My goddaughter wasn’t that thrilled over the DSD she did two years ago, but her younger brother is fascinated with my photos/videos and is counting down to when he turns 10 this summer and can do one himself. I told his parents I’d cover it if he really wanted to do it.

 

[KathyV]

I am sorry that I ever started this thread. I was hoping for an intelligent discussion about opportunities and ideas for attracting younger people to scuba diving, like the excellent suggestion by @Marie13 that some dives be geared toward newer and younger divers - in her case that includes shallow wreck dive trips in the Great Lakes.

Instead it has turned into a nasty exchange between older divers determined to gripe about "What's the matter with kids today!" and defensive younger divers who are justifiably angered by all the finger-pointing and negativity.

The thread has done the exact opposite of what I had hoped for; it is more likely to drive younger divers away then attract them to the sport of diving and I am very disappointed.

It was a good try.
But now the thread is too long.....so few new folks will read the existing posts before commenting, and the folks who prefer to try and explain why is is like it is will keep doing so, thus ensuring a polarized argument about why it is like it is and drifting farther away from how to make it better.
Time to start a new thread that begins with an extraction of the gold from this one, and asks some targeted questions...like maybe, "What are some success stories on bringing in young folks to the hobby?"

Thanks for the suggestions but I am done with it. I have asked the Mods to close the thread.

 

[DBPacific]

You know why I said what I did about the military? And no, I don't hate soldiers for their service, I'm quite thankful for it. What I don't like is that people are encouraged and/or essentially forced into military service because of poor financial states just to get ahead and afford education. I have plenty of friends who have joined the military. Every single one did so because they could barely afford rent, couldn't afford college, and wanted to enlist to take advantage of the GI bill. It's a good program, I won't argue with that. But it shouldn't be necessary. Support for vets is laughable at best. My country at least, the US, seems to enjoy heralding soldiers as these macho heroes to get more people in the door, constantly thank them for service with words and small discounts, and ignore the health and mental problems of soldiers when they return. And my family has been in the military and/or police since before the US was founded. The GI Bill and achieving education shouldn't be the primary reason for enlistment, it should be the desire to serve your country.

 

[Degenerate]

One thing I’d correct you on relative to your #2: nothing in this world is “completely free” and you actually pay for your “free” healthcare in Italy with very high income taxes:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fo...-taxes-are-high-the-5-countries-with-the.aspx

Also, while I’m not a fan of the fixation on social media with the younger generation, I don’t believe that most young people are sedentary - in fact, they all seem quite active to me. My kids (early to mid 20’s) and their friends love to hike, rock climb and travel. I think we are just seeing a shift in priorities for where “kids” spend their money.

For example, my nephew and niece were recently certified and my daughter’s room mate is getting certified currently - so young people will do it if they have the interest. Hell, I only got certified 5 years ago at age 52 - so plenty of time for folks to discover the sport at different times of their life when they have the means and interest to do so!

That is a pretty poor way of showing how it works though.
First of all, the majority of people here in Europe don't make near 100k USD a year.
Second, the percentage you pay in taxes is based on how much you make.
I live in Sweden and make roughly the equivalent of 45-50k USD a year, that is more than enough to have a decent life here with plenty to spare for hobbies such as diving.
If I wanted to go back to Uni and study I would receive roughly 350 USD per month to do so, I could also add on student loans on top of that with pretty much zero interest and the possibility of paying it back over a very long time, we are encouraged to pursue education and it is very easily accessible.
If I have health issues I can go to the hospital and have it looked at for pennies, when I was in a motorcycle crash a couple years ago and spent a night in the ER and a few months of phys therapy my final bill amounted to nothing, because my insurance which also costs pennies covered it all.
Best part of it all?
My income tax is only 25%...
It's easier to put aside money for a hobby every month when you don't have to worry about massive loans or an unexpected hospital bill that will completely break your bank.

We have a super healthy community of divers in my area and a large majority of the divers who get certified here every year are younger than 30.
We don't have to bankrupt ourselves to get an education, stay healthy or pay for a roof over our heads and that means it's pretty easy to get into an expensive hobby like diving.
Diving is far from dying out over here, it is blossoming.

All that said, most of my friends in the 20-25 year range are simply not interested in diving as most of them are more interested in their computers or cars.
Maybe I just need to find new friends...

 

[Marie13]

If Europe is such a paradise, then why do so many once here in the US, fight to stay? I work in international shipping and have many colleagues from all over Europe. Every single person who has worked in the the US does their hardest to stay here.