What is the fundamental reason that prevents scuba diving from becoming popular?

[TMHeimer]

It can be.

Once you have the gear, which will indeed cost a bit (but you only pay once), diving is free.
There is no need to pay for liveaboards when you can jump into the local river or lake.

Oh, you will need a compressor of course, but that's why dive clubs and associations are founded. I am talking about real associations, not the "dive clubs" run by commercial companies.

From what I hear there aren't that many "real" dive clubs here like in Europe. I don't imagine most clubs here have a compressor. I won't buy one myself since I'm not mechanically gifted and would probably be in danger of dying while diving or blowing myself up. Plus, they cost a whole lot.

 

[boulderjohn]

I was certified by LA County in 1970. I had a custom 1/4 inch Bayley wetsuit. I dived actively in LA, Orange, and San Diego Counties from 1970-1980, when I moved out of California. I went to school at UCSD from 1972-6, my best years for diving.

I go on dive trips with a couple who live in San Diego. I certified them to dive about 7-8 years ago, and we have dived together in many locations around the world, including Australia, Bali, Palau, Mexico, and Florida. We will be in the Cayman ISlands for 3 weeks if the Covid issues are resolved there. Immediately after certification, they bought very high quality 7mm suits so they could dive locally in Southern California. They haven't done that in 3 years--too cold.

 

[scubadada]

I go on dive trips with a couple who live in San Diego. I certified them to dive about 7-8 years ago, and we have dived together in many locations around the world, including Australia, Bali, Palau, Mexico, and Florida. We will be in the Cayman ISlands for 3 weeks if the Covid issues are resolved there. Immediately after certification, they bought very high quality 7mm suits so they could dive locally in Southern California. They haven't done that in 3 years--too cold.

I went back to San Diego 6 times from 2006-2012 and did 36 dives, many on the Yukon and Ruby E, many in the kelp, a few down to Coronado, and a couple on the Hogan. I dived a full 7 mm with a 5/3 hooded vest. I always did fine on 2 or 3 dives per day. The water temp was usually in the low 50s. The older I get, the more intolerant of cold I get. It I went back to San Diego, I would not hesitate to dive with the same exposure protection. To each their own.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I got certified when I lived in San Diego and never dived locally because I found even a modern 7 mm too uncomfortable. I don't think I had heard of such a thing as a drysuit back then, and if I had, I couldn't have afforded one. My then-wife, who got certified with me, absolutely could not stand the Michelin Man effect. Despite one successful tropical trip together, she decided there was no wetsuit comfortable enough to be worth the effort to her and never dived again as far as I know.

 

[scubadada]

I got certified when I lived in San Diego and never dived locally because I found even a modern 7 mm too uncomfortable. I don't think I had heard of such a thing as a drysuit back then, and if I had, I couldn't have afforded one. My then-wife, who got certified with me, absolutely could not stand the Michelin Man effect. Despite one successful tropical trip together, she decided there was no wetsuit comfortable enough to be worth the effort to her and never dived again as far as I know.

Hi @Lorenzoid

Do you have another wife now who does the caves in Florida with you?

 

[CuzzA]

It can be.

Once you have the gear, which will indeed cost a bit (but you only pay once), diving is free.
There is no need to pay for liveaboards when you can jump into the local river or lake.

Oh, you will need a compressor of course, but that's why dive clubs and associations are founded. I am talking about real associations, not the "dive clubs" run by commercial companies.

Vips, hydros, fills, annual or biannual reg service, charters if you don't own a boat or have shore diving available. I live off Tampa Bay, there ain't no shore diving here. This is all ongoing expense a new young diver still likely doesn't realize yet.

But at $500 or so to get certified and another $1000-$1500 or so for gear, which a shop will push first before explaining they can rent first before buying, usually shuts down the thought of getting into the hobby or sport.

If I had a shop I'd do my absolute best to turn that first time lurker in my shop into a certified diver. Be it free rental gear, just pay the cost of the of the certification, then be brutally honest with them that if they buy all their gear online I will be out of business and they won't be able to get fills from me. I think that would be the best business model to get new divers into the sport and perhaps maintain a viable business. Organizing local trips and travel trips are really important as well, because many people don't have buddies.

My own anecdote for years when I was young was I'd walk into a shop, ask how much it would cost to get certified, start asking about what gear divers need, then do some walking around browsing at BCs, regs, computers and doing calculations in my head, and then quickly getting the hell out of there before I made a financial mistake. It is why this hobby often attracts older, more established people who can drop a couple grand and not have to think about if they can pay their bills next month.

 

[TMHeimer]

I got certified when I lived in San Diego and never dived locally because I found even a modern 7 mm too uncomfortable. I don't think I had heard of such a thing as a drysuit back then, and if I had, I couldn't have afforded one. My then-wife, who got certified with me, absolutely could not stand the Michelin Man effect. Despite one successful tropical trip together, she decided there was no wetsuit comfortable enough to be worth the effort to her and never dived again as far as I know.

My wife is not a diver because of the wetsuit issue as well. But not about comfort. She is extremely claustrophobic and seeing me in the 7 mil farmer john she knows that being restricted and closed in like that would in no way work for her. She swims underwater and has no problem with that because she can see all around and is not restricted like in a wetsuit.
So there are many reasons why the equipment is a turn off. Personally, I hate all the fuss gearing up, rinsing off. Spend 2-3 times the hours doing that compared to dive time. I could see that as a turn off too.

 

[undrwater]

Diving can be such a nerdy activity. Every time I've seen a diver (including myself) explain the science-y nerdiness of diving, the nerds get so excited! This might be an untapped market.

For we poor who keep diving, I believe it is the whole aspect that keep us going; the setup, the gear, the dive, the breakdown, the debrief, the breakdown. Personally though, I don't think I'd dive locally if the site were more than two hours away.

And for those who lament "potato couch kids", are there no more who need kicking off your lawn?

 

[Julius SCHMIDT]

Nice list on Wikipedia. I think I will start this new hobby underwater: Extreme ironing - Wikipedia

I like that, pretty extreme if they're using your back as the board. How about tea spoon collecting, from the gift shop of the Titanic

 

[Hoag]

Diving can be such a nerdy activity. Every time I've seen a diver (including myself) explain the science-y nerdiness of diving, the nerds get so excited! This might be an untapped market.

For we poor who keep diving, I believe it is the whole aspect that keep us going; the setup, the gear, the dive, the breakdown, the debrief, the breakdown. Personally though, I don't think I'd dive locally if the site were more than two hours away.

And for those who lament "potato couch kids", are there no more who need kicking off your lawn?

You mention the nerdiness that diving can be. My other hobby, photography, can get pretty nerdy too especially when people first start shooting in modes other that "P" and at the limits of their equipment's capability. There have been "a few" nights out in the total darkness of a moonless Moab night shooting the Milky Way where I have tried to explain the compromises of the 3 arms of the exposure triangle have on an image when you are approaching the usable limits of what a camera and lens can do.