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Average age of divers today???
- Thread starter LakeCountyDiver
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I started when I was 29. It helped that I had just gotten out of the Army and was flush with deployment pay, (I had also just gotten back from Iraq.)
I think the monetary bar to entry inhibits younger divers, but I think there's a perception issue, yet I can't seem to lock onto what that is.
TraceMalin has posited here in the past that it's a lack of "macho" and "demanding" training, and that young people are drawn to such activities. As a young person who craves adventure, I do agree, (though the position is not popular).
I also vintage-equipment dive, and on the VDH forum, they similarly suggested that a lack of a modern "macho-image" Mike Nelson or explorer Jacques Cousteau, and a "foo-fooing" of the sport via modern equipment, (all dangly, bright-colored poodle-jackets versus "manly" tank harnesses, huge knives, black everything, etc.), along with modern training taking some of the "adventure" out of the sport, (IE, training is too "namby-pamby" and "lowest-common denominator-oriented".) I also agree, though the position is not popular.
I think there is something in both (related) arguments, yet I don't think they hit the nail 100% on the head. I do know that when I go diving locally and encounter divers and non-divers alike, I get WAAY more response out of my vintage double-hose rig than I do my modern kit. More questions, more interest, more "wow, that looks cool!"
Now, I'm not drawing any conclusions, but I think part of the problem is that the money needed, (or perceived to be needed) to enter the sport is high, and so young people only see older people doing it, (since they can afford it). This leads to the perception that "SCUBA is for old people".
I teach diving on a college campus, so 99% of our audience is in the 18-25 age bracket, and money, or lack thereof, is a HUGE issue. They may love diving, but they can't afford it, (or think they can't. I had a student complain about the cost of a $40 mask, saying it was too expensive, so he didn't buy it. Then that very night, I saw him at the pub drop well over $100 on drinks for him and his buddies. Priorities, clearly.)
But I think more importantly is that diving is competing with other activities and it can't market itself as attractively. Scuba is competing with horseback riding, dirtbikes, rock climbing, skydiving, and other "adventure sports". The problem is that diving is perceived as a "travel sport", that the only good diving is on vacation and you have to travel to do or see anything decent. Too little emphasis is put on local diving.
So people figure, "I can get a harness for a few hundred bucks and go climb rocks all over the place for free."
Or, "A few hundred bucks on a used dirtbike and I can hit the trails in the local BLM area for free."
Or, "I can spend hundreds of dollars to learn to dive, spend thousands on equipment, then I NEED to spend thousands on vacations to actually DO this activity."
Wrong, but that seems to be a common perception. So which one wins?
I don't know what the answer is, but I do know that diving needs a "cultural shift" away from once-a-year-vacation-diving-is-the-only-good-diving, or the mean age of the participants will continue to climb
($$$$$$$) and the sport will continue to see the high-attrition of the 95%-quit-within-five-years drop out rate.
I also agree the image of scuba needs help, but I'm not sure what that is. We'll never see a return to pushups on the pool deck in full kit, double-hoses, duck feet and BC-less harnesses, at least outside of niche corners of the dive world, so I'm not suggesting that.
Again, I don't know where we're going, but I do know that I'm gonna keep diving, in as many places as I can, in as many ways as I can. As long as I can dive, and share my passion with others, I'm happy.
Sorry for the long post, but this is something I wonder about a lot, but am constantly flummoxed as to the way forward. I know my local "dive peers" are all around my age group, but we're in the tiny minority. Most are older than we are.
I think the monetary bar to entry inhibits younger divers, but I think there's a perception issue, yet I can't seem to lock onto what that is.
TraceMalin has posited here in the past that it's a lack of "macho" and "demanding" training, and that young people are drawn to such activities. As a young person who craves adventure, I do agree, (though the position is not popular).
I also vintage-equipment dive, and on the VDH forum, they similarly suggested that a lack of a modern "macho-image" Mike Nelson or explorer Jacques Cousteau, and a "foo-fooing" of the sport via modern equipment, (all dangly, bright-colored poodle-jackets versus "manly" tank harnesses, huge knives, black everything, etc.), along with modern training taking some of the "adventure" out of the sport, (IE, training is too "namby-pamby" and "lowest-common denominator-oriented".) I also agree, though the position is not popular.
I think there is something in both (related) arguments, yet I don't think they hit the nail 100% on the head. I do know that when I go diving locally and encounter divers and non-divers alike, I get WAAY more response out of my vintage double-hose rig than I do my modern kit. More questions, more interest, more "wow, that looks cool!"
Now, I'm not drawing any conclusions, but I think part of the problem is that the money needed, (or perceived to be needed) to enter the sport is high, and so young people only see older people doing it, (since they can afford it). This leads to the perception that "SCUBA is for old people".
I teach diving on a college campus, so 99% of our audience is in the 18-25 age bracket, and money, or lack thereof, is a HUGE issue. They may love diving, but they can't afford it, (or think they can't. I had a student complain about the cost of a $40 mask, saying it was too expensive, so he didn't buy it. Then that very night, I saw him at the pub drop well over $100 on drinks for him and his buddies. Priorities, clearly.)
But I think more importantly is that diving is competing with other activities and it can't market itself as attractively. Scuba is competing with horseback riding, dirtbikes, rock climbing, skydiving, and other "adventure sports". The problem is that diving is perceived as a "travel sport", that the only good diving is on vacation and you have to travel to do or see anything decent. Too little emphasis is put on local diving.
So people figure, "I can get a harness for a few hundred bucks and go climb rocks all over the place for free."
Or, "A few hundred bucks on a used dirtbike and I can hit the trails in the local BLM area for free."
Or, "I can spend hundreds of dollars to learn to dive, spend thousands on equipment, then I NEED to spend thousands on vacations to actually DO this activity."
Wrong, but that seems to be a common perception. So which one wins?
I don't know what the answer is, but I do know that diving needs a "cultural shift" away from once-a-year-vacation-diving-is-the-only-good-diving, or the mean age of the participants will continue to climb
($$$$$$$) and the sport will continue to see the high-attrition of the 95%-quit-within-five-years drop out rate.
I also agree the image of scuba needs help, but I'm not sure what that is. We'll never see a return to pushups on the pool deck in full kit, double-hoses, duck feet and BC-less harnesses, at least outside of niche corners of the dive world, so I'm not suggesting that.
Again, I don't know where we're going, but I do know that I'm gonna keep diving, in as many places as I can, in as many ways as I can. As long as I can dive, and share my passion with others, I'm happy.
Sorry for the long post, but this is something I wonder about a lot, but am constantly flummoxed as to the way forward. I know my local "dive peers" are all around my age group, but we're in the tiny minority. Most are older than we are.
windapp
Contributor
Totally agree with Jax. If I didn't travel for work and have a few weekends off when I do, I would have never started diving. It's all about time and money.
fire_diver
Contributor
I wanted to learn to dive since I was a kid watching the Cousteau re-runs on PBS. It was too expensive for my parents to afford. When I got old enough to afford the classes, I couldn't take time off work to attend. Even with the length of time I had to wait, I am still one of the youngest divers in my group.
You'll have to wait for school to get out at 3pm before the 10-19 age bracket starts clicking.
Unless those pesky kids, some of us have to sit here typing on SB whilst we work for a living...
Unless those pesky kids, some of us have to sit here typing on SB whilst we work for a living...
Now I'm 50. I started to dive when I was 46. At that age I had already bought my house, the big new car and my children were old emough to let my wife alone with them when I disappear several days in a dive trip.
My children are now 15 and 19. I've been trying to enroll them in my dive club, but in spite that they had already 2 or 3 dives each (baptism dives as they are known here), they showed no interest. My son couldn´t (and I think didn´t want) to compensate ears. My daughter could dive very well, but now she is in the University with very little time for his boyfriend and social activities. This means no time to go diving with dad.
My children are now 15 and 19. I've been trying to enroll them in my dive club, but in spite that they had already 2 or 3 dives each (baptism dives as they are known here), they showed no interest. My son couldn´t (and I think didn´t want) to compensate ears. My daughter could dive very well, but now she is in the University with very little time for his boyfriend and social activities. This means no time to go diving with dad.
I'm near the end of the 20-29 category. While I wanted to learn in high school, I wasn't able to afford a course until I had finished college. My wife and I both dive, but struggle to get in a modest trip each year. I can easily see how many in my age group, even if they get trained, would have a hard time keeping active in scuba. The majority of younger divers I know are those who dive for a specific purpose, an undergrad human powered submarine team. They are mostly navel and marine engineering students and see diving primary as a team and career related skill. They get a good deal on training on account of the team working closely with one local shop and they use team gear for free.
On a related note, when I went back to grad school there was a scuba club on campus. As far as I could tell the only 18-22 year-olds in the group were those who could just tell daddy where to send the check for their spring break trip.
On a related note, when I went back to grad school there was a scuba club on campus. As far as I could tell the only 18-22 year-olds in the group were those who could just tell daddy where to send the check for their spring break trip.
Good call I am a...
If you cannot edit it, you could report your first post and ask a mod to change it.
Kenny13
Contributor
I got certified last summer, 1.5 months before turning 45. There were 6 of us that took the class together, and I was the only one older than late 20's. My son was only 15, and my son-in-law and 2 of his friends were in their early 20's, with his other friend being late 20's. My only regret was not having someone to get certified with a lot sooner, as it's something I had wanted to do since I was a kid.
I will agree with some of the other responses about the time and $$$$ commitment involved being a reason for the average age being older.
I will agree with some of the other responses about the time and $$$$ commitment involved being a reason for the average age being older.
I did the same... answered on where I thought the average of most divers' ages fell...
I thought of the 40's as the mean... for some reason I get the impression they're either younger : 20's/30's, when they're enthralled by it, try it out a couple times, even though they can't afford to play in it that often... and 50's/60's, where they finally *can* afford it, and spend more time doing it...
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