Diving Burnout?

[bdshort]

Over the past few days, I've been transferring my dive log entries from a paper logbook into my MacBook. It's allowed me to look back in detail on all the diving I've done since I began diving in August of 2006. During that first year, from August 12 2006 to August 11, 2007, I logged 130 dives. In the subsequent year and 3 months, I've only logged an additional 60 or so dives. At some point in that time I definitely was feeling some burnout from diving so much.

Some of this I attribute to a new job I started back in October of 2007. 12 hour shifts, mostly at night, takes away a lot of the energy I would have during my weekends. There were several days that would have been perfect for diving, but I just didn't feel like getting my gear together, or going through the hassle of cleaning it afterwards. Or it would be rainy, as it is a lot here, and I wouldn't feel like gearing up in the rain. I think too that my odd work schedule made it hard for me to dive with the buddies I used to dive with a lot, and while I'm fine with solo diving, I don't have as much enthusiasm for it as I do when I'm invited to go diving by friends. Lately I have started diving a a bit faster pace than earlier in the year, when I was sometimes only doing 1-3 dives a month, but I wonder if I'll ever get back to the pace (or even if I WANT to get back to the pace) I was at during my first year.

I'm sure others here have gone through periods where they lost their enthusiasm for diving... what did you do to get through it? I know I just spent a lot of the time I might have spent on dive related activities being lazy, watching TV, playing video games, or sleeping. Luckily I think my diving enthusiasm level is coming back, probably because of my upcoming trip to Cozumel. I think a change of scenery for a couple of weeks will help a lot!

 

[rstofer]

Same thing with sailing. We used to go sailing every weekend and, if it rained, we just hung out on the boat. This lasted for several years (until we had a grandson) and then it slowed down. Now we might sail 3 or 4 times a year. Bummer... The cost of slip rental continues to climb and our utilization continues to fall.

Now we're looking at getting back into diving because the grandson is old enough and was recently certified. If I hated the 2 hour drive to the boat in Alameda, the 3 hour drive to Monterey is a lot worse. I just don't know how this is going to work out.

Of course, it was the same with shooting sports (trap and skeet) back in the old days. When I was single and able to do whatever I wanted, I would often spend the weekend shooting at flying objects. Weeknights reloading shells...

Or, racing small hydroplanes, racing dirt bikes, drag racing and a long list of other distractions. They come and go. Some stay longer than others.

I'm pretty sure were I going to Cozumel, I would be much more enthusiastic about diving. My wife wants to make that trip next year so we are racking up some dives to get in shape and restore our skills.

Richard

 

[spectrum]

I wouldn't be concerned, nature has a way of keeping in flux.

I had been clicking off 110 dives a year since I started in 2005 but this year will coming in with less. I had some a lot outdoor projects that I had been neglecting since starting to dive in 2005 that I had to focus on, ending with a daughter's wedding on our property. That took a bite out of my vacation time as well. At work we had some projects that put constraints on some of my after work evening fun. Some regular buddies had hectic travel schedules as well. On top of that we had crap for weather. It looks like I'm going to end the year with 74, maybe 75 dives, about 10 of those solo. . Some of this I could see coming some just happened but it all worked out. As it happened we managed to have some very memorable outings and I'm happy for that.

Baring travel November though April or so provides a fairly natural break here in Maine. Between bitter cold, storms and seas if I make a dive a month during the winter I'm grateful. I keep plenty busy with projects set aside during the summer and my snow blower collection. I think the diversity is a healthy thing.

There are some time when things come together and then there are the other times. Just seek a life balance and make the most of the hand you're dealt.

Pete

 

[Cacia]

I dive for a few years and then take a break, usually because of someone else not loving it as much as I do....

 

[scubafool]

I have not wanted to do the last dive of the weekend on Sunday, after diving my face off all weekend. But I have always been ready to go on the next trip.

But then, I have only had one short period where I could dive (almost) as much as I wanted, so I don't know that I have had the opportunity to dive enough to get burned out.

 

[TSandM]

There was a great article on this board when I first joined, something like, "When you've blown enough bubbles". The point of the article was that, if your diving is always the same, you may eventually lose some enthusiasm for it. There are lots of strategies for retaining that enthusiasm -- take another class; take up photography; get into teaching; plan a special trip; get involved with a project of some kind (park development or critter counting, for example). It seemed to me that the article basically acknowledged that there is likely to be some burnout, if you are doing a lot of the same thing.

I know a lot of what's kept my enthusiasm high is getting involved in a high skills standard. I'm always trying to improve my skills in my own eyes, so it's easy to get motivated to go out and practice. Getting a boat has helped, too!

 

[NudeDiver]

During that first year, from August 12 2006 to August 11, 2007, I logged 130 dives. In the subsequent year and 3 months, I've only logged an additional 60 or so dives.

In Ketchican??? Damn - you're a diving animal!

Anyway - I wouldn't feel bad about slacking off. Think of diving as a restaurant you like. If you go too often, it loses its appeal and you want to eat somewhere else for a while. So, relax. Eat dinners at home, and go out less often, and it will be that much more to savour when you do.

It's kind of a self-limiting thing for me. I can only gather up so much enthusiasm for donning a drysuit and heading out into very cold water with (usually) poor viz. Plus, I have to con someone else into going diving with me - that ain't easy either

Nevertheless, my next diving date is scheduled for December 27th. Going to go for a 3-tank day. We'll see how it goes

Cheers!
nd

 

[HowDidIGetIntoThis?]

Why worry about decreasing enthusiasm? This is a voluntary activity done for fun. You didn't dive 10 years ago and may have different interests 10 years from now.

I'm also still in love with diving and agree that travel and the social aspects help a lot to keep the interest high. Diving then is more of a means to an end than the end itself.

Perhaps hobbies should be like jobs - we should change every 5 years just to stay sharp and interested / challenged.

The folks who run my LDS remarked that many people tend to cycle through in 5 - 8 yr waves and then move on to a different hobby. I'd be very curious to learn what activities would most commonly be taken up by "retiring" divers.

Cheers,
HDIGIT

 

[bdshort]

ND: Well, the viz down here is usually pretty good, and sometimes even amazing. My dive buddy who had made dives all over the state (Whittier, Seward, Juneau, Wrangell, and I think even St. Paul Island), says that Ketchikan by far has the best diving that he's done in Alaska. I think partly that has to do with the multiple scenic shore dives we have here and our good water clarity. Juneau certainly has us beat hands down on the wrecks!

I think most of it is that I usually dive one of the same 2-3 sites, and do the same circuit, so it just gets old. I still get pretty excited over boat dives to new places, and to the one real decent recreational depth wreck we have here. Luckily I think we're going to have some good boat diving opportunities coming up soon. My dive gang did a work dive a week or two ago for a guy with a very nice cabin cruiser, and he's offered to take us pretty much wherever we want to go as long as we help pay for the fuel.

I think I need to take my speargun out and try some more hunting, or work on getting more proficient at skills I can't stand doing in cold water, like mask removal/replacement, or something... can't afford a boat just yet!

 

[austriandiveress]

It seems to me that diving is like a lot of other leisure time activities or hobbies: there is a time and a place to pursue them, then this slacks off to return at a different time. I only know a few people for whom diving seems to be the center of their universe, and in all honesty I dont find this either enviable nor healthy: what happens if they are someday unable to dive, for whatever reason? It will be extremely difficult for them to find something else as fulfilling, and I see bitterness, frustration and perhaps even stupidity (potential diving against a doctors orders, in one case) looming on the horizon. (shudder)
So I wouldnt let it bother you that your mind says "dive" and the rest of you simply doesnt want to at the moment: it sounds as if you have some neat new dive opportunities coming up which I'm sure you will enjoy!