Dollars and sense of scuba...

[jagfish]

I know that many of you have great access to diving and can go quite often and inexpensively as well.

However, that is not the case for all of us, and I was thinking about the actual bottom time and "pleasure return" on the investments of time and money I have made, and continue to make each time I dive.

Aside from all the training, equipment and ongoing study, each time I dive "locally" it requires planning a week or so in advance, 3 to 5 hours of round trip travel, travel costs totallying 70 to 100 bucks, an hour or two of pre and post care to equipment, dive planning and equiment setup....

All for 1.5 to 2 hours of bottom time in a day.

The only other activities I can think of that have less "actual activity return" for the cash and time invested are skydiving and sex...

JAG

 

[verona]

All for 1.5 to 2 hours of bottom time in a day. The only other activities I can think of that have less "actual activity return" for the cash and time invested are skydiving and sex...JAG

Ah, but it's quality not quantity! Has no one told you that before?? :07:

Seriously, know what you mean, but if you think about it, you still do it despite all that; so the value you get out of the short actual bottom time must outweigh real costs in time and money. Value (or "utility") is not always measured in purely quatitative terms. Stop menow before I start an economics lecture!

But this is what can be hard to explain to others who see all the effort for what appears little quantitative return.

 

[svidlano]

Same here

300km drive (one way). But I enjoy all the time I spend there. Not just the underwater part.

PS I also enjoy sex and paragliding

PPS What would be activity with better "pleasure return"? Drinking?

 

[hex92]

Scuba diving definitely does poorly on the time and money vs return (bottom time). I have to drive ~110 miles round trip, pay $80 for dive boat (+tip$) and $20 for 2 tanks of Nitrox for each dive. This year I am trying to dive at least 2 days in a row to reduce my time spent cleaning vs diving.

Mountain Biking has a decent return on trail time vs investment. But it took me two years to accumulate enough mileage to reach the balance of $1 per mile.

PAINTBALL: Best ratio (pleasure return) going. I invested $200 in gear and can play for free at the local 10 acre field. All I have to buy is paint - no field fees - they own the only paintball store in the county so they figure (correctly) that you are buying the paint from them. I probably use $15 in paint and air each time I play.

 

[s7595]

good point . the planing getting to dive site , the gearing up and then just when you realy start to enjoy the dive ,ndl's or low air. back to surface bs your buddy ,then back in water ,time to short again. then it hits you your body is tired and sore ,the gear seems to have gained 50lbs as you lug it back into truck ,throw your sorry ass in the drivers seat for the long drive home listenting to your buddy's bs . ya cant wait to do it all again

 

[simbrooks]

Currently running at around $1.70 per minute of actual diving (~$90 per dive) and dropping steadily, this is after buying a whole host of gear and paying for training, accommodation and boat/springs fees. Now i have my own stuff, beach diving helps bring that cost down each time however i would like to live closer to the coast and make full use of the facilities in FL.

I enjoy my mountain biking, dont think i will ever get down to $1 per mile, although i have riden around 200 miles per year (at least) for the last 10 years on average, but went through a couple of bikes in that time

I find hiking, football (soccer) and such cheap and easy to get your money back on.

Currently sailing ($160/hour) is probably my lowest return sport and kayaking is around $50 per hour still - cant wait for the fall again here and get more use out of it all.

 

[jagfish]

Wow
Some of you guys really have your calculatoins down to a science. I would be afraid to do an exact calculation of diving here in Japan. I would not be wanting to think about how much I am actually shelling out each time...

JAG

 

[CuriousMe]

See, now that is where my job pays off....I did pay for my gear....but since then, it's not to bad. I just walk off the ship and walk to my dive shop in Cayman and Cozumel


Peace,
Cathie

 

[ShakaZulu]

Sex cost more............dinners, presents, vacations, wedding, house, kids, divorce lawyer...........

 

[DEEPLOU]

Three hour round trip drive isn't bad.
The boat I usually go on is about 30 miles each way, but on Long Island that means 40 min in the wee hours of the morning and over an hour in the evening.
The boat is about $80. I do dive several different boats and they range from $70 to $90 for two dive off shore trip.
Notice I didn't say two tank dive cause most of our dives are double tank dives. The gas (breathing gas) for the day can come out to almost $40 and that doesn't even consider those who use Trimix.
We usually do dives over 100 ft, and require deco stops. We then do at minimum 2 hour surface interval. So our trips are all day affairs.
When I go to FL, the local boat is abt 20 min from where I stay but Key Largo is about an Hour and 50 min. I still consider the 1hr 50min drive within reason.

Another consideration, a diving trip is not just the in water part its a social event meeting new people and exchanging ideas both with the new and old friends alike.

I could beach dive for a lot less money. But I think I am alergic to sand.