Question How old are you and how long certified? Poll- please take part!

[Scared Silly]

In college one needed 3 PE credits, so I took Mountaineering (was already doing that), Scuba Diving, and Badminton. Badminton was by far the hardest. That was over 40 years ago.

 

[azstinger11]

I've got to be honest, I'm a little surprised by the results so far. I expected a younger trend more in the 30 to 40 year range.

There's a lot of knowledge, experience, and life lessons floating around on this forum. Cool.

All the current trend data shows a very aging population of scuba participants. While immediately not problematic, it has some long term consequences obviously. Given the rising costs and stagnant wages that face millennials and Gen Z, coupled with housing crisis, scuba isn’t an attractive activity for many. High initial cost, highly gear intensive, moderate to high on going costs, and needing storage area for said gear all sort of conspire against the sport.

So SB is an old geezer board?
30 year olds can’t figure out how to use SB??
What the fig!?

Message board just aren’t popular with the younger generations. Newer social media platforms way out paces message board usage. It’s not a figuring out, but an active avoidance of. Also you hear SB having a salty and hive mind reputation on the social media they do use, and it’s no small wonder few make the jump over. Go look at Reddit’s scuba subreddit, same thread/poll 1,300 votes and a MUCH younger demographic (probably overly representing younger divers honestly). Forums are where their parents and grandparents socialize online, so they go elsewhere. Looking at the ages in two polls this lines up pretty well.


Obviously the above answers are generalizations and you can find individual counter examples but looking at the generations as whole is more what matters.

Source: MBA digital product marketing class I just wrapped up lol, and did a side project on scuba.

Edit: 37, certified in 2012, ~400 dives (two major surgeries really put a damper on my diving for a while). CCR in 2022, Instructor in 2023

 

[Pressurehead]

Instructor in 2023

A new instructor, well done.
New ones are rare around here, plenty of young DMs working on boats, some full time, some part time with little interest in becoming an instructor, why would you, no money in it for the time and money spent, This will not be their full time job.
The two new instructors are from the UK and the EU.
I do understand, I was charging more for OW 20 years ago than they are now.

I am in the 8.65%, and it has not gone up since I did the poll.

8.5% , it's going down.

 

[azstinger11]

A new instructor, well done.
New ones are rare around here, plenty of young DMs working on boats, some full time, some part time with little interest in becoming an instructor, why would you, no money in it for the time and money spent, This will not be their full time job.
The two new instructors are from the UK and the EU.
I do understand, I was charging more for OW 20 years ago than they are now.

I am in the 8.65%, and it has not gone up since I did the poll.

Thanks! Just wrapped my Los Angeles County Instructor course and will be doing a crossover to NAUI shortly (once I satisfy the pre-requisite of course). I am looking to teach disabled veterans, as one myself, through various non profits and organizations. I want to give back and let others enjoy diving. Outside of assisting with LA County courses, I probably won’t teach many standard courses (maybe for a few good friends/family).

 

[Litefoot]

One thing I’ve learned in the short time I’ve been here is that the 30-39 group representing 15% of us feels like 50% if you say anything that they feel misrepresents their generation. Yep, I just lit a smoke bomb, threw it in the room and slammed the door!

 

[Skunky]

48 - 15 years DM for 13 years. insturctor for 3

 

[Searcaigh]

My dive stats from when I certified as a PADI OW diver

 

[grf88]

So far the poll is showing over half the respondents are over 50 and there are more over 70 than under 30.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

So far the poll is showing over half the respondents are over 50 and there are more over 70 than under 30.

As others have pointed out, this poll is more representative of the participation on scubaboard, not the overall participation in general diving.
I must admit, I’m a little relieved. If this poll was true of the whole world of diving it wouldn’t be long before it died completely.

 

[rye_a]

47 years old, certified in 1989 (33 years)