How to Engage Younger People in Diving?

[runsongas]

student debt, rising housing costs, and stagnant wages. follow the (lack of) money

 

[DBPacific]

To be fair, I was somewhat taught how to swim (doggy paddle, tread, get comfortable being submerged) when I was young by my aunt who had a pool but once we moved away, my mom had almost no obstacles in pushing her fear of the water on me and I had to relearn how to swim and properly swim a couple months before my OW. Most of the young people I know who are afraid of the water have had that fear taught and reinforced by their parents (or a traumatic event happening to them or someone they know). I know very few true thalassaphobes. More who are just afraid of sharks or what might be lurking in low vis, but the former is a matter of pop culture and education and the latter is a matter of acclimatization and the ability to handle panic.

Maybe instead of calling people afraid of the water or who don't know how to swim pathetic, give encouragement instead? Insults rarely convince people to try new things.


I've slowly talked my partner into agreeing to go snorkeling with me (he's a good swimmer but hates being submerged for long), and into doing more strenuous swimming exercises with me when the pool was still open.

student debt, rising housing costs, and stagnant wages. follow the (lack of) money

Ha trust me those points have been hit upon time and time again in this thread and you don't want to start this argument again.​

 

[NothingClever]

Maybe instead of calling people afraid of the water or who don't know how to swim pathetic, give encouragement instead? Insults rarely convince people to try new things

Hang on a second...I was just starting to get pretty good at name-calling and taunting. Are you telling me I should use another approach?

 

[DBPacific]

Hang on a second...I was just starting to get pretty good at name-calling and taunting. Are you telling me I should use another approach?

I mean you could name-call and taunt with compliments so your skills aren't wasted

 

[NothingClever]

Maybe I’ll go for the gold and take up berating. I hear that’s the next big thing. I could add on a specialty of finger pointing and scowling, too.

 

[SpeedyBob27]

I assume "shark week" has a lot to do with it?



Wow, YouTube gives a very different impression.

Shark Week may have a lot to do with it, but then there are other things, for instance subnautica. Personally I find the game to be beautiful and relaxing, but it has scared away many youth from scuba diving. Then there are movies like Jaws, which, believe it or not is still watched today, that scare people from diving.

 

[greeniguana]

If only people could be as scared of bigmacs and soda as they are of getting eaten by sharks.....