How to Engage Younger People in Diving?

[Esprise Me]

I see a fair number of divers who are both relatively new and relatively young (30s-40s more than teens-20s) on SoCal day boats too. But at 36 I was the youngest on the liveaboard I just finished by a solid decade (and there was probably at least another decade between the woman in her 40s and the next youngest passenger.) I know I waited until I got on my feet professionally and financially, as did several of my friends.

 

[scubadada]

I see a fair number of divers who are both relatively new and relatively young (30s-40s more than teens-20s) on SoCal day boats too. But at 36 I was the youngest on the liveaboard I just finished by a solid decade (and there was probably at least another decade between the woman in her 40s and the next youngest passenger.) I know I waited until I got on my feet professionally and financially, as did several of my friends.

My experience on LOBs is similar, and different than the boat diving in SE FL. I've always chalked this up the cost of these trips, in money and time. I've dived with very young people on a LOB only once, a family with two teenagers, on a trip to Cocos. Lucky young people!

 

[Midwesterndvr]

I don’t believe cost is a factor keeping younger people from diving. Fiscal responsibility generally isn’t a common trait seen in 20 year olds. And of course I don’t mean all of them.

 

[Esprise Me]

I give up. Fine, young people suck, and it's their loss they're too financially irresponsible to get into diving. Clearly they're missing out on meeting some absolutely sparkling personalities.

 

[BenjaminF]

You forgot their lack of understanding the use of sarcasm...

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I don’t believe cost is a factor keeping younger people from diving. Fiscal responsibility generally isn’t a common trait seen in 20 year olds. And of course I don’t mean all of them.

Yes, as earlier generations were so much more fiscally responsible. lol

 

[chillyinCanada]

I give up. Fine, young people suck, and it's their loss they're too financially irresponsible to get into diving. Clearly they're missing out on meeting some absolutely sparkling personalities.

It doesn't pay to be overly sensitive on the internet.

In the meantime, you've got your whole wonderful dive filled life ahead of you and the naysayers are grumpy old farts. (Remember this when you're their age)

 

[KathyV]

I give up. Fine, young people suck, and it's their loss they're too financially irresponsible to get into diving. Clearly they're missing out on meeting some absolutely sparkling personalities.

It doesn't pay to be overly sensitive on the internet.

In the meantime, you've got your whole wonderful dive filled life ahead of you and the naysayers are grumpy old farts. (Remember this when you're their age)

I give up on this thread - even though I'm the one that started it and I'm an oldster! I'm sorry that it brought out so much negativity. Just enjoy diving and encourage others of all ages to give it a try.

 

[SpeedyBob27]

I am an older diver but I enjoy diving with people of all age groups and I am concerned for the longevity of our sport because I see fewer young people becoming divers. Of course, there are some obvious reasons why we don't encounter as many young divers nowadays, including:

- We are Baby Boomers, a huge generation, and smaller generations followed after us.

- There are not as many Dive Shops around, but that is not surprising because many different types of retail businesses are closing due to the popularity of online sales.

- Diving is an expensive sport, and dive equipment and dive trips to exotic locations can be very expensive, so younger people may feel that diving is too pricey, but that is not new.

- Young parents are focused on planning family vacations and find it difficult to go diving when they have children, but that has always been true.

- We had scuba heroes on popular TV shows to inspire us when we were growing up, like Mike Nelson on Sea Hunt and Jacques Cousteau's Calypso expeditions; that is not as common these days and maybe all the "Shark Week" hype has scared people away!

- Diving can be tough, there's a lot of schlepping heavy gear around and you don't exactly look "hip or sexy" when you are geared up, waddling round, and ready to splash - but that hasn't changed.

- Becoming a certified diver takes work - although I think that it is easier and more convenient now as compared to the YMCA classes we took when we were studying to become certified and learning to dive by the Tables.

- There is evidence that wellness is decreasing in younger generations and that obesity is increasing, so active sports may not be as attractive younger people.

- Perhaps sports go "in and out of fashion" and there is just less interest in diving these days? Does anyone know if younger individuals are also showing less interest in other similar activities, like snow skiing?

The reason I am thinking about this right now is due to the news posted by @Doc that the annual Our World Underwater Scuba Show in Chicago has been cancelled for 2020. That show has been a yearly event for us for decades. We've always enjoyed it and looked forward to it, but it has been getting smaller over the years and now it is gone.

Also, I talked with a dive resort administrator in 2019 who told me that some of their customers are aging and getting out of diving and fewer young divers are taking their place. They are trying to think of ways to attract younger folks to take up diving and engage in dive travel.

And there have been posts here on SB by younger divers like @virtualRuben that are finding it difficult to connect and socialize with divers of their own age.

You might argue that fewer new divers will put less stress on the reefs and that may be a good thing, but diving also educates people about the marine life and the need for protection and conservation - and that's also a good thing.

I've been trying to think of ways that the scuba industry can engage younger generations in scuba and I have a few ideas, but I don't know what is practical or likely to be successful. So what are your ideas for bringing younger divers into the sport?

Amongst us youth, Diving is actually rather prevalent. I live on the Texas coast which may influence this, but a lot of the local kids are scuba divers, albeit they tend to not be very passionate about it unfortunately. The big thing disconnecting youth from the ocean is fear. Media has a huge role to play in this, as they always have, so they have been pushing the whole thalassophobia thing on kids. This usually leads to kids and teenagers that are absolutely terrified of the ocean. For me I have always been attracted to the ocean, so scuba diving came naturally to me. Amongst us me the two things we tend to like the most about scuba diving is the wildlife and getting to do stuff with our gear. The gear is a really cool aspect of scuba diving, I really enjoy the concepts behind it. I started earlier this year, (I am almost 16), and have had loads of fun. The other issue plaguing today's youth is the wretched disgusting obesity. I could go on for days about it, but society has been degenerated so much that good physique is very rare. Sure, it gives me a leg up over other people, especially in the areas of dating and the likes, but it negatively impacts scuba diving quite a lot. A lot of people my age don't even know how to swim.

 

[scubadada]

...A lot of people my age don't even know how to swim.