LDS Closures

[ArcticDiver]

One factor that has not been mentioned is The Boredom Factor.

SCUBA is often sold as an Adventure. But, so many times the only adventure is getting through the certification class. After a few trips to a reef and seeing the "pretty fish" the new diver thinks: "Gee this was nice, but I've seen the fish. This is expensive and I can see the same thing snorkeling".

Combine that with what seems to be a national trend to more urban activities and it is not hard to see the population of continuing divers declining. Faced with these demographics it is hard for a dive shop to make it in the first place.

 

[SparticleBrane]

Honestly, I'm not too worried about less people diving. Means the dive sites will be less crowded when I get there.

 

[Papa_Bear]

Thats lack of imagination! Dive shops should strive to get involved in the community! Charity events, poker dives, clean ups, and Special projects! Surveying historical sites and other special projects are important to keep up interest in the sport and the shop! harbors and waterways can use attention, streams and lakes can be surveyed for fisherman for bottom maps of structure! Then you can always have the tropical trips and special locations! These can get people amped up for cool adventure! What about shark dives and special training? All can go a long way to keep it from getting boring!

 

[Papa_Bear]

Elitist attitudes will kill the sport!

 

[DA Aquamaster]

The adventure is still there for those who want it, but it is expensive and requires a great deal of dedication. Consequently, I'd argue that the boredom factor is an artifact of dumbing down the mental and physical demands of scuba certification in order to increase the numbers of divers to feed a really boring dive tourism industry.

 

[SparticleBrane]

The adventure is still there for those who want it, but it is expensive and requires a great deal of dedication.

Like all true adventures....scuba is no different.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

Some of us keep diving, I'm 43 years in and still loving it. Golf came and went but scuba stuck around.

 

[Papa_Bear]

As in anything people need to be challenged, there is no finish line in diving, so you have to do something! Photography, Videography, Survey, Scientific research, and a lot of time consuming interesting activities! Again the imagination is the limit! I have said anyone can dive, but not everyone who dives is a diver! Why do Bowlers Bowl? Golfers Golf? The everyday guy who never has a chance to win anything? To improve and have fun! That's why I want divers to have FUN and dive a lot and become divers!

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Elitist attitudes will kill the sport!

Actually, dumbing down the training is what's killing the sport. When you don't feel comfortable doing something, you're going to stop doing it. We've reached a point where new divers learn just enough to scare the crap out of themselves. Only those with determination and dedication will keep at it ... the casual diver will quickly stop struggling with it and find something else to do.

Ask yourself why the vast majority of people who get certified very quickly give up diving ... it's not because of "elitist attitudes".

Among the instructors I know, those who offer quality programs consistently have the lowest drop-out rate among their students. The C-card mills always have the biggest (and cheapest) classes ... but very few of their students are still diving a year later.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[ArcticDiver]

Honestly, I'm not too worried about less people diving. Means the dive sites will be less crowded when I get there.

This thread is about the health of local dive shops and that effect on the diving community at large.

There is a lot of impact from a diminished demographic. That ranges from less incentive to manufacturers to develop better products to charter boat operators to society as a whole allowing the freedom we currently enjoy.

So, yes indeed, we all benefit from a healthy network of local dive shops that have found the key to developing and maintaining a vigorous diving poplulation.