Scuba - The Antithesis of Sports

[undefined]

Perhaps this has been covered before....

Has anyone else ever considered that scuba is unique in sporting activities? Scuba is truly the antithesis of the concept of "sports" that most people have. Instead of requiring one to be in perfect physical condition, scuba is available to nearly everyone - including those in less than stellar condition. Instead of rewarding one for hours of physical exercise and abstinence from good food, scuba rewards us for our ability to relax and slow our breathing and activity rate.

Scuba is open to those with physical handicaps while most sports are not. Scuba encourages people of all ages to participate, most sporting activities are focused on the prime youth demographic. Training, both in course participation and personal involvement, is encourage in scuba but is not designed to be physically demanding in the same way as many sports. (Note: This is in reference to rec scuba, not the hard core water breathing tech counterparts)

Is scuba not the polar opposite of what most sports are? There is no doubt that we all train (and practice), but the training is designed to make us more proficient divers, not just to improve our physique. Scuba is generally a noncompetitive activity, with some notable exceptions. Entire families can enjoy scuba, from teenage/preteen children to great grandparents - the same cannot be said about the vast majority of sporting activities. Our our recent trip to Roatan we saw a diver who had lost both of his legs - this did not seem to stop him in any way, yet I can't picture the same man playing volleyball, soccer, baseball, football, or nearly any other sport activity.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

That's because scuba isn't a sport ... it's a recreational activity. What you're describing applies to a lot of recreational activities. For example, I used to be a ski instructor, and I can apply almost everything you said to skiing.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[ClayJar]

You know, I recall saying the same things about geocaching some time ago. I suppose I'm into relaxing sports/hobbies -- photography, hiking/camping, geocaching, scuba diving...

Hmm... apparently, I'm really into relaxing (and gear-intensive) pursuits.

 

[NorCalDawg]

Scuba is a hobby, not a sport. Sport, by definition is competition, and there is no competition involved in scuba.

 

[Tortuga James]

I would question defining scuba as a "sport". It is more of an activity, like hiking or skiing, but with much less need for physical conditioning. Gravity, at least underwater (and assuming effective buoyancy control) has no influence. It is the only "zero impact" activity.

That is excluding all of the ***** you have to lug around to actually get underwater.

 

[Tortuga James]

That's because scuba isn't a sport ... it's a recreational activity. What you're describing applies to a lot of recreational activities. For example, I used to be a ski instructor, and I can apply almost everything you said to skiing.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

geez, three posts while I was typing

 

[Tortuga James]

Scuba is a hobby, not a sport. Sport, by definition is competition, and there is no competition involved in scuba.

Add a speargun and dive with my buddies and you've got competition, therefore a "sport".

 

[Meng_Tze]

Perhaps this has been covered before....

Has anyone else ever considered that scuba is unique in sporting activities? Scuba is truly the antithesis of the concept of "sports" that most people have. Instead of requiring one to be in perfect physical condition, scuba is available to nearly everyone - including those in less than stellar condition. Instead of rewarding one for hours of physical exercise and abstinence from good food, scuba rewards us for our ability to relax and slow our breathing and activity rate.

Scuba is open to those with physical handicaps while most sports are not. Scuba encourages people of all ages to participate, most sporting activities are focused on the prime youth demographic. Training, both in course participation and personal involvement, is encourage in scuba but is not designed to be physically demanding in the same way as many sports. (Note: This is in reference to rec scuba, not the hard core water breathing tech counterparts)

Is scuba not the polar opposite of what most sports are? There is no doubt that we all train (and practice), but the training is designed to make us more proficient divers, not just to improve our physique. Scuba is generally a noncompetitive activity, with some notable exceptions. Entire families can enjoy scuba, from teenage/preteen children to great grandparents - the same cannot be said about the vast majority of sporting activities. Our our recent trip to Roatan we saw a diver who had lost both of his legs - this did not seem to stop him in any way, yet I can't picture the same man playing volleyball, soccer, baseball, football, or nearly any other sport activity.

Same thing goes for chess and checkers?

 

[undefined]

Scuba is not, by definition, a sport. I agree. At the same time, scuba is a "sporting like" activity (call it a hobby, call it an activity). There are some elements of sport to scuba - at least as much as there are to other things people call sports (come on - golf?!?). I suppose my point was that scuba is far more inclusive than most activities, and instead of encouraging one to be competitive it encourages proper mental and physical technique.

Maybe what I should have said is this: Most sporting activities reward you for exertion of effort, scuba rewards you for finding ways not to exert yourself.

 

[Meng_Tze]

I think Scuba IS a sport. There is no need for competitiveness in an activity for it to be a sport. I may be nit picking, but number 3 on the list:

sport /spɔrt, spoʊrt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[spawrt, spohrt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.
2. a particular form of this, esp. in the out of doors.
3. diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime.
4. jest; fun; mirth; pleasantry: What he said in sport was taken seriously.
5. mockery; ridicule; derision: They made sport of him.
6. an object of derision; laughingstock.
7. something treated lightly or tossed about like a plaything.
8. something or someone subject to the whims or vicissitudes of fate, circumstances, etc.
9. a sportsman.
10. Informal. a person who behaves in a sportsmanlike, fair, or admirable manner; an accommodating person: He was a sport and took his defeat well.
11. Informal. a person who is interested in sports as an occasion for gambling; gambler.
12. Informal. a flashy person; one who wears showy clothes, affects smart manners, pursues pleasurable pastimes, or the like; a bon vivant.
13. Biology. an organism or part that shows an unusual or singular deviation from the normal or parent type; mutation.
14. Obsolete. amorous dalliance.
–adjective
15. of, pertaining to, or used in sports or a particular sport.
16. suitable for outdoor or informal wear: sport clothes.
–verb (used without object)
17. to amuse oneself with some pleasant pastime or recreation.
18. to play, frolic, or gambol, as a child or an animal.
19. to engage in some open-air or athletic pastime or sport.
20. to trifle or treat lightly: to sport with another's emotions.
21. to mock, scoff, or tease: to sport at suburban life.
22. Botany. to mutate.
–verb (used with object)
23. to pass (time) in amusement or sport.
24. to spend or squander lightly or recklessly (often fol. by away).
25. Informal. to wear, display, carry, etc., esp. with ostentation; show off: to sport a new mink coat.
26. Archaic. to amuse (esp. oneself).