What constitutes an "active" diver?

[Spady]

There was an interesting article in a recent Undercurrent about the number of divers out there. The article stated that most reported numbers are probably inflated and that nobody really knew for sure, partly because there are likely to be differences in opinion about what it means to be an active diver. For example, lots of people get certified, go on vacation somewhere, and never dive again.
I was wondering what everyone thought about this. For example, would you consider a person who dives once a year on vacation an active diver? What if he/she went twice a year? Every month? Seasonal (summer)? What is the cut-off?

 

[murrayp4]

I recently asked the same question on an Irish scuba board. The answers varied from 10 dives per year to over 100
I'd be very interested in what others think

 

[Spady]

I wasn't thinking of the issue in terms of absolute number of dives, but rather FREQUENCY of dives. Good point.

 

[ianw2]

Isn't 10 dives per year to over 100 dives per year a frequency?

On a recent Southern California dive boat, the DM rated anyone with more than 24 dives in a 12 month period a a very active diver.

I guess there really is no set frequency definition.

Ian

 

[Spady]

Isn't 10 dives per year to over 100 dives per year a frequency?

On a recent Southern California dive boat, the DM rated anyone with more than 24 dives in a 12 month period a a very active diver.

I guess there really is no set frequency definition.

Ian

I see your point
In my opinion, a bloke who does 2 dives a month (24 per year), might be considered a more active diver than someone who goes to his timeshare in Cozumel for 10 days and does the 24 dives, and doesn't dive at all during the other 51 weeks of the year.
Would you disagree?

 

[ianw2]

I couldn't agree with you more!

Laura (my wife) and I have only been certified since the end of August last year. Since then, we've got in 48 dives and 49 dives respectively. We dive two or three times a month and do two or three dives per day. We're on our way to Cozumel in just 23 days (WOO HOO!) and are scheduled for 16 dives with Dive Paradise.

I'm diving at Shaw's Cove, tomorrow, with a friend. Laura and I will, hopefully, be doing a boat dive and a day's shore diving between now and the time we leave for Mexico. We should manage another 5 to 8 dives each before we go.

I would consider us as "rather active". On the other hand, there are a good few divers here in Southern California who live a lot closer to the coast that we do (we're about an hour away from the nearest dive point). I've seen them top out at over 200 dives per year! (I don't know what they do for a living... )

But you're absolutley right! Someone who does 16 dives on their hols and then never gets in the water until their hols the next year should not be considered in the same class as someone who dives 1.3 dives per month but dives every month during the same year.

Of course, as a land surveyor, I see guys who claim 20 years experience when what they really have is one year of experience 20 times!:shakehead

Any other points of view?

Ian

 

[Darth Fishhead]

I wasn't thinking of the issue in terms of absolute number of dives, but rather FREQUENCY of dives. Good point.

Personally, I'd like the answer in Hz.

 

[Cheekymonkey]

I wouldnt say its hte total # of divesper year, but how they were spread out, for instnace someone that did 24 dives on a 2 week vacation and then didnt dive again I would call inactive. But someone who dove once every 2 weeks through the year and hit 24 dives a year I would consider active.

But as to most of these magazines that quote #'s of active divers. I would say they include those once a year vacation divers, because with all their resort reviews, and gadget reviews its probably alot of their cliental. (sp?)

 

[jaybombs25]

I would say someone who logs 1 -2 dives PER week...,. or more than 50 a year

 

[boat sju]

Someone who does 16 dives on their hols and then never gets in the water until their hols the next year should not be considered in the same class as someone who dives 1.3 dives per month but dives every month during the same year.

"same class" ? ? ? ?