What happened to the dive clubs?!?

[offroaddiver]

When I first started diving there were several diving clubs in my part of TN. Within a year I was seeing dive clubs boil down to nothing. The only clubs I have heard of is one that is run by Unniversity of Tennessee and it's for students only. I have noticed that the local dive shops seem not to support any dive clubs anymore.

I found scubaboard and realized that there are divers in TN and they actually dive the local quarries and lakes. This can be seen as a rant, but rather take it as a way to look at the conditions divers now get involved.

I know east TN is not a diving meca by any means. Am I the only one that drives by the lakes and wonders what they hide?

One thing I have noticed is that people look at local diving as only preparations and to pass the time for their next dive trip.

I am goin to try and start a dive club localy, but since I'm in college time is very small. I am lucky that my girlfriend and her father dive. I can see the newbie divers stop diving completely because they can't find people to dive with and that is sad.

 

[H2Andy]

i was talking to a guy who used to run a diving club out of UNF, and he was saying
that now that the sport is more common, most people don't need a dive club
since the LDS's are arranging trips and get-togethers

in a way, the LDS's are acting like dive clubs now

at least an interesting idea

 

[Corigan]

One of my LDS hate clubs since they take money away from their trips. Poor excuse if you ask me.

Offroaddiver: I like diving local lakes and quarries and can make it to the north side of chatanooga in 1 1/2 hrs and can be around nashville in 3 1/2 hrs or so. I would dive all over TN with ya if you would like. I am also not diving to pass time to my next trip, I just like diving every week, regardless of where.

Matt

 

[500 PSI]

Dive clubs are like most volunteer orginizations, most people like the idea, but no one wants to do the work.

This is an age of limited free time for most people with demands of school, job, and family, it leaves little precious time for social groups of any kind. As a society we place minimal value in social groups anymore; life has simply become too complex in the good old USA. Vacation time must be planned out just like anything else. Look at the decline in boy scouts, girl scouts, mens clubs, womens clubs, church groups and other non profit orginizations. Employeers don't support private groups, they would rather have you work overtime! The pursuit of the almighty buck is al too time consuming. This is the harsh reality of the times we live in.

You are yearning for times that have past when you say "start a club".

 

[DreadPirate]

I share your pain, offroaddiver. After the LDS where I got certified shut down, I slowly lost track of all the people I used to dive with through the shop. I looked on the Internet for a local club this spring there was not one, even though we are on the coast. I started looking around and there were cars with dive stickers and plates everywhere. So, I started my own. We have only had two meetings and are up to 5 regular members, with another 38 people on our mailing list. It is a lot of work, but I am almost as passionate about hanging out with other divers as I am about diving. I expect our membership to grow to at least 40 people by the end of next summer.

If you really feel a need for a dive club where you are, start one. Don't be discouraged if 100 people don't show up at your first meeting though, evidently building membership is a long and arduous task.

 

[mike_s]

One of my LDS hate clubs since they take money away from their trips. Poor excuse if you ask me.

The LDS you refer to has the wrong attitude. They should be "embracing" the club. People who are in Dive Clubs most likely tend to dive more. People who dive more tend to buy more stuff. He would hope that he could get some of this business.

 

[offroaddiver]

I share your pain, offroaddiver. After the LDS where I got certified shut down, I slowly lost track of all the people I used to dive with through the shop. I looked on the Internet for a local club this spring there was not one, even though we are on the coast. I started looking around and there were cars with dive stickers and plates everywhere. So, I started my own. We have only had two meetings and are up to 5 regular members, with another 38 people on our mailing list. It is a lot of work, but I am almost as passionate about hanging out with other divers as I am about diving. I expect our membership to grow to at least 40 people by the end of next summer.

If you really feel a need for a dive club where you are, start one. Don't be discouraged if 100 people don't show up at your first meeting though, evidently building membership is a long and arduous task.

I started up a conversation with someone that was wearing a dive shirt(as was I) and they don't dive just thought it was cool shirt....kinda funny when it was a shirt that said "if you don't dive you haven't lived". I've also talked to people at the gas station with a dive flag decal....the general response when talking about it and trying to strike up a conversation while watching my money go into my gas tank..."oh that's what that red thing means"

 

[Slider2268]

hey Offroaddiver, I manage to get out to Loch Low Minn, just about every weekend, If you can't find anyone to dive with shoot me a pm. Always looking for a few more folks in the area

 

[HammerNoMore]

i was talking to a guy who used to run a diving club out of UNF, and he was saying
that now that the sport is more common, most people don't need a dive club
since the LDS's are arranging trips and get-togethers

in a way, the LDS's are acting like dive clubs now

at least an interesting idea

Does anyone else think that is sad? I mean, diving has become so comercialized that there is no room for the people in the throng of businesses?

James

(P.S. Andy, don't take it as a PA, it's just a comment on a 2nd hand conversation.)

James

 

[H2Andy]

i do think it's sad... someone posted a few posts back how we have lost
a sense of community and it's all "buy and sell" relationships that we have
time left for... at the end of the day, there's just no time for community any more

very true and very sad