What is safer overall, recreational diving or snowmobiling??

[DCBC]

...My dive instructor thinks hands down that snowmobiling is much more dangerous that even technical diving, let alone rec diving (which I find very surprising) so I wanted to get your thoughts too.

To make any comparison of value, one cannot only compare the statistics of others. The real question that must first be answered is 'How do you undertake these activities?'

I'd suggest that one of the least dangerous things to do is to sit at home on the coach. One of the most dangerous things might be sitting in the middle of a high-speed highway on the coach. It's not the activity, but the location, attitude, training, etc. that a person has while doing it that presents the danger.

Clearly both activities can be dangerous (Divers and snowmobilers die every year). Statistics mean little to those that do and people don't die that statistically may have a higher risk. Whatever you do, do it within your safety envelope. There are never any guarantees...

 

[clownfish60]

I don't think this accurately compares the two. Where I live, there are easily 1000 times more snowmobilers than divers, and they go on hundreds of rides per year while the average diver in my area does less than 50 dives per year. In Florida, the opposite is probably true.

I am not saying one is more dangerous than the other, just that you cannot infer it from this data.

Incidentally, I have never seen a snowmobiler die from DCS.

You are right that the statistics are dissimilar. One measures deaths for a one year period in just North America. One measure deaths as a percentage worldwide (1 in 211,864). My post was not meant to be used for comparative purposes... just some stats I found interesting.

Here is an interesting statistic... maybe it will shed more light. It is limited strictly to Minnesota... but might be considered a decent representative of fatality statistics:

In 2010 there were 254,492 registered Snowmobiles in Minnesota... with 19 fatalities. ( just in Minnesota) Snowmobile certification, registration & accident statistics: Minnesota DNR

This does correlate somewhat better to the DAN statistics quoted above (In 2010... 1 fatality for every 211, 864 Dives) Is Scuba Diving Safe - Statistics, Risks, Facts, and Dangers although it still doesn't take into account the number of actual times those registered snowmobiles were ridden in 2010, or how many actual dives / fatalities occurred in 2010. Nor does it take into account worldwide numbers for the fatalities in snowmobiling, just one state.

 

[boulderjohn]

Incidentally, I have never seen a snowmobiler die from DCS.

I have never heard of a diver dying from hitting a tree at 50 mph.

This does correlate somewhat better to the DAN statistics quoted above (In 2010... 1 fatality for every 211, 864 Dives) Is Scuba Diving Safe - Statistics, Risks, Facts, and Dangers although it still doesn't take into account the number of actual times those registered snowmobiles were ridden in 2010, or how many actual dives / fatalities occurred in 2010. Nor does it take into account worldwide numbers for the fatalities in snowmobiling, just one state.

DAN also reports total death statistics for North America. Over the past decade, it has been roughly in the 80-90 range, IIRC.

 

[j yaeger]

this hits close to home for for me...
my father in law died march 4th,2013 snowmobiling home from dinner,along with his neighbor.
2 others barely made it out of this tragedy alive
unstable ice
the rescue divers that ive helped train had all they could do to recover the bodies.
ive rode sleds since i was 6
my father in law put on 300 miles the 2 days preceding his death-he was 87 years old
he's been riding since '66 and owned 5 sleds-some screamers!!!!
he always got a kick out of me diving...
i always got a kick out of him snowmobiling....
thanks
jim

 

[clownfish60]

this hits close to home for for me...
my father in law died march 4th,2013 snowmobiling home from dinner,along with his neighbor.
2 others barely made it out of this tragedy alive
unstable ice
the rescue divers that ive helped train had all they could do to recover the bodies.
ive rode sleds since i was 6
my father in law put on 300 miles the 2 days preceding his death-he was 87 years old
he's been riding since '66 and owned 5 sleds-some screamers!!!!
he always got a kick out of me diving...
i always got a kick out of him snowmobiling....
thanks
jim

Sorry to hear about your father in law! That is one oddity in some of the statistics I saw... many snowmobile deaths are due to drowning and exposure. Thin ice is a killer!

 

[highdesert]

One of the common snowmobile injuries, of the fatal type, was someone going flat out over a field at night. It went fine except for the barbed wire fences between properties. The results were every bit as gruesome as you can imagine, and it's not like it was a rare occurrence. That kind of stuff isn't much of a threat on a dive.

 

[Bob DBF]

You are right that the statistics are dissimilar. One measures deaths for a one year period in just North America. One measure deaths as a percentage worldwide (1 in 211,864). My post was not meant to be used for comparative purposes... just some stats I found interesting.

Here is an interesting statistic... maybe it will shed more light. It is limited strictly to Minnesota... but might be considered a decent representative of fatality statistics:

In 2010 there were 254,492 registered Snowmobiles in Minnesota... with 19 fatalities. ( just in Minnesota) Snowmobile certification, registration & accident statistics: Minnesota DNR

This does correlate somewhat better to the DAN statistics quoted above (In 2010... 1 fatality for every 211, 864 Dives) Is Scuba Diving Safe - Statistics, Risks, Facts, and Dangers although it still doesn't take into account the number of actual times those registered snowmobiles were ridden in 2010, or how many actual dives / fatalities occurred in 2010. Nor does it take into account worldwide numbers for the fatalities in snowmobiling, just one state.

The problem with "In 2010... 1 fatality for every 211, 864 Dives" is that since they didn't ask me or any of my regular buddies, I know the number is wrong. Statistics can be quite usefull if actual data is used, an estimate pulled out of someones a** and passed of as fact brings into question any conclusions by the research body involved.


As an answer to the OP, from personal experience, snowmobiling is way more dangerous than SCUBA diving for me.




Bob
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A nod, you know, is as good as a wink to a blind horse.

 

[nimoh]

I have never heard of a diver dying from hitting a tree at 50 mph.

check my post to see what I was quoting

 

[DaleC]

Snowmobiling, snowboarding, snow skiing, snowman making,... All the the same. Just crazy pastimes for those Canucks waiting for their 2 months of summer to show up...

Those are the summer time activities

Winter is when we get into throat singing

 

[chrpai]

(actually, I think snowmobiling is very safe once you're past the testosterone-poisoned, alcohol fuelled stage. Long time ago.)

Ditto with regard to golf carts.