What is the BIGGEST OBSTACLE TO DIVING?

[Prevailer]

Jason, that is certainly one reason.

I live in Minnesota, am in my forties, and have just recently entered the sport. Our dive sites will have ice on them for another month, after which you can guess the temps -- FYI, we got four more inches of snow yesterday. We do not have the luxury of filling up tanks and heading out on any given weekend to plop in the water as many people might. Not only that, equipment needs for diving here are different, and add significantly to the cost of being "active" in the sport. (After all, how many tropical vacations are possible in one year for most of us landlocked folks with occupations and families? Even IF we get tropical on all of our vacations, how likely is it that they all can be dive trips?) As was mentioned, the dives are significantly different than an ocean paradise.

Consequently, there are not a high percentage of scuba divers here. On the other hand, I can find a golf foursome, hike/camp team, fishing crew, etc. during dive season with very few phone calls. That leaves one to decide where it is best to spend disposable income. And leaves a lack of partners unless you befriend the LDS's.

We all know that the more you dive -- the more you like it, the better you become, the more comfortable you are in the water, and the more you invest in the sport. Realistically, one has to DIVE to love diving, and love diving to dive, no?

 

[buleetu]

i just asked my gf why she wont dive with me when we get to sharm next week, she said she is terrified of the sea and thinks a shark will eat her

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

I think this is excatly right - Fear of "fill in the blank"

I live in Miami, diving paradise, and very few people dive (as a percentage of the population) so it's not just the expense of traveling to dive. I tell people living in Miami and not diving is like living in Colorado and not being able to skii.

Most I talk to mention some type of fear, or just general fear of the unknown.

Some time back, I was talking with a coworker and he mentioned that he dives. I told him that I did too and was going on a night dive that weekend. I was very surprised when he started cautioning me that I shouldn't be diving at night, implying that it was unsafe. He didn't provide any details, but he was warning me off about this big mistake I was preparing to make.

And, don't even mention tech or cave, then there's sure to be talk about closterphobia, which I don't get either. I think closterphobics must have difficulty with even putting a mask on their face.

 

[sundowner]

Where are the TV shows and movies that inspire folks to dive? Most divers my age, in my forties, would say it was the world of Cousteau that inspired them to look under the waters surface. People need to feel like they are part of an adventure, not extreme sport adventure, but exploration and discovery. I just don't see the selling of diving as adventure as really being out in the mainstream public eye.

 

[dhaas]

OK, I'll play......

* Cost isn't as much of a factor for people who have the means and will to travel. 90% of people who ARE interested want warm, clear water and to have fun, not "test" themselves doing a miserable "Bataan Death March" experience. That insight is from a 40 year experienced diver, living in Ohio, former dive store owner, quarry / Great Lakes diver, light commercial diver, UW Photographer, blah, blah, blah....

* Weight of gear......As Alex777 who I met on Grand Cayman in Dec. 2007 (Hi Alex and Esther!) minimal gear ala' the somewhat silly Hollywood movie "Into the Blue" is how people envision diving. If someone were to mass produce a 100 cu/ ft. bottle the size of a Pony tank diving would get a big bump. Hell, I have even taken to only bringing a 50 cu. ft. to the quarry and pool. The crap is still too heavy and complicated and it doesn't need to be......

* Training........What a PITA.....eLEarning for theory and then spending time doing real world basic 5 or so skills to make a newbie comfortable (listed below) is what will be needed to keep sport diving alive and maybe even grow. I taught for 15 years within that 40 years and learned no new diver cares about my dive stories. OK, maybe my wife did Too much of this crap still goes on in most dive classes I see with just plain terrible teaching skills, drawn out classes and poor use of pool time for people to become comfortable and HAVE FUN! (especially for Open Water Scuba!)

Here's all they NEED to know.......(A curmudgeon's rant

1) Mask clearing and airway control (#1 to prevent panic!)
2) Regulator clearing, plus real world emergency procedures (drop or lose your primary, grab ANY second stage, AIR II or whatever and THEN sort it out!)
3) Buoyancy. Too much lead on 90% of new divers (or existing divers), no breath control taught effectively, emphasis on proper weighting,etc.
4) Gauges including computers (do they HAVE them and know what they are telling you?)
5) Navigation, boat diving return to the anchor line, etc. It ain't that hard, folks if taught correctly.

My one buddy says most people want to be a "4 / 80" diver. Meaning it better be at LEAST 80F, only put on an 80 cu. ft. aluminum tank, have 80' viz and likely they're not going deeper than 80'......Like it not, this is what 90% + want.

Keep it simple and people will enjoy it, buy gear and travel. More complication and we're at where we are today. Low enrollments and wondering why it isn't growing.

But hey, whadda' I know?



dhaas

P.S. - The other sad thing I see is people diving with no interest in looking at the wreck, fish, lousy little Bass or Crayfish in the quarry, etc. They are so overwhelmed they are simply trying to "survive the dive" as I've grown to call it. I started diving to go SEE the underwater environment. Today I see too many people simple wanting to go play with their gear versus realizing the gear is merely a VEHICLE to go explore......Kinda' sad.....

 

[jason.elias]

Well, dhaas, that is an excellent breakdown. But it also points to a whole RAFT of issues and obstacles facing Divers, both new and grizzled...

I think out of what you said, the most striking was again and again, how much proper teaching or training - and emphasizing the FUN, as well as imparting the techniques - seems to come up in many posts.

Of course, money and time are also fairly consistent issues...

 

[shoupart]

My biggest obstacle to diving is unfavorable conditions here on the beaches.

I tend to beach dive a lot, so it depends on the visibility. But I still try to go out at least once a week.

I'd boat-dive more if I had more free time and more money to spend on it.

 

[dhaas]

Jason,

First, stunning photography......Fantastic texture and color to your images!

Second, I re-read what I posted and think I tried to explain it as I see it. Even where you live I'm sure there are "minimalist" divers who go into the beautiful Pacific, swim around and enjoy without having 120# of gear on.....It's just that it is not as common nowadays in the scuba world.

My best friend of 40 years and dive buddy (who trained as a commercial diver at the Ocean Corp in Houston) have a bit of a joke since we're in our 50s and still diving. Every time we see divers put on another piece of gear, we try and take another off!

We still have octopus regs (Seaquest AirSource inline in our BC inflators for typical sport diving! Gasp!) dive computers, mask, fins, maybe a snorkel tucked away behind us on our minimal back mounted BCs, and a minimum amount of weight based on thermal protection so we don't have to be futzing with the BC inflator I see people doing too often these days. Somehow we have survived diving all over the world with this minimal amount of gear.

Food for thought, and as stated it's only my opinion

Hope you enjoy diving and find dive buddies who do, too

dhaas
David Haas Underwater Photography

P.S. - Jason, the part you mentioned of sharing ways to make diving easier is long gone unless you're lucky enough to find a club or an instructor who is interested in making diving easy. Ages ago (1970s) clubs had experienced divers who would take newbies "under their wing" and show them how to not be miserable and actually enjoy diving. A guy named Lou Fead wrote a book (you might find one on Ebay in paperback?) titled "Easy Diver". Pretty funny and written by a guy who knew how to train folks...

Now even old farts like me don't dare tell someone how to make a task easy due to being sued or berated by the new 200 lifetime dives "wonder-boy / girl" instructor who knows it all. Sad, sad, sad......My wife was the last person I certified in 1990, then I packed it in and have been enjoying diving since then!

 

[Clammy]

P.S. - The other sad thing I see is people diving with no interest in looking at the wreck, fish, lousy little Bass or Crayfish in the quarry, etc. They are so overwhelmed they are simply trying to "survive the dive" as I've grown to call it. I starting diving to go SEE the underwater environment. Today I see too many people simple wanting to go play with their gear versus realizing the gear is merely a VEHICLE to go explore......Kinda' sad.....

Well, the gear is fun too. I mean, don't pass up the beautiful environment but if you're between blank blue surface, and dark blue whole lotta nothin below you, gear is fun! Not to mention even "upgrading" can be fun... if not a sledge hammer to the wallet.

 

[Papa_Bear]

Comfort! Comfort in the water: your ability to feel safe in the water! Comfort based on temperature: The need for good thermal protection and a well fitting wet or dry suit! If your not comfortable you will not dive! Comfort based on your budget: Local trip or vacation trip, it your comfortable that you can pay for it you will commit to it! Comfort with your equipment: If you know your equipment and it is in good working order you are more likely to dive than if it needs servicing because it sat in the Garage all winter because it was too cold and you didn't have a good wet suit or dry suit so it fell into disrepair! It's all about comfort, and the more you dive the more comfortable you will be!