What is the BIGGEST OBSTACLE TO DIVING?

[robint]

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

dude - you need to ask her what makes her so special that a shark would eat her and not the other thousands of divers in the ocean!
Really, you need to explain to her sharks don't eat people, they are very lazy animals and go after the easiest meal they can get - usually something already dead or dying. Would all those fish really be swimming around sharks if they thought the shark was going to eat them? No, they know that the shark isn't going to chase down a healthy fish. Sharks don't eat very often either, maybe once a week... so at the very least tell her that it isn't their feeding day.

 

[ProfessorAronnax]

Actually I wish even fewer people would dive. Leave more room for me at the dive sites.

Beware of the sharks! Especially the man eating type that hunt their human prey near my favorite lobster spot

 

[davidryder]

Cost is by far the most limiting factor IMO. There are others, but I would say cost is far above the rest. I would have never gotten into it if the equipment wasn't given to me. Diving gear is extremely expensive. Not to mention the cost of a boat/kayak/charters. I don't know of many hobbies that are more expensive.

 

[harleyxx]

My wife likes to snorkel, but the thought of breathing compressed air freaked her out.

So I thought I would eliminate her fear by hooking up my regulator and letting her breath of it while sitting on the couch.

The only problem was that when she took her first breath she inhaled a spider that somehow crawled into the 1st stage. She gagged and choked and finally coughed it up.

Not only did I not elliminate the fear, but now she has a whole new paranoia of spiders. specifically inhaling them. She is now convinced that regulators are the preferred habitat for arachnids.

Any suggestions?

 

[<*)))><]

My wife likes to snorkel, but the thought of breathing compressed air freaked her out.

So I thought I would eliminate her fear by hooking up my regulator and letting her breath of it while sitting on the couch.

The only problem was that when she took her first breath she inhaled a spider that somehow crawled into the 1st stage. She gagged and choked and finally coughed it up.

Not only did I not elliminate the fear, but now she has a whole new paranoia of spiders. specifically inhaling them. She is now convinced that regulators are the preferred habitat for arachnids.

Any suggestions?

Oh man. I'll never put my reg in my mouth again without a quick purge first. Your poor wife.....

 

[Papa_Bear]

Cost is by far the most limiting factor IMO. There are others, but I would say cost is far above the rest. I would have never gotten into it if the equipment wasn't given to me. Diving gear is extremely expensive. Not to mention the cost of a boat/kayak/charters. I don't know of many hobbies that are more expensive.

Just not true! Skiing, Motocross, Flying, Ski diving, Golf, and a lot more! Have you checked the price of RC cars and planes? Once you buy the equipment you can go to the beach for pretty cheap!

 

[RiverRat]

My limiting factor right now is money. Although I did just drop $700.00 on training (Adv. Nitrox/Deco) and $300.00 on a wing So most of my diving for awhile will be local in the Northeast, Canada maybe during the summer. The economy, gas prices etc. isn't going to help right now.

My 2nd limiting factor is time. Single parent, 2 young kids and several hours from a decent quarry or the Atlantic it aint easy.

 

[Teamcasa]

Cost is by far the most limiting factor IMO.

Just not true! ....you can go to the beach for pretty cheap!

It's just an opinion - there is no true or false, you can agree or disagree.

What if the nearest beach is 700 miles away?

 

[RiverRat]

Just not true! Skiing, Motocross, Flying, Ski diving, Golf, and a lot more! Have you checked the price of RC cars and planes? Once you buy the equipment you can go to the beach for pretty cheap!

You've got a point. I can dive local pretty cheap. Just gas, food and some fills. Maybe an entrance fee.

It's when you jump on a plane that it gets to the big $. Oh but I love the warm water.

 

[caymaniac]

I think Teamcasa had it right on the 1st page when he stated that it's the claustrophobic, fear of drowning and the cold water (at least where I live it's cold). The more dives I take I tend not to want to dive in cold water anymore as well, now "I've been there done that" does come into play especially when there's no reef where I'm diving and not even a wreck. It's the underwater wildlife that I want to see and observe, there are many people that don't care about wildlife, nature or the planet that we live on.