What is the fundamental reason that prevents scuba diving from becoming popular?

[tarponchik]

It seems like every time a thread like this starts up, the comments are always the same. It’s too expensive, no it’s not. It’s too expensive, no it’s not. Until the thread starts wandering off topic, and then dies. Always people just guessing.

If we want to know why people don’t take up diving, perhaps we should just ask them! The PADI survey mentioned in this thread apparently just looked at the characteristics of people who do dive. PADI, or perhaps students somewhere, could survey the population as a whole about whether they’re divers, and if not, why? Then we’d know.

But why bother? I am quite happy with the status quo. More divers means half-ass dive shops and liveaboards and crowded boats and dive sites. Fewer divers means industry collapse. Scuba diving is a niche activity and I'm fine with this. I do not want it to be part of mass tourism.

 

[drrich2]

But why bother? I am quite happy with the status quo. More divers means half-ass dive shops and liveaboards and crowded boats and dive sites. Fewer divers means industry collapse.

Fair point. I suspect many people are more concerned about the potential for a drop in participation, as opposed to being driven to double the numbers. And that could lead to less innovation in gear advances, more expensive dive operator costs, etc...

 

[Dody]

My view will surely be controversial but through my training (some will rush to critisize), I saw very little difference other than theoretical training between OW 18m, AOW 30m and Deep 40 m. If an AOW is unable to understand the relationship between gas consumption and depth or has never heard of narcosis, I am not even sure that he/ she should dive. Ok, the very same problem might be solved easier at 18 m than at 40 m but unless it is a CESA, it all summarizes to training and available gas. I might miss something but even at 40 m and without a balanced rig, my thighs are powerful enough to bring me to the surface on a single without my BCD and I am no Ben Johnson on steroids. First time I dived down to 30 and 40 m, I did not realize until my instructor told me. But I noticed that my SPG was telling me to be careful.
Diving below 40 m is a totally different ball game.

 

[Bob DBF]

. If an AOW is unable to understand the relationship between gas consumption and depth or has never heard of narcosis, I am not even sure that he/ she should dive.

Well yeah, they should have learned that in OW.

First time I dived down to 30 and 40 m, I did not realize until my instructor told me. But I noticed that my SPG was telling me to be careful.
Diving below 40 m is a totally different ball game.

If you didn't realize you were at 30 and 40 meters, below 40 is the same.

 

[Celt]

Scuba as a full time hobby or sport in my area, is finished, we live in the " I want it right now" generation. If they can't fly to a destination., training in the morning and diving after lunch forget it. Actually can we skip the training in the morning part, can I just hold your hand?

 

[El Diablo]

The above reads to me as training depth, not necessarily certification depth. PADI seems to be a bit vague, perhaps intentionally.

SSI on the other hand uses 18M/60ft Training Depth for OW, 40M/130ft Max Training Depth for their Deep course.

Training depth indicates what can be expected on the checkout/training dives. Not necessarily what the diver is certified for.

Ultimately, it doesn't really matter. PADI will not revoke your certification if you dive to 62' after OW. What really matters is if you use a dive Op. They may require an "Advanced" designation for some dives. If you don't use dive ops, then you are free to dive how you wish.

Again, I disagree with you. This is NOT a matter of interpretation, it is quite clear on their website, also I haven't got any information from PADI (as a DM) that update us on any changes.

The PADI OWD 18m certification depth has remained unchanged for many years. To be certified to go deeper, they need to take the AOWD course.

*Don't need to open the non-existing Scuba Police topic again. Supposedly a Certified OWD has a brain.

 

[El Diablo]

It seems like every time a thread like this starts up, the comments are always the same. It’s too expensive, no it’s not. It’s too expensive, no it’s not. Until the thread starts wandering off topic, and then dies. Always people just guessing.

If we want to know why people don’t take up diving, perhaps we should just ask them! The PADI survey mentioned in this thread apparently just looked at the characteristics of people who do dive. PADI, or perhaps students somewhere, could survey the population as a whole about whether they’re divers, and if not, why? Then we’d know.

The topic is very much country / area specific.

In some countries, sea and / or water in general is easily accessible, in some other countries the av. income level is higher / lower, in other places legislation is stricter, also dive centers seem to be charging differently according to their markets, etc.

That's why you see all these different posts and opinions. A few things like time, family, obligations are a little more common but still, too many cultural differences to put every one on 'the same boat' (pun intended).

 

[El Diablo]

My view will surely be controversial but through my training (some will rush to critisize), I saw very little difference other than theoretical training between OW 18m, AOW 30m and Deep 40 m. If an AOW is unable to understand the relationship between gas consumption and depth or has never heard of narcosis, I am not even sure that he/ she should dive. Ok, the very same problem might be solved easier at 18 m than at 40 m but unless it is a CESA, it all summarizes to training and available gas. I might miss something but even at 40 m and without a balanced rig, my thighs are powerful enough to bring me to the surface on a single without my BCD and I am no Ben Johnson on steroids. First time I dived down to 30 and 40 m, I did not realize until my instructor told me. But I noticed that my SPG was telling me to be careful.
Diving below 40 m is a totally different ball game.

I disagree with you, you might 'feel' the same but things happening inside you differ at 18m vs 40m.

First of all, you are consuming almost twice the amount of air (78.5% more), filling your BCD and equalizing your mask require that delta as well. You are also absorbing twice the amount of Nitrogen. This is affecting your physiology, visibly narked or not. Also, like been drunk, narcosis can have many different behavioral effects, sometimes difficult to identify. Some people get irrational, some get scared, some panic, some don't understand danger anymore, some don't feel any difference until something happens... Narcosis effects are not recognizable easily by many and that's why it can quickly become dangerous. That's why IMO your connection to your buddy is so important. Rarely 2 individuals will get narcosis at the exact same depth so one depends on the other to recognize the symptoms. With my friends, we use simple math via hand signals and we have pre-agree to add / substract a number form the number of fingers shown. If it takes us more time than usual to respond, something's wrong.

In addition, that dissolved N2 means that you have less room for error when surfacing, you might enter a DECO situation without realizing it (at 40m you have 9mn while at 18m, 56mn) and many OWD are not familiar enough with it. Decompression sickness is obviously a bigger threat.

EGO is also a HUGE danger, I've seen many OWD holding their breath to consume less air, doing that at 40m is a different ball game, not only it will increase N2 and CO2 buildup BUT can also lead to a sudden lung overexpansion if some unexpected big sea swelling happens.

Closing, your thighs might be strong enough BUT in an out-of-air emergency situation or BCD malfunction, surfacing at all (safe rate comes 2nd) is extremely difficult. IF you are properly weighed and have all the gods in your favor, you could do it BUT bailing at 40m is no joke when in panic... keep close to your dive buddy

So all and all, depth awareness is critical IMO, the fact that your Instructor had to remind you your depth highlight those risks. Dive safe.

Talking about proper weighting, CHECK THIS VIDEO ALL OF YOU, MIGHT SAVE YOUR LIFE. Its at 25m not 40m but you'll get the idea!

 

[Wibble]

Scuba as a full time hobby or sport in my area, is finished, we live in the " I want it right now" generation. If they can't fly to a destination., training in the morning and diving after lunch forget it. Actually can we skip the training in the morning part, can I just hold your hand?

Really good point Mac.

Doing advanced scuba -- technical diving -- takes a lot of practice and attention to detail.

Diving takes a lot of time too; for a single 1h30 to 2h dive for me takes a whole day: couple of hours driving, hour hanging around, few hours steaming there and back, plus the dive. For my current 135 hours on my rebreather in 120 dives, there's probably 90 DAYS of other time not included (many of the earlier dives would have been two dive days in a quarry).

Thus, in addition to the monetary commitment of £10k/€11k/$12k for the box -- plus the other $10k in kit -- there's all the driving time, boat fees, gas fees, kit maintenance fees (cells, cylinder testing, etc.), hotel fees if staying away...

A considerable time and financial commitment.

 

[Blackcrusader]

I disagree with you, you might 'feel' the same but things happening inside you differ at 18m vs 40m.

BUT in an out-of-air emergency situation or BCD malfunction, surfacing at all (safe rate comes 2nd) is extremely difficult. IF you are properly weighed and have all the gods in your favor, you could do it BUT bailing at 40m is no joke when in panic... keep close to your dive buddy

Which is why divers should also know how to use a DSMB to inflate if you have a BCD failure. I've used mine for other divers who had a bladder failure or a complete failure of a purge valve detaching. That way even at 40m depth you don't need to panic. If OOA at 40m ( never been close that lol ) exhale into BCD and rebreathe from BCD to get to surface or to your buddy nearby.