What's the future of scuba?

[mike_s]

I feel with the increase in costs of diving and travel, a lot of divers will consider diving were you get a good 60 min dive in rather than dive 10 mins on a deep wreck. Also divers will look to dive locally.

the increase of costs on everything is affecting diving.

So lots of people are reducing their trips not only because the increased cost of travel, but the increased cost of everything else has reduced their extra available "play money".


This will also affect gear sale. (both in LDS and internet sales).

2008 is expected to be a "flat year" in dive gear sales.... so they don't expect any growth (across the board).

 

[Chatterton]

Bad joke? Here on ScubaBoard?

The standard 60fpm Buoyancy Balls were followed by the Variable Rate Buoyancy Balls. The diver could select the desired ascent rate (say 45fpm) by selecting the proper color coded BB from the hose mounted BB Holster.

Neat site. I actually have half of that stuff. Now where did I put my SOS Meter?

Cheers

"Buoyancy balls?"

That sure sounds like the setup to a bad joke.

While looking up what they are/were, I stumbled across this interesting article about failed scuba gear. Weird Gear

 

[Sinbad the Diver]

GPS signals are at around 1 GHz, so they simply won't penetrate very deep into water. The only chance is to use something like a trio of buoys at fixed positions, and then either an ultrasonic signal (which would have accuracy issues due to changes in temperature and salinity, just like these factors complicate submarine detection and location) or an extremely low frequency radio signal which would not give much position accuracy.

In other words it's not a matter of making existing GPS receivers waterproof...

I understand the limitations of GPS signals, but I also believe that there are people out there that will find alternatives to make it available. Maybe a system that uses an underwater transmitter and receiver to determine distance and direction to a surface or boat mounted GPS receiver which would then be able to calculate your position. It may not be as accurate as surface versions but for a lot of people it's better than what they have now. It won't replace good nav skills for experienced divers, just like car navigation systems haven't replaced maps for people that know how to use them (I've been lost a lot more traveling with people who rely on nav systems than I ever was when I relied on a rental car map, but those people are lost a lot less than they were with rental car maps).

 

[String]

On the surface being out by 5m or so on a GPS doesn't matter. Being out by the same underwater in typical conditions in many places could mean you completely miss the target.

 

[diver 85]

My crystal ball is broken today BUT by luck it's coming out the repair shop tonite----I'll check back in tomorrow & let you know..........all kidding aside, the answer to that question is unknown @ this time.....maybe?>???....'better, lighter tanks, improvemnet of CCR(ie less cost)..........who knows......but, a good question IMO--- I 've thought about it before..............

 

[rakpix]

one thing no one has mentioned here is research into "liquid breathing." its not the stuff of science fiction anymore, but its still only in medical/military applications today. but in the FAR-future (as in, we're too senile/dead to dive anymore) it could be the cutting edge of tech equipment. but is it DIR?

 

[drbill]

As has been mentioned, with the exception of a few items like dive computers, basic technology has not changed much over the nearly 50 years I've been diving. We've added a few very handy items like the SPG and octopus, but these weren't new technology... just equipment now considered a basic necessity. I still dive equipment I've had for decades and have not found much new I'd trade it for.

Training standards have become very watered down. I'm hoping that will change for the better, with more divers seeking better training and actually staying with the activity for more than just a vacation trip or two a year. To some extent I think we are seeing that already with the growing popularity of technical dive training and the techniques of agencies like GUE.

I'm predicting that LDS that offer both training and retail equipment sales may see a shift towards an emphasis on sales with training conducted by an outside entity. Of course this could be diminished by the advent of true on-line sales at other than MSRP which will cut into the margins of the brick-and-mortar dive shops.

If the present path continues, I foresee E-Bay becoming one of the biggest dive equipment sites as many of the newly certified divers sell off their equipment after taking the one trip they got certified for. Good for me! And I'm really going out on a limb by predicting that in 20 years I'll still be diving instead of confined to a nursing home.

 

[Herk_Man]

Looking at that Wierd Gear page was interesting. If there were anything on there I found useful I'd have to say the buddy mirror is one. The first company that invents a mask with an integrated rear (side) view mirror that can allow me to lead a dive while constantly monitoring my buddy without having to turn back and look will get my business.

I envision some sort of horizontal periscope type of device that allows you to look in the corner or your mask and see your buddy easily.

Other than that, 6000 psi carbon fiber scuba tanks the size of milk jugs and I'm good.

 

[Crush]

I predict increasingly watered-down courses geared to the vacationing person with little or no training. Snuba was only the first step. In http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/315555-diving-future-4.html I predicted the marketing of dial-a-depth:

You just dial in what depth you want to descend to, and dial-a-depth will use your BC's dump and inflate valves to allow you to descend to and hold the desired depth - your own personal elevator (or personal submersible?). If you want to ascend, dial-a-depth will fill your BC, then monitor your ascent rate and dump air as required, eventually bringing you to your 20 ft safety stop and holding you there for three minutes, thereafter lifting you to the surface. The tropical waters will be positively overrun!​

Much to my chagrin, Scubaroo posted in http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/29786-so-whats-next-big-thing-scuba-2.html that such a device already exists. Even more embarrassingly, Scubaroo's post pre-dates mine by over five years.

Nevertheless, new divers will continue to get older, more out-of-shape, and less desiring of training, ushering the brave new world of dial-a-depth.

 

[miketsp]

Question:


..snip..

Color will return to the sport, black will fade away.

..snip..

N

I really can't see this happening - diving is becoming cheaper and easier and I believe the numbers of divers has been on a continous uptrend for a long time.....

Recently I'm getting very pessimistic about how long we're actually going to have anything to look at.

When I compare places I dived 30 years ago to say 8 years ago there wasn't that much change, but comparing 8 years ago to 4 years ago and to now...:depressed:

Places that were great only 2 years ago with lots of life are now polluted with much less life.

As a result I'm already diving less and travelling much more to get to worthwhile sites.

The way things are going in another few short years I'll be going black just to have something to do while diving.