Where are the DIVE SPORTS and COMPETITIONS?

[Joe-Diver]

The Cyberdivers here on SB are some of the most competitive folks I've seen anywhere. When it comes to matters of opinion the competition is fierce.

 

[Barracuda2]

The successful, enduring sports like NASCAR, skiing, snowboarding, track, football, tennis, soccer, etc. are all spectator sports. Scuba is not, nor ever will be a spectator activity; it is a participator activity. The only way it will ever fall into the category of competition is through local "scuba fun days" where divers have timed duff and don competitions or UW "hunting" contests, or contests like pumpkin carving, and the like. Alas, you will never see SCUBA on prime time Sun. afternoon tv events.

 

[ZzzKing]

Why not set up a course and blow through it on DPV's. You could spice it up with onboard spearguns. It would be like Ben Hur but under water. NASCAR meets SCUBA meets the NRA. Even the audience could be snorkeling or diving.

Please have it in some place that doesn't have anything to tear up. Clear shallow water with sandy bottom. No coral or silt.

Please have it somewhere that I don't dive also.

 

[Nemrod]

Over the last few months, as I have been kicking around the idea of getting into the Dive Business, I have wondered why there are so few younger Divers that stick around and how maybe to connect with them a bit more...

I realize there are a number of factors involved here, but after looking at a few of the sports that have grown from specialized activities into major sports, it became clear that activities which had sporting competitions associated with them had given a way for younger enthusiasts to follow the sport, and also given sponsors an opportunity to groom new stars. Snowboarding, skate-boarding, even mountaineering and surfing to a lesser degree, they have all used competitions to get people interested and following the sport..

So I was wondering, where are the Dive Sports? I know there is free-diving, which is close, but where are the competitions in Scuba Diving? Are they out there and some of us just haven't heard about them? Or do they exist at all?

And if they don't exist already - we are a VERY creative group of people - couldn't we put our minds together and come up with one?

Scuba is a non competitive sport, keeping up with me however could be considered competitive.

Seriously, scuba as we know it now is to nannied down, diluted, safety oriented to ever have the "No Fear" attraction that speed sports have or other extreme sports.

Hey, I got an idea, underwater knife fighting and hose cutting.

N <---Dive for Danger

 

[Thalassamania]

Because not everything in life has to be a competition.

Have you ever heard of competitive bird song listening?

Yes, and bird watching can be a fairly competitive undertaking.

 

[Papa_Bear]

We call it a sport, but in reality it's an activity! We should never have winners ONLY heroes! People to admire and look up to like Drbill and our Borg princess! People should be proud of their Identification skills. their SAC rates at depth, and what they do to encourage others to love our oceans! Leave the competition to these kinds of sites! D

 

[jason.elias]

The successful, enduring sports like NASCAR, skiing, snowboarding, track, football, tennis, soccer, etc. are all spectator sports. Scuba is not, nor ever will be a spectator activity; it is a participator activity.

Though I appreciate what you are saying, I don't understand why this has to be true.

Might the same have been said of many, many (in fact all) participator sports before they were spectator sports? Skiing? Golf? Swimming? These all had obstacles to people seeing the entire event, yet they now draw large crowds at the events and bigger ones on TV...

 

[bfw]

What about freediving can be made into a competition?

Basically, depth and duration. Apply that to SCUBA. The depth record is broken fairly often. Scuba Diving World Records

There already is such a competition; it's called the Darwin Awards.

 

[jason.elias]

There already is such a competition; it's called the Darwin Awards.

Now THAT is funny...

 

[bfw]

Pushing the limits of any sport is exciting and often deadly. Water is a harsh mistress. If we push the limits to get people excited about the sport, we are likely to find out that more and more people are dying, which will put people off of the sport.

And invite the heavy hand of government regulation.

The question is not how to make it competitive, but rather WHY?

The industry got this far without being a competitive sport. Maybe by attracting people who don't feel the need to compensate for poor genital endowment. Those people sustain the industry, and trying to make it into some sort of gonzo circus might drive them away. Can't there be some refuge left in the world for people who are NOT emotionally stuck at 15 years old?

I am constantly amazed at the threads and attempts to make diving more attractive. If it's you think it's such a crashing bore, then why do you do it?