Why aren't more people taking up scuba diving?

[TMHeimer]

The average age of divers continues to go up.....the rate of obesity continues to go up....the rate of addiction to electronic devices continues to increase, even babies are now addicted to electronic devices. As this addiction to a fantasy world in an electronic device driven world increases and the level of physical activity continues to drop fewer and fewer people will be inclined to do anything physical such as diving. When you have people walking off subway platforms and into the path of autos because they are so addicted to their fantasy world in a silicon chip you know the human species has come to a new paradigm shift....and not a good one. But on the bright side....more water for the rest of us to have serenity and peace.

Are there statistics to prove the avg. diver age is increasing? As I have mentioned, a majority of OW students we have here are young, with the odd oldtimer. Maybe as suggested, it's regional. I do agree about all the tech. do-hicky's dominating a lot of people.

 

[KevinNM]

When you have people walking off subway platforms and into the path of autos because they are so addicted to their fantasy world in a silicon chip you know the human species has come to a new paradigm shift....and not a good one.

One of my coworkers came back to the office shaken in the late 90s when he saw a man in a business suit animatedly chattering on his cell phone stride across Wacker Drive in Chicago's loop against the light. The guy got hit by a Mercedes doing 45 mph and was killed instantly. So it has been going on for almost 20 years...

 

[TMHeimer]

One of my coworkers came back to the office shaken in the late 90s when he saw a man in a business suit animatedly chattering on his cell phone stride across Wacker Drive in Chicago's loop against the light. The guy got hit by a Mercedes doing 45 mph and was killed instantly. So it has been going on for almost 20 years...

Right, but back then it was just regular ("dumb") cell phones. Now it's all the do-hickys.

 

[boulderjohn]

how did they get these mad skills? I look at it the same as buoyancy and off teh knee teaching, certainly possible if the instructor puts the effort in to be good versus adequate.

You think the ability to swim like that is a simple skill a scuba instructor can teach like neutral buoyancy? We are clearly not talking about the same thing. I had someone with such ability inmy class once in my life. During the swim test, while he was swimming casually and without effort, I called other instructors in to watch. They had never seen anything like it. The wave he created went from wall to wall. It helped people on the same lap and hindered people going the other way. When he did the float, he treaded water casually, with his arms folder across his chest. He said that in training, he was required to do it while holding weights.

Now, how is it that I should teach that to my students, and why should it be required of all students?

 

[dumpsterDiver]

The trained lifeguards I saw in the water had swimming skills I did not think possible of human beings. I am not there, but I am plenty good enough to rescue someone in difficult conditions, and I am plenty good enough to deal with anything that may come up in a typical scuba emergency. I think the idea that you have to have Olympic-level swimming skills to scuba dive borders on the absurd.

OK then, we won't ask that you turn in your certification cards.

 

[Hank49]

The skill of swimming isn't that hard. Especially with video and the ability to see how you're doing. Endurance to swim even a few laps with that skill is what takes time.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

You think the ability to swim like that is a simple skill a scuba instructor can teach like neutral buoyancy? We are clearly not talking about the same thing. I had someone with such ability inmy class once in my life. During the swim test, while he was swimming casually and without effort, I called other instructors in to watch. They had never seen anything like it. The wave he created went from wall to wall. It helped people on the same lap and hindered people going the other way. When he did the float, he treaded water casually, with his arms folder across his chest. He said that in training, he was required to do it while holding weights.

Now, how is it that I should teach that to my students, and why should it be required of all students?

Being able to swim like that is great if you want to be a swimmer.
You don't have to be Michael Phelps to be a good diver.
As long as you can handle yourself in the water to a fair degree, be able to swim enough to pass the test, and most importantly to be able to tread and be comfortable, I think that is sufficient.
Doing laps proves nothing more than you are good at swimming and have upper body stamina, and the tread proves ability to stay afloat and survival. Neither of these skills is used in diving except possibly the tread to some degree, at least where I dive (stuffed into a 7 mil with fins on). There would never be a time when I would have to swim like an olympic hopeful in a speedo in 47 degree water.
Swimming is a good way to get in shape though, but so is doing fin and snorkel laps. Actually fin and snorkel laps are a BETTER way to get in shape for diving because you are using all the muscles you would use for diving. Swimming is great for upper body but I thought we weren't suppose to hand swim while diving?
I also know great swimmers who want no part of being a diver and don't like being under. I also know not so good swimmers who are great divers and like being under more than on the surface.

 

[Bob DBF]

One of the reasons they wanted good swimmers when I started diving was the lack of a buoyant wetsuit, the pi** poor Mae West's, and the last emergency procedure which was to ditch the gear and swim home. Now, when wearing a wetsuit and BC one can float without knowing how to swim, and should you ditch all your gear you will still float. I still believe divers should be swimmers and at home in the water as this confidence and ability will help deal with issues on the surface. I look at panic as the last alternative after running out of tools in your bag of tricks, swimming gives you one more tool, you might need it.


Bob
-----------------------------------------------

That's my point, people, by and large, are not taught that diving can be deadly, they are taught how safe it is, and they are not equipped with the skills, taught and trained to the level required to be useful in an emergency.

 

[TMHeimer]

Being able to swim like that is great if you want to be a swimmer.
You don't have to be Michael Phelps to be a good diver.
As long as you can handle yourself in the water to a fair degree, be able to swim enough to pass the test, and most importantly to be able to tread and be comfortable, I think that is sufficient.
Doing laps proves nothing more than you are good at swimming and have upper body stamina, and the tread proves ability to stay afloat and survival. Neither of these skills is used in diving except possibly the tread to some degree, at least where I dive (stuffed into a 7 mil with fins on). There would never be a time when I would have to swim like an olympic hopeful in a speedo in 47 degree water.
Swimming is a good way to get in shape though, but so is doing fin and snorkel laps. Actually fin and snorkel laps are a BETTER way to get in shape for diving because you are using all the muscles you would use for diving. Swimming is great for upper body but I thought we weren't suppose to hand swim while diving?
I also know great swimmers who want no part of being a diver and don't like being under. I also know not so good swimmers who are great divers and like being under more than on the surface.

Yeah I agree with all of that. A diver would (SHOULD if a Rescue Diver or above) always have fins, mask & snorkel handy, so actual swimming without fins should never be necessary. How many threads have I said that on??? The two things you need to be a "good" swimmer are proper form and to be in SWIMMING shape (not just in great physical shape) so you can do those laps or go a distance in open water-- in case the fishing boat you're on sinks and the flotations are also sunk....

 

[Wookie]

So a follow up question - do you send your gear in at the end of the year for a tune up (regs or BC)? If not do you only fix when it leaks/breaks?
That is a truly interesting comment - I don't think I have ever heard that before - not rinsing...

Thanks Wookie

I service my own Atomic regs, including my SS1, and I replace my wing every 2 or 3 years, but that's because it's out in the sun all the time. It rots from UV.

---------- Post added December 14th, 2014 at 06:39 PM ----------

It can be cultural. When I was diving on Andros Island in the Bahamas, a couple of the dive professionals were black Bahamians. We were told that was very rare. We were told that despite the Bahamas being an island nation with water all around, most Bahamians have an aversion to the water and cannot swim. That was why the rest of the dive staff was imported from other nations.

Some ScubaBoard regulars are famously of the belief that it should still be that way.

My mate is an islander from St. Thomas. I vacation in Grenada, was a resort instructor in St. Lucia, and have spent lots of time in the islands. Black people do swim, and mommas have their babies in the water before they can walk there. Everyone seems to have a mask, some have fins, and everyone eats what the sea provides, either by fishing hook and line or pole spear.

We've convinced Black Americans that they should be afraid of water, so they are. Besides, how many folks from Ferguson get to the ocean????