WtF: The Decline in Scuba Participation

[tursiops]

we can't really do that much damage even if we tried.

The research on this disagrees. It isn't that the divers cause widespread bleaching or overfishing; but divers can harm and kill the coral. Where the divers are -- especially if they are wearing gloves or have cameras -- the coral is degraded, or worse.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I haven't read through all the pages in this thread but maybe the reason millenials and gen X, Y, Z'ers don't dive is they can't get a good cell phone signal underwater.

Give them enough time + Silicon Valley and they will probably figure out how to do it.

 

[Rick Brant]

...Some people have speculated that much of this is due to poor diving skill damaging the reef

I'm not sure if you are referring to my post, but that was not what I meant. I meant that the reefs have been trashed by humans collectively, not divers specifically.

 

[Lostdiver71]

The research on this disagrees. It isn't that the divers cause widespread bleaching or overfishing; but divers can harm and kill the coral. Where the divers are -- especially if they are wearing gloves or have cameras -- the coral is degraded, or worse.

Wearing gloves and carrying a camera have nothing to do with this! It is a lack of buoyancy control, situational awareness and divers that just don't give a crap that are the problem. I wear gloves and carry a camera on almost all of my dives but do not touch things I shouldn't or kick up silt unlike a lot of divers that I see some of which aren't carrying cameras or wearing gloves!

 

[tursiops]

Wearing gloves and carrying a camera have nothing to do with this! It is a lack of buoyancy control, situational awareness and divers that just don't give a crap that are the problem. I wear gloves and carry a camera on almost all of my dives but do not touch things I shouldn't or kick up silt unlike a lot of divers that I see some of which aren't carrying cameras or wearing gloves!

I am sure YOU are not the problem.
If you want to see the research I'll go find it for you. The number of contacts with the reef were less for women vs men, less for bare hands vs gloves, less for non-photographers vs photographers. So the worst of all were men with cameras and gloves.

 

[Lostdiver71]

I have seen the research and yes photographers are the worst overall! I get tired of the silt clouds that they kick up and the blinding lights shined in to my eyes when diving the Blue Heron Bridge because they are not paying attention and do not appear to give a crap about anything but finding their target and getting the perfect shot! I have also had them get right in front of me while I was observing interesting behavior without a care that I was already there.

 

[diver0008]

As this thread nears 200 posts, it may be time to get back onto the original post, which theorized that some of the decline in scuba participation may be due to the destruction of the beautiful diving spots that abounded when I was a new diver and spurred me to dive all around the world. Some people have speculated that much of this is due to poor diving skill damaging the reef, and I replied that reefs are dying that have had little contact from divers.

Here is an article that may be of interest.

Watching a coral reef die as climate change devastates one of the most pristine tropical island areas on Earth

I tend to agree somewhat that damage caused by inattentive divers, as frustrating to see as it is, is not the prime driver in reef degradation. Also somewhat skeptical that changes to the earth's global climate patterns are either; living reefs will adapt to water temperature changes over time, as they have over the millennia, I'd surmise. I believe that the main culprits are overfishing (overpopulation) and commercial and industrial waste. No expert on any of this, just my assertation, but this is where I believe more attention should be put.

 

[TMHeimer]

tursiops, Lostdiver71-- I think human nature (and yes statistics) says you are both right. If everyone cared and had good buoyancy, problem solved. Like in the Covid thread in The Pub. Follow the rules, do the right thing.

 

[Centrals]

Over-fishing = over population
House hold waste + industrial waste = over development = over population

The main culprit is human and diver is just a insignificant minute factor.

 

[EFX]

I am sure YOU are not the problem.
If you want to see the research I'll go find it for you. The number of contacts with the reef were less for women vs men, less for bare hands vs gloves, less for non-photographers vs photographers. So the worst of all were men with cameras and gloves.

....and do we know why less women hit the reef than men? I believe that women make up about a third of all divers. So, is less reef contact due to less women diving than men or is it due to women being more careful?