WtF: The Decline in Scuba Participation

[boulderjohn]

@boulderjohn I'm afraid I'm just not understanding your point. What relevance to new divers is the condition of the reef may years ago--something they have no preconceived ideas of (unless they are the type who watch David Attenborough documentaries, Chasing Coral, etc.). I'm pretty sure my friend was the type who took little interest in the ocean and hadn't given much if any thought to what they might see on their first dive. To people like that, a single turtle might "excite" them enough to want to do it again.

Fair point about "satisfied" versus "excited," though. Maybe I should rephrase my proposed poll question: "Did what you saw on your first dive trip motivate you to want to dive again?"

I am obviously doing a poor job of communicating, and I apologize for that.

What I am saying is that in decades past, people went to places like Cozumel and the Great barrier Reef, where the stunning beauty they experienced made them lifelong divers.

What I am saying is that those same places do not create that same level of excitement today because they are too deteriorated. It does not matter that new divers do not know what it was like 30 years ago; they just will not respond with the same level of excitement as people did then.

You seem to be saying there are only two levels of response to diving--satisfied or unsatisfied. You cite someone's happiness after a dive on a sandy patch with a single turtle and assume that the level of satisfaction they had is the same as the feeling David Attenborough had on the Great Barrier Reef that drove him to a lifelong career. In contrast, I am saying there are levels of positive response, from the mildly satisfied to wildly ecstatic, and you can't lump all of those responses into the same category. Yes, someone can be satisfied with a relatively mediocre experience today, but we cannot know how they would have responded to a far more exciting environment decades ago.

 

[CycleCat]

I'm qualified to answer the new diver question. My first dive was a reef somewhere between Cancun and Isla Mujeres in 1978 when I was 12. It was stunning with healthy bright coral, fans, tons of fish. Amazing. It made me want to be a diver ever since. Fast forward to last year when I finally got certified and then to two weeks ago when I did my first dive in the ocean as a certified diver. While my recent dive in the Sea of Cortez was less clear with less coral than that Caribbean dive, it was still amazing to be 40 feet underwater and breathing. Lots of fish, stingrays, nudibranchs, shrimp and crabs, etc. Just being in the underwater environment is such a rush I don't think the absence of amazing reefs leaves a new diver disappointed. Certainly as my experience grows I will be seeking out more and better diving. But I don't think a new diver needs much wow factor from the sea life and coral to get hooked. My wife was diving salt water for the first time and has never seen coral like I saw when I was 12 but she can't wait to get back in.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Thanks, John. I understand your point now.

. . . You seem to be saying there are only two levels of response to diving--satisfied or unsatisfied. You cite someone's happiness after a dive on a sandy patch with a single turtle and assume that the level of satisfaction they had is the same as the feeling David Attenborough had on the Great Barrier Reef that drove him to a lifelong career. In contrast, I am saying there are levels of positive response, from the mildly satisfied to wildly ecstatic, and you can't lump all of those responses into the same category. Yes, someone can be satisfied with a relatively mediocre experience today, but we cannot know how they would have responded to a far more exciting environment decades ago.

All I am saying is that I think each individual has their own threshold level of "happiness" that will determine whether they like diving enough to do it again.

I have no idea if a diver whose happiness threshold was exceeded when he saw a turtle on his first dive would continue to dive year after year if all he ever saw was a single turtle, but that is what I think would be interesting to try to tease out using a survey.

 

[Esprise Me]

I am obviously doing a poor job of communicating, and I apologize for that.

No, I get what you're saying. I think it's impossible to know for certain either way. I've mentioned before that I tried skydiving not long before I got OW certified. It was fun; I have no regrets about the time or money spent, and I would be open to doing it again--but I also feel no real need to do it again. It just didn't quite grab me the way scuba diving did. I believe a lot of people feel about scuba diving the way I feel about skydiving, and it's possible that some of them might feel differently if the reefs were in better shape. But it's also possible they wouldn't feel any differently.

One way to find out might be to see how these folks respond to a well-kept aquarium, perhaps one they can dive in. An aquarium will typically be chok-full of healthy critters, although it's perhaps less of an adventure than seeing them in the wild. If a person who was "meh" about diving was dazzled by the well-kept aquarium, that would be strong evidence that the decline of the reef was the reason. But if they're equally "meh" about the aquarium, maybe no amount of fish or coral will make them love the ocean the way we do.

 

[AStepAtATime]

Are new divers are satisfied with what they see?

Absolutely!

Certainly as my experience grows I will be seeking out more and better diving.

Another new diver here. Our first post-cert dive was in Jupiter. Didn't see amazing reefs and corals, but did see sharks, groupers, eels, schools of other fish. As Cyclecat said, it was more than satisfying. It was thrilling to be in a different world.

As a new diver, there is so much "discovery". You are discovering the world underwater of course, but also discovering gear, diving technique, etc. There is plenty to keep me interested and coming back for more. The question is a year or two down the road....what is the progression after the initial wonder wears off? If you're someone who wants to be a rec diver and see amazing reefs, then yes, all this discussion about detoriation means there is probably a high dropout rate in the first two years. On the other hand, there are many other paths to progress - cave, tech, etc.

I will say one negative as a new diver.....is the judgmental nature of so many experienced divers. I'm fortunate to have a circle of friends who are dive masters with hundreds and thousands of dives and they are as helpful, supportive, and understanding as possible. But candidly while SB has some wonderful helpful members, it has it's share of elitist, judgmental divers. This can be a bit discouraging and negative towards newbs who haven't yet mastered perfect trim, buoyancy, and fin control.

 

[Salamandra]

Maybe it's my age but I seem to keep getting into things that the veterans agree used to be better before - e.g., scuba diving and the teaching profession.

One thing that doesn't enhance my enthusiasm for them is a constant drumming on everything I'm missing out on.

 

[AdivingBel]

But candidly while SB has some wonderful helpful members, it has it's share of elitist, judgmental divers.

IMHO, the internet has it's share of elitist, judgmental (fill in the blank here). It's the nature of the beast...take the good 'cause flies gonna buzz... Generally I find SB to be pretty tame and good natured.

 

[Centrals]

All I am saying is that I think each individual has their own threshold level of "happiness" that will determine whether they like diving enough to do it again.

I have no idea if a diver whose happiness threshold was exceeded when he saw a turtle on his first dive would continue to dive year after year if all he ever saw was a single turtle, but that is what I think would be interesting to try to tease out using a survey.

Depend on the type of turtle!
I have yet to see a Leatherback with my own eyes! Good enough reason to pursuit the hobby?

 

[Centrals]

IMHO, the internet has it's share of elitist, judgmental (fill in the blank here). It's the nature of the beast...take the good 'cause flies gonna buzz...

Elitist is not the right word. They wish they are but they aren't.
Ego is more appropriated.

 

[TMHeimer]

Maybe it's my age but I seem to keep getting into things that the veterans agree used to be better before - e.g., scuba diving and the teaching profession.

One thing that doesn't enhance my enthusiasm for them is a constant drumming on everything I'm missing out on.

Some things may be better, some worse. I taught from 1977 to 1996. It all seemed the same to me--but job difficulty depended on what school you were in. Now if you're talking about teaching say, prior to 1967, I think it was a lot easier, though some had to have summer jobs to make ends meet.
Now, as a diver/shell collector, I don't think things are much worse than decades ago, with the exception of a very few really attractive species. An exception may be the Western Long Island Sound, where I hear there are no more lobsters and I've noticed a big reduction in Channeled Whelks.