Why are We Losing Newly Certified Divers
This question has plagued the dive industry for decades. It should plague our recreational and professional divers as well. Why are we losing so many newly certified divers? What is turning them off from the activity or pulling them in other directions? Our sport is maintaining its current level of activity only due to the volume of initial interest by curious individuals who never advance beyond an Open Water certification. This group of enthusiastic novices represents the bread-and-butter of local dive centers’ acquisitions. So why after spending hundreds of dollars on certifications and equipment does their enthusiasm wane and push them on to other pursuits?
According to industry research, new divers aren’t getting what they want out of diving. Follow me down this rabbit hole. Lets ask the question, “how prepared do novice divers feel after getting certified”. According to a Medium.com, a market survey aggregator, there is a severe lack of confidence in personal ability. Medium conducted a survey titled Are Scuba Divers Ready to Dive After Their Open Water Diver Course targeting this very demographic. 37.1% of new divers didn’t feel prepared to dive with an unacquainted dive buddy. This should raise alarm bells for our sport. For every 100 novice divers, 37 don’t feel they’re qualified to be an “autonomous” diver. What is the likelihood of a given demographic signing up for future activities if one-third feel unqualified to participate? They’re questioning their skills, their abilities and are then asked to book an expensive dive trip or invest in more equipment. Even further training requires additional investment. How do we get the industry out of this predicament?
What can experienced recreational dives and dive pros do to tackle the confidence issues in novice divers? The first solution is mentorship. Other industries pair senior employees with new employees to help train and build confidence during onboarding. Other sports do this, it's called coaching! Experienced divers have a duty to support novice divers, motivate them, provide guidance, and reward attempts to get better. Not intimidate, not share scary stories, not criticize when a mistake is made. If you look back at your own diving journey, did someone stop to ask if you needed help with setting up your equipment, lending you a piece of kit so you didn’t miss a dive? If so, then you understand the value of mentorship. Knowing someone was there to support you. They had your back and you had permission and comfort to ask questions. A trusted mentor had your back.
Next time you encounter a brand new Open Water diver, give them your support. Ask them how they’re feeling, do they need anything? Better yet, invite them to dive with you. You might just be the reason a new diver decides to keep diving.
Hayden Lysinger
Hayden is an Open Water and Advanced Open Water diver. He is currently an SSI Divemaster Candidate.