Number of Divers in the Greater Puget Sound?

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:47 am

Does anybody have any idea of the number of divers in the Greater Puget Sound? Washington State? PNW? including BC?

I realize that is a very broad question...

So, one wonders about the number of certified divers in Puget Sound, a statistic that you might get by combining address info from several dive agencies, as well as information from dive shops on their numbers being certified.

Then one wonders about the number of active divers in Puget Sound (diving once a month?) (twice a month?) (Just what is an active diver?) I suppose that surveying local scuba shops on the number of airfills would give you some data to extrapolate from, but it would not take into account those with their own compressors, although I am sure that is a small fraction of divers.

That might be good research project for some of our more geeky types with time on their hands...

but who has time on their hands?

For me it's kind of just random curiosity, but for Washington Scuba Alliance and those who want to protect and further scuba opportunities it would seem more than just an interesting question.

Thoughts anyone?

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:51 am

Airfills could help show "divers make X (amount) dives around the Puget Sound each week." Tom and I are certainly helping the average!!!

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:53 am

Sounder wrote:Airfills could help show "divers make X (amount) dives around the Puget Sound each week." Tom and I are certainly helping the average!!!

Not this week! ](*,) Let's do more!!

Hmmm.... although it does make me wonder if dive shops even keep stats on fills. My LDS of course records nitrox, but unless there is some kind of automatic recording device I know they aren't charging everyone for fills so the stats would be incomplete.

coachrenz · Post by **coachrenz** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 9:22 am

I asked this same question a while a ago and was told that the different agencies would not release information on number of certificated divers in an area.

I believe that the WSA has attempt to get at this number and has been forced to make a best guess.

If I remember off the top of my the number of certified divers in Washington was like 90,000 or so. I might be remembering a wrong number.

I didn't understand why the agencies wouldn't release numbers, doesn't make sense. Probably something about competition. Why can't we all just dive together?

The thing that WSA is pushing, is that if you join the WSA, which is free to join, then they will have a hard a fast number that they can use to say to the legislators that they represent X number of divers in the area.

So, go ahead and sign up. Here is the link...Washington Scuba Alliance Website

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 9:27 am

Already signed up!

Speaking of releasing numbers, how many are currently signed up for WSA?

jeff98208 · Post by **jeff98208** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 10:12 am

i know i am tom.

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 11:35 am

coachrenz wrote:I asked this same question a while a ago and was told that the different agencies would not release information on number of certificated divers in an area.

I believe that the WSA has attempt to get at this number and has been forced to make a best guess.

If I remember off the top of my the number of certified divers in Washington was like 90,000 or so. I might be remembering a wrong number.

I didn't understand why the agencies wouldn't release numbers, doesn't make sense. Probably something about competition. Why can't we all just dive together?

The thing that WSA is pushing, is that if you join the WSA, which is free to join, then they will have a hard a fast number that they can use to say to the legislators that they represent X number of divers in the area.

So, go ahead and sign up. Here is the link...Washington Scuba Alliance Website

The actual number would be difficult to come by because (a) the majority of people who get certified don't dive locally .... many get certified for a vacation and never dive again once it's over ... and (b) neither the agencies nor the majority of local shop owners are interested in cooperating with each other. Dumb attitude, to my concern ... they don't seem to get it that their competition isn't each other, it's the other recreational activities that people will elect to spend their discretionary cash on ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

boydski · Post by **boydski** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 12:16 pm

According to the information Mike Racine (WSA) passed along to our dive club in August, there are 108,000 divers in Washington state. About half of those dive locally and about half dive warm water only.

He also passed on that the top 5 diving states were:

Florida
Hawaii
California
Washington
Texas

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:15 pm

boydski wrote:According to the information Mike Racine (WSA) passed along to our dive club in August, there are 108,000 divers in Washington state. About half of those dive locally and about half dive warm water only.

He also passed on that the top 5 diving states were:

Florida
Hawaii
California
Washington
Texas

Washington!

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:18 pm

Grateful Diver wrote:nor the majority of local shop owners are interested in cooperating with each other. Dumb attitude, to my concern ... they don't seem to get it that their competition isn't each other, it's the other recreational activities that people will elect to spend their discretionary cash on ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Interesting... Even in the relative short time that I've been diving I have noticed this. It is unfortunate. I think it is a human nature thing more than a diving thing. I've seen the same unreasonable competition attitude among other small businesses, and, sadly to say, among some churches.

bet63 · Post by **bet63** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:33 pm

Tom Nic wrote:
Grateful Diver wrote:nor the majority of local shop owners are interested in cooperating with each other. Dumb attitude, to my concern ... they don't seem to get it that their competition isn't each other, it's the other recreational activities that people will elect to spend their discretionary cash on ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Interesting... Even in the relative short time that I've been diving I have noticed this. It is unfortunate. I think it is a human nature thing more than a diving thing. I've seen the same unreasonable competition attitude among other small businesses, and, sadly to say, among some churches.

Tom,

Not all shops are like that, I even called another dive shop for you last week while you were in our shop.

Brian

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:17 pm

There are exceptions to every rule... but I'd tend to agree with Tom on this one. Depends on the shop.

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 5:19 am

Sounder wrote:There are exceptions to every rule... but I'd tend to agree with Tom on this one. Depends on the shop.

More to the point, it depends on the shop owner.

There certainly are exceptions ... but of the shops I've been associated with, the majority seemed to feel they were due some kind of "loyalty" from their customers. To my concern, loyalty is earned, not assumed.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:54 am

bet63 wrote:
Tom Nic wrote:
Grateful Diver wrote:nor the majority of local shop owners are interested in cooperating with each other. Dumb attitude, to my concern ... they don't seem to get it that their competition isn't each other, it's the other recreational activities that people will elect to spend their discretionary cash on ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Interesting... Even in the relative short time that I've been diving I have noticed this. It is unfortunate. I think it is a human nature thing more than a diving thing. I've seen the same unreasonable competition attitude among other small businesses, and, sadly to say, among some churches.
Tom,

Not all shops are like that, I even called another dive shop for you last week while you were in our shop.

Brian

GREAT point, Brian... and my apologies if I seemed to tar and feather all dive shops (or all churches!) with that brush. That was not my intent, nor do I think that. For the most part our local dive shops give us great service and good advice, and are out for the good of the diver as much as they are for their own profit. I know that at some point you've got to make a profit to stay in business, and customer loyalty helps. That happens by serving your customers and the dive community well. Unfortunately, not all fall in that category. It is easy to be blind to the bigger picture when you're trying to survive and / or make a buck.

Thanks for the nudge Brian! and for your help and good advice!

girldiver · Post by **girldiver** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:33 am

This issue has been a long standing problem for the entire industry in this state.

If you look at Colorado (the largest concentration of divers in any inland state) as an example, the stores got together there and found a way to promote scuba...TOGETHER. That's been highly profitable for everyone...divers, shops, travel agents... (Working together to offer weekend trips out of Colorado to Cozumel for $299 incl airfare/hotel/diving was part of the strategy) Northern California also has found a way to work together to promote the sport and get along.

If the number is 108,000...there should be more than enough business for the number of stores in the area. (Warm water divers spend money on gear as well...sometimes moreso than the local divers) Imagine if everyone worked together to promote the SPORT instead of their store. Could we double the number? Triple it? I think so. And that would affect the bottom dollar.

Just my two cents...but then my income is derived from ALL certified divers...not just the ones I've certiifed.

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 5:23 pm

girldiver wrote:Could we double the number? Triple it? I think so. And that would affect the bottom dollar.

It'd affect the vis too!

BASSMAN · Post by **BASSMAN** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 12:48 pm

Sounder wrote:
girldiver wrote:Could we double the number? Triple it? I think so. And that would affect the bottom dollar.
It'd affect the vis too!

Priceless comment Doug!