Dive Industry Market Data
2021 Participation Rate: Scuba Diving Kept on Crashing While the Outdoor Industry Kept on Growing
After a small increase in participation by ‘core divers’ during the first year of the pandemic, scuba diving participation crashed down in 2021 in the USA.
Darcy Kieran is the author of the reference book “Scuba Diving Industry Market Size & Statistics.”
In the USA, participation in sports and activities continued to grow during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic (2021), increasing 1.3% over 2020. Over a 5-year period, compared to 2016, activity participation increased by 7.8%.
Water sports had the largest gain in participation rates going from a pre-pandemic (2019) participation rate of 13.6% to 14.0% in 2021, which is an overall increase of close to 3%.
Meanwhile, scuba diving participation among Americans shrank by 8.8% between 2019 and 2021.
These numbers are from the latest surveys by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) and analyzed in a series of 2022 research reports published earlier this year and reporting on 2021 participation rates by Americans.
For more than a decade, scuba diving has been continuously losing ground year after year, going, for instance, from 3.1 million participants in 2016 to 2.7 in 2019 (pre-pandemic) and only 2.5 in 2021 (second year of the pandemic).
During the first year of the pandemic (2020), we noticed a slight increase in participation by what the SFIA defines as ‘core divers’ which are those diving over 8 times per year. We extensively reported on it, here.
In 2020, SFIA’s surveys revealed 708 thousand core participants compared to 699 in 2019. We assumed this was due to scuba divers taking part in ‘local diving’ while international travel was significantly affected by the pandemic.
We were hoping for this trend to continue. Core divers are crucial for dive gear manufacturers since they are the participants more likely to invest in a full set of dive gear.
Unfortunately, that uptick in 2020 was an anomaly, not a reversal in the downward trend. In 2021, SFIA reported 680 thousand ‘core divers’ in the USA, which is lower than pre-pandemic levels.
The dive industry is simply not satisfying today’s consumers.
People want to take part in outdoor activities. Water sports are increasingly popular. So… Why is scuba diving continuously shrinking?
It’s time to stop pretending that we are innovating because we moved a few commas in a scuba diving textbook or changed the color of a regulator. The entire business model needs to be redesigned from scratch. We are not in the 1980s anymore.
The PADI system of diver education was innovative when it was launched in 1966 but today, we need something different with our focus shifting to providing consistency in the quality of the experience as expected by the younger generations instead of depending on churning new divers using a model that suited the baby boomers.
Today’s dive industry continues to rely on baby boomers, although they are the least likely to participate in water sports.
Water sport participation in 2021 by generation (source: SFIA):
- Boomers (1945–1964): 8.2%
- Gen X (1965–1979): 12.3%
- Millennials (1980–1999): 17.2%
- Gen Z (2000+): 15.8%
To get the dive industry on a path to growth, we need to find ways to satisfy Millennials & Gen Z’s expectations.
Besides the serious problem we created for ourselves by being incapable of providing consistency in the quality of the experience in various dive centers around the world (regardless of the ‘brand’ it operates under), there’s also an issue with convenience. Nowadays, people don’t want to jump through hula-hoops for the ‘privilege’ of doing business with us. And through the years, we’ve certainly created many hula-hoops — processes put in place to make our life easier.
Let’s look at how scuba diving compares to other water sports. Here’s the growth rate experienced from pre-pandemic (2019) to 2021:
- Kayaking (recreational): +17.3%
- Surfing: +16.9%
- Stand-up paddling: +5.0%
- Scuba diving: -8.8%
Until we find dive industry leaders willing to carry the ball to define a new business model, dive retail store owners and operators who want to grow sales to ensure their own future need to look at repositioning themselves as water sports activity centers.
It is interesting to see BLU3 targeting stand-up paddleboarders with their innovative battery-operated tankless diving systems. Smart move!
Are you selling stand-up paddleboards in your retail dive store? Surfing apparel? Kayaking accessories?
You may also be interested in: Flat Sales of Scuba Diving Equipment in The USA in 2021. Dive gear sales were flat in 2021 compared to 2020 and remained significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels.
Stay tuned for further analysis of the latest dive industry market research data.
Also from Darcy Kieran:
- Handbook: Your Career and/or Life as a Scuba Diving Instructor: How to Make a Good Living Out of Your Passion for Scuba Diving.
- Logbook: Advanced Scuba Diving Logbook with Checklists for certified scuba divers, divemasters & dive instructors.
- Handbook: Advanced Guide to SPF Scuba Diving for Scuba Divers, Divemasters & Dive Instructors: Develop Better Scuba Diving Skills, Dive Safer, Save Money & Have More Fun!
- Handbook: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide To Scuba Diving: How to Increase Safety, Save Money & Have More Fun!
- Logbook: STARTER Scuba Diving Logbook with Checklists while getting your open water diver certification!
- Reference book: Scuba Diving Industry Market Reports, Data & Statistics.
Side note: During your surface intervals, have a look at my novels with a scuba diving twist, starting with “Mystery of The Blue Dragon” and “Shadows on Ocean Drive.”
You could help the dive industry by taking part in ongoing dive industry surveys. You will also find results from our past scuba diving market studies here.
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