Scuba diving tourism

Scuba diving tourism is the industry based on servicing the requirements of recreational divers at destinations other than where they live.

It includes aspects of training, equipment sales, rental and service, guided experiences and environmental tourism.

[1][2] Motivations to travel for scuba diving are complex and may vary considerably during the diver's development and experience.

Temperate and inland open water reef sites are generally dived by people who live relatively nearby.

The same pleasant sea conditions that allow development of relatively delicate and highly diverse ecologies also attract the greatest number of tourists, including divers who dive infrequently, exclusively on vacation and never fully develop the skills to dive in an environmentally friendly way.

Key equipment developments include swimfins, which give the diver underwater mobility and free the hands for other functions, the diving mask, which provides underwater vision, the open circuit regulator, a simple and reliable breathing gas source, the buoyancy compensator, which allows the diver to swim comfortably above the bottom, and float at the surface, wetsuit, a simple and easy to use protection from moderately cold water, submersible pressure gauge, allowing easy monitoring of remaining breathing gas, dive computers, and nitrox breathing gas, both of which allowed longer dives without decompression.

[8] The growth of the diving industry in a region tends to follow a logistic curve, with a slow start and mostly established, experienced divers with relatively high skill levels exploring a new area where there is little supporting infrastructure.

As the area becomes popular, the infrastructure develops and the growth accelerates until it is limited by carrying capacity is approached.

Beyond this stage the situation may stabilise if managed well, or if not, the deterioration in value to the tourist may cause a reduction in popularity and a loss of trade.

A reduction in numbers may lead to more cooperation between the remaining companies, and a greater willingness to follow sustainable practices.

They are more easily damaged by poor diving skills than some temperate reefs, where the environment is more robust due to rougher sea conditions and fewer fragile, slow-growing organisms.

[13] Cave diving is a specialist aspect of scuba tourism, as the risks are relatively high and the skill requirements are stringent.

In addition to the usual domestic facilities expected by hotel guests, the boat will have a diving air compressor and emergency oxygen.

Historically, scuba diving was considered a relatively high risk activity, but this perception has been modified by the developments in equipment, training and service provision.

During the 20th century recreational scuba diving was considered to have generally low environmental impact, and was consequently one of the activities permitted in most marine protected areas.

The increase in the popularity of diving and in tourist access to sensitive ecological systems has led to the recognition that the activity can have significant environmental consequences.

Significant capital outlay is required to establish a retail outlet with the expected range of equipment and filling facilities.

There are also health and safety aspects to be considered, both for the operator and the customer, as high pressure filling equipment is used to provide breathing air which will be used in a hostile environment.

The cost of qualifying as a diving instructor is significant in time and money, and annual registration fees are a required.

Domestic risks within the borders of specific countries may include increased crime rates, and political instability.

[27] Environmental degradation, partly due to the impact of recreational diving on the environment, where pollution and direct damage by divers have been recorded, and the effects of natural disasters and climate change such as increased water temperature causing coral bleaching are threatening the industry, as divers are less inclined to visit areas where these problems have been reported.

[22] Overexploitation by fishing and illegal extraction have led to some sites being closed and permit systems introduced, sometimes limiting the numbers of divers that may visit an area in a given time interval.

[22] The global economic downturn has reduced spending on expensive leisure activities, reducing the income of tourism destinations, including scuba diving charters and diving schools, and political instability deters visitors to a region[22] Liability issues can be managed by the use of waivers, adherence to industry best standards, and public liability insurance.

A study on diving tourism in East Africa showed that the major environmental risks for that region are overfishing and marine pollution.

The DAN medical emergency line and fatality and injury monitoring program have reported that some divers get injured as a consequence of inadequate physical fitness.

Cluster analysis identified four groups of scuba divers:[28] Participation in recreational diving implies acceptance of the inherent risks of the activity.

Certification relates to a set of skills and knowledge defined by the associated training standard, which also specifies the limitations on the scope of diving activities for which the diver is deemed competent.

[1] Diving fatalities can have serious adverse effects on the popularity of a destination and service provider, even when there is no fault established in an investigation, though this is usually a transient phenomenon.