Scuba Diving Statistics: How Many People Scuba Dive?

There are several different types of statistics used in scuba diving. Knowing these statistics can help you to find better spots to scuba dive as well as see your chances of becoming a professional scuba diver.

Scuba diving statistics aren’t just for divers, however, as they can also help a marketing professional get to know the market they will be serving better.

Keep reading to learn all about scuba diving and the statistics behind this fun water activity!

Scuba Diving Market Demographics

If you have recently found yourself in the scuba diving market trying to sell a product, you may be wondering a little more about what the market looks like. Here is a quick rundown of scuba diving statistics for 2002 as reported by the Business of Diving.

• Scuba Diving equipment is normally a $242 million industry, but during COVID in 2020, these numbers dropped by about 20%.
• About 69% of scuba divers are male
• There is a large gender pay gap in scuba diving as most females earn 78 cents for every $1 earned by a male scuba diver.
• 68% of scuba divers are white.
• The average age of a scuba diver, whether male or female, is 44-49 years old.
• 74% of scuba divers have a bachelor's degree or better in education
• The average size of a scuba diving company is 1,000-10,000 employees and this makes up 32% of the scuba diving business.
• Almost 40% of professional scuba divers work for private companies
• The top industry hiring scuba divers is the government which hires 21% of them.
• The start-up costs to begin scuba diving are between $350-$700
• A professional diver can make between $23,000 and $166,000 depending on their profession.

As you can see, the majority of scuba divers are those who are in the middle of their life. Many theorize this is because, like sailing, scuba diving takes quite a bit of time and money to master–mainly because the equipment is so expensive to rent and/or buy.

While scuba diving isn’t quite as expensive as sailing, it is a hobby that tends to go hand and hand with sailing. While we don’t have information about the average income of a scuba diver, many of them are on the upper end of the payscale. Thus, it is probably feasible to assume that many of the sales tactics involved in selling someone sailing equipment will be similar to selling someone scuba diving equipment.

Scuba Diving Around the World

It isn’t just Americans that enjoy scuba diving, as it is popular around the world. This is one of the reasons the industry suffered so much during COVID is because scuba diving is typically a traveling activity.

So while some of these facts may be a bit older (before the 2020 COVID anomaly) let's take a look at some scuba diving statistics for the UK and the rest of the world.

• After English, the most common language spoken by scuba divers is Spanish, and this makes up 49% of divers around the world.
• After Spanish, the third most common language spoken by divers is Chinese and this makes up 18% of divers around the world.
• Between November 2020 and November 2021, about 15,100 people participated in diving in the UK.
• Around the world there are 6 million active scuba divers.
• There are about 30 million scuba dives around the world each week.
• Scuba divers worldwide consume 4.5 billion bars of air each week.
• The best location for scuba diving is considered to be Barracuda Point, Sipadan Island, Malaysia.
• Scuba diving PADI certifications experience a growth of 900,000 new applications annually.
• One-fifth of the worlds divers are European
• 70% of divers prefer to dive alone
• You must complete around 100 dives before you are considered to be an experienced scuba diver.
• As a scuba diver, the weight you can carry is limited. For men, the limit is 40lbs of gear, while it is 35 lbs for women.
• The minimum age to start scuba diving is 10 years old in most countries.
• To be considered a frequent scuba diver, you must perform 15+ dives per year.

Scuba Diving World Record Statistics

Unlike other water activities, scuba diving is not a sport. It is considered to be a hobby or activity for many, and a profession for those who perform it on a regular basis. That being said, there are quite a few world records in the diving world. Read on to see if you think you can best any of them!

• The first scuba diving regulator was invented by the French in 1952.
• The first scuba gear ever made was in 1850.
• The longest underwater chain of divers was 240 people and was accomplished in 2017.
• The deepest saltwater scuba dive was 332.35 meters (1,090ft) and was accomplished by Ahmad Gabr in 2014.
• The longest scuba dive was 142 hours 42 minutes and 42 seconds and was accomplished by Cem Karabay in 2016.
• The highest altitude dive occurred in Ojos del Salado, a volcano in Chile that is 6,382 meters (20,398ft) above sea level.
• The world record for the most people scuba diving at once was achieved in Indonesia in 2009 as 2,486 divers headed into the ocean at the same time.
• The oldest scuba diver in the world is 95 and he plans to dive again when he turns 96.

The world records for scuba diving vary widely, and not all of them are based on skill. But they all took days and even months of planning to achieve. If you would like to work on beating a world record for diving this is not something to take lightly and you should discuss it with a professional before you attempt any of the above feats.

Scuba Diving Death Statistics

As cool as scuba diving is, it is also a very dangerous hobby, and many die while diving. Below are some of the death statistics you should take into account before considering taking up diving as a hobby.

• 1 in 5 scuba divers die by drowning due to an underwater emergency they are unable to face calmly.
• In 2018, there were 169 divers who died while diving.
• 50% of diver deaths are experienced by those who have completed less than 20 dives
• The risk of dying while scuba diving is about 1 in 200,000–so still quite rare.
• 1% of scuba diving deaths happened while trying to rescue someone
• 5% of scuba diving deaths happened during a cave dive
• 10% of scuba diving deaths happened in people who were given medical advice that they were unfit to go scuba diving (the number one medical condition was cardiovascular disease).
• 86% of scuba diving deaths happened during solo dives (no one was around to help)

Don’t let all of these statistics scare you, as most dives are completed without a fatality. But, if you are considering diving after you have been told not to by a medical professional, know that you are taking a huge risk as diving is a sport where you need to be in the right physical condition as well as the right mental condition in order to practice it safely.

The Best Places to Scuba Dive

Last on our list is the statistics on the best places around the world to scuba dive. These are selected based on the ease of dive, cool things to see beneath the surface, and the sea temperature–all things which make a dive more enjoyable. Take a look!

• The Great Blue Hole, Belize–bring your underwater camera because this location is famous for its 30m visibility underwater.
• Manta Dives in Kailua Kona, Hawaii–Complete this dive at night to see the giant rays feed on plankton.
• Wreck Dive at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary–there are over 200 shipwrecks here…enough said.
• The Florida Keys–While this is a popular diving spot, it isn’t one to skip! Filled with ancient artifacts and shipwrecks you won’t regret this diving spot that is close to home.
• Pinnacle at Point Lobos, California–if you know California you know the waters are cold. But if you think you can stand a little chilly discomfort the reef here is absolutely stunning.
• Fernando deo Noronha, Brazil–If you love sea creatures this is the dive for you. While we can’t guarantee you will see sea turtles on this dive, it is highly likely!
• The Galapagos Islands–See this marvel from below the surface as you explore amazing reefs teeming with whale sharks and the occasional swimming iguana. Be cautious though, as this dive site does require a little more experience than average.

Overall, no matter where you want to dive it will likely be an amazing experience. Just be sure that you always scuba dive safely, and heed the warnings of others because some of the creatures in the ocean are no laughing matter!

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