Scuba diving is a fun hobby and gives the diver a great opportunity to explore the underwater world. Also, scuba diving is considered an extreme sport because there is a high level of danger and it requires a certain level of skill and knowledge. So is scuba diving an expensive hobby?
Yes, scuba diving is an expensive hobby. There is a cost to get the scuba diving certifications. You will need to purchase or rent scuba diving equipment such as the diving mask, wetsuit, and fins. And there may be also traveling costs.
In today’s post, we will go through in more detail about is scuba diving an expensive hobby, so let’s get started!
Read more on common questions asked by divers
Is Scuba Diving An Expensive Hobby?
Scuba diving is an expensive hobby especially if you comparing it to a triathlon or mountaineering. There are a number of factors that made scuba diving an expensive hobby, these are as follows.
- Scuba diving certifications.
- Renting or buying scuba diving equipment.
- Cost of traveling.
- Scuba diving insurance.
Scuba Diving Certifications
The scuba diving certifications, in general, can be an expensive investment but it is an investment. The certs are important as it gives you the knowledge of the scuba gear and how to handle certain situations while diving.
A lot of the dive shops that provide these courses built the price of the scuba gear into the price but not in all cases. This really depends on the dive shop.
The open water certification prices can range from $300 to $700. The reason for the large difference is that places like Thailand are one of the cheapest places to get scuba cert whereas places in Europe can cost up to $700.
And SSI is a little cheaper than PADI, you can read more here about the differences between the two diving bodies.
After the open water certification, there is an advanced open water course which is around $200. Getting this certification allows you to dive deeper. As well as it opens the door to other certs like wreck diving, night diving, and more.
Renting Or Buying Scuba Diving Equipment
Renting the scuba gear when starting off learning to scuba diving is a great option. This costs roughly about 1/25th of the cost of actually buying the diving equipment. Renting will save you money up-front but if you did more than 25 dives a year. You could end up spending more renting in the long run than buying.
Buying an entry-level dive kit can cost around $2,500, except for the tanks, and weights. This does not including dive computers or a GoPro. The prices depend on the brand and whether it is new or second-hand equipment. And if you are diving in cold or warm water.
If you are interested in buying a decent dive computer this could set you back about $1000. And a GoPro can cost around $400 depending on the version and if it is silver or black.
You also have to factor in the maintenance of your gear.
Cost Of Traveling
Traveling to go diving can be expensive. If you are lucky and live in an area like on the coast of Mexico or on an island like Koh Tao in Thailand then it won’t be expensive.
But for most of the other people, who are not so lucky, a week-long dive trip can easily start costing from $300 to $2500. And if you are flying to Fiji or Thailand for a 1 week of diving it can easily cost more.
Scuba Diving Insurance
Generally, travel insurance does not cover scuba diving by default. They see scuba diving as a high-risk activity. So you need to get insurance that is tailored for scuba diving.
Dive insurance is mainly tailored for scuba divers, that covers things like recompression therapy and hospital care needed as a result of a diving accident and the cost of replacing equipment that is damaged or lost.
Things To Know Before Going Scuba Diving
When starting out on your scuba diving adventure besides the pricey part of scuba diving, there are two important things you should know before you go diving. There are as follows.
- You need to be in good health – There are certain health conditions that will prevent you from diving such as epilepsy, asthma, heart problems, and so on. This is for everyone’s health and safety. You need to tell the truth about any health conditions before you go diving.
- Need to be in physically good shape – To get the scuba diving cert you need to be able to swim 200 meters and be able to float for 5 mins. But, generally, you need to be at a decent level of fitness.
- Be comfortable in the water – You need to be comfortable in the water as you will be doing a lot of exercises in the water.
Is Scuba Diving A Sport Or Hobby?
This seems to cause a debate especially when scuba diving is considered an extreme sport. Scuba diving is more of a hobby activity than a sport. Yes, it does require some physical exertion but there is no competition.
A sport can be defined as something that requires physical exertion and with some degree of competition. On the other hand, a hobby is something someone does for fun or a challenge.
Wrapping Up
Finally, scuba diving is an expensive hobby. You have to plan for the scuba diving certifications. As well as whether to purchase or rent scuba diving equipment like the diving mask, wetsuit, and fins. And there may also be the traveling costs.
And that’s it for now! I’d love to know if this guide on is scuba diving an expensive hobby has helped you. Let me know if you have any questions and let me know if there is more to add.
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