Scubanomics: The Dive Industry Compass
Dive Industry Surveys, Scuba Diving Market Research, Reports & Statistics
You will find below:
1) Ongoing Scuba Diving Industry Market Research & Surveys
You can help by participating in the ongoing surveys listed below. It will benefit the whole industry. Subscribe to be notified when results become available.
2) Market Reports & Analysis from Completed Dive Industry Studies
We are doing our part to compensate for a general lack of reliable market data in the scuba diving industry.
A very special and big “Thank You” to DAN Europe, Shearwater, and GUE for supporting our market research efforts in collaboration with InDEPTH magazine.
Please let us know if you want to add your name to the list of organizations supporting dive businesses and dive professionals.
Your participation in these surveys will contribute to a better understanding of the dive industry to the benefit of all dive professionals.
Completed & ongoing dive industry surveys are presented below in reverse chronological order (the most recent one is at the top).
Dive Training Agencies: Net Promoter Score 2024
(2024) ONGOING & OPEN TO ALL SCUBA DIVERS. How likely are you to recommend that dive training agency to a friend or colleague? How valuable is the dive training agency brand, really?
We run this study annually. Check last year’s results.
Diver Propulsion Vehicles (DPVs) also Known as Underwater Scooters
(2024) Do you regularly use a DPV while scuba diving? Have you ever? Why? Why not? What improvements would you like to see in DPVs?
Survey Results: Rescue & First Aid Skills for Scuba Diving Emergencies
(2024) How ready are dive professionals and scuba divers to deal with scuba diving emergencies? How frequently do they refresh their skills? Recreational & tech diving.
Survey Results: Rebreather Training
(2024) Should rebreather diving training really be unit-specific?
2nd Edition – 2024 – Report on The Size of The Scuba Diving Market
(2024) What is the size of the dive industry? There are no definitive answers to this question because the scuba diving industry suffers from a serious lack of reliable market data. However, we compiled and analyzed the various sources of data currently available to estimate the market size of dive training, scuba diving equipment, and dive travel.
State of The Dive Industry (SOTI) 2024
(2024) A benchmarking gauge and a trade “weather forecast” for your scuba diving business activities in 2024: dive centers, instructors, gear manufacturers, training agencies, resorts & more.
Underwater Navigation
(2024) Exploratory survey on underwater navigation.
Dive Training Agencies: Net Promoter Score 2023
(2023) How likely are you to recommend that dive training agency to a friend or colleague? How valuable is the dive training agency brand, really?
Annual Spending by Scuba Divers: Equipment, Training & Tourism
(2023) How Much Scuba Divers Spend Annually on Dive Gear, Travel, Training & Services? We all enjoy a dive with 100 ft/30 m visibility, don’t we? It would also be delightful for dive professionals to have a better understanding of the size of the dive industry. And it is the objective pursued by this worldwide “Market Viz Project” (MVP) for dive gear, training & travel.
Survey on Sidemount Diving
(2023) This survey helped us understand how prevalent sidemount diving has become (or not) and who are the divers using a sidemount configuration.
The First ‘State of The Industry’ (SOTI) Study for The Dive Industry (2023)
(2023) A study of worldwide market trends in the dive industry: certifications, gear sales & travel for recreational and technical scuba diving.
We will be running this dive market study annually.
Evaluating the Quality of Entry-Level Open-Water Certification Courses
(2023) How would you rate the quality of your Open Water Diver course? Are open-water divers ready to dive? Evaluating entry-level scuba diving experiences to help the dive industry improve. What is missing in the open-water diver course? Is it better to learn scuba diving at home or on vacation? Is deep diving an essential skill?
Dive Industry Business Model & Practices. Are dive centers & instructors equipped to provide a quality experience to scuba divers?
(2022) We are on a mission to improve the quality of the experience provided to scuba divers while upgrading the working conditions of dive professionals.
Dive Computers – Exploratory Survey
(2022) The goal of this InDepth/Scubanomics survey was to better understand how scuba divers use dive computers, what features are most important, what they are looking for in a dive computer, and how they plan their dives. This dive industry market report differentiated between tech divers and recreational divers.
Rebreathers vs. Open-Circuit Scuba Diving
(2022) Rebreather divers & non-rebreather divers contributed to a better understanding of the potential & limitations of rebreathers ahead of the forthcoming 2023 rebreather forum.
Close Calls While Scuba Diving
(2022) The goal of this InDepth/Scubanomics survey was to better understand how often scuba divers encounter “close calls” while scuba diving and how we could learn from sharing these incidents.
Sustainable Tourism & Scuba Diving
(2022) The goal of this InDepth/Scubanomics survey was to better understand scuba divers’ relationship to the environment and commitment to sustainable tourism, in preparation for an InDepth article by Dr. Alex Brylske.
Am I a Bad Apple?
(2022) A self-assessment and introspection by scuba diving instructors about their behavior on the quality and safety fronts.
Panicking & Scuba Diving
(2022) A survey on the causes and remedies of diver panic in collaboration with InDepth, Scubanomics, and Dr. Laura Walton.
The “Economics” of Being a Dive Instructor: Job Remuneration
(2021) Is it possible to make a living as a recreational scuba diving instructor? What to expect financially. Hourly rates. How much to invest in dive gear & scuba training. Differences in dive professionals’ income, based on the instructor’s gender, location, training agency affiliation, experience, age, and more.
Snorkeling & Scuba: Survey of The U.S. Population
(2021) Scubanomics’ exclusive industry survey on awareness, intent to participate, participation rate, satisfaction, and the dropout rate for scuba diving, snorkeling, and surface-supplied air (tankless) diving.
Open Water Scuba Diving Certification Numbers
(Regularly Updated) How many new entry-level open water divers are certified annually and by quarter in the USA?
Scuba Diving Participation Rate & Statistics
(Regularly Updated) Scuba diving participation compared to snorkeling, swimming, surfing, and stand-up paddling, including during & post COVID-19 pandemic.
Scuba Diver Socio-Demographic Profile
(Regularly Updated) Marketing segmentation of recreational scuba divers. The dive industry participants are not homogeneous.
Snorkeling Participation Rate & Socio-Demographic Profile of a Snorkeler
(Regularly Updated) Who are the snorkelers? How do they differ from scuba divers? Why aren’t they scuba diving?
Thank You!
The following scuba diving industry leaders support our efforts to provide more insights into the dive industry in collaboration with InDEPTH Magazine.
Shearwater Research designs and manufactures computers for all types of divers: air, nitrox, multi-gas trimix, rebreather diving.
GUE is a leader in scuba education, having developed many industry-first training protocols and utilizing an elite cast of diving educators.
DAN Europe assists & protects divers, and conducts scientific research to make diving a safer, more accessible, and sustainable activity for all.
Please let us know if you would like to add your name to the list of organizations supporting a better understanding of the dive industry for the benefit of all dive professionals.
Other Dive Industry Resources
Check our dive industry books. Otherwise, more scuba diving industry studies, reports, and reference books are in the works. Subscribe to be kept in the loop!