Does Scuba Diving Get Boring? (+ 10 Possible Reasons)

Scuba diving is one of the most popular extreme sports around, so surely it has enough about it to keep divers interested for many years of underwater fun.

But what if diving’s no longer providing excitement to you personally?

Is it the case that “When a person is bored of scuba diving, they are tired of life” (to artistically paraphrase Samuel Johnson)?

Or can scuba diving genuinely get boring?

We’re going to look at the scuba diving hobby, why you might start to feel bored, and what could be the cause.

Then we will consider that often all you need to do is address what’s making you feel bored, and you can rekindle your passion for getting underwater.

Is Scuba Diving a Good Hobby?
10 Reasons Why You Might Get Bored of Scuba Diving (& How To Overcome Them)
Is Scuba Diving For Everyone?
Conclusion
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Is Scuba Diving a Good Hobby?

Now we might be slightly biased, but YES, we think scuba diving is a good hobby!

The idea of getting away from it all underwater, visiting pristine tropical reefs on vacation, discovering wrecks, or just exploring in the waters nearer to home holds excitement, anticipation, and fun for us.

However, we know that not everyone is going to feel the same way.

Not everyone is going to love every leisure activity out there.

Because if everyone loved scuba diving as much as we do, the seas would be awfully crowded when 7.8 billion people jumped in every weekend.

However, for those inclined, there are many reasons people say they enjoy diving, including:

The feeling of weightlessness and freedom underwater
Seeing the fascinating fish from inside their world
The on-going challenge to continually improve
The relaxation and feelings of stress relief
Opportunities to travel and experience new places
Meeting like-minded people
Excellent exercise potential

But while we have to accept that scuba diving isn’t for everyone, maybe some people who feel bored have just lost their way.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common reasons that someone might get bored with scuba diving and what can be done about them.

10 Reasons Why You Might Get Bored of Scuba Diving (& How To Overcome Them)

If you’re feeling bored with scuba diving, maybe it is simply time to find another hobby.

We’re all different and have different interests and enjoyments, so it’s perfectly fine if, having given it a try, scuba diving isn’t for you.

But before you run off to the golf course to pay the club pro for lessons, it’s worth considering if there’s an underlying cause for your “boredom.”

Maybe it’s not boredom that’s leaving you feeling dry.

Maybe there’s some other reason, that if recognized and addressed, could reignite your interest.

1. Bad Training Experience

Learning to scuba dive isn’t especially hard, especially if approached correctly.

However, it’s possible if the experience of the initial open water training course wasn’t positive, then the student might walk away thinking that scuba diving isn’t for them.

We’d say don’t give up right away.

If you want to try again, maybe look for a different center or instructor that better suits you and discuss your concerns with them.

Sometimes all it takes is a day or so, one on one, with an understanding instructor to address any bad experiences of lack of confidence from the course and make scuba diving fun.

2. Leaving It Too Long Between Dive Trips

One sure-fire way not to enjoy scuba diving is to leave it too long between dive trips.

Leaving an extended period can result in skill fade and a lack of familiarity with the dive equipment.

A dive center might enforce (rightly so) a refresher dive or review that will eat into your holiday and enjoyment.

The best way to avoid this is, needless to say, to dive as often as possible.

But where that’s not viable, consider doing a refresher before your vacation with a local dive shop so that when you do arrive, you’re confident and ready to enjoy your diving to the maximum.

3. Diving for Your Bucket List

We encourage as many people to try scuba diving as possible, and while there’s nothing wrong with wanting to give it a go and just tick off this experience, you should be aware that this can lead to disappointment.

The open water diver course isn’t especially hard for most people, but it is some degree of work and study that might not be that enjoyable if all you want to do is give diving a try.

This can lead to disappointment and disillusionment that diving is hard and boring when all you wanted to do was find Nemo.

In this situation, the introductory experience programs are the place to look and are much more likely to end in enjoyment and maybe even advancement in the hobby.

Check out:

“Discover Scuba” program by PADI
“Basic Diver” by SSI
“Try Scuba” by NAUI

4. Because Someone Else Wants You To

There’s little more likely to ruin your enjoyment of scuba diving than not being interested but doing it because a partner, relation, or friend really wants you to.

In this situation, we strongly recommend not forcing yourself into it as it won’t be fun for you at all.

Find a way to explain that you’re not interested, preferably before paying out for the course’s cost.

5. Fear of Water

A fear of water can be very genuine, and if this is underlying, then scuba diving definitely isn’t going to be fun.

Seeking help for this could be just as straight forwards as taking some swimming lessons to gain confidence.

Whatever the root cause and solution, it definitely should be addressed before scuba diving as it could cause panic, which, needless to say, underwater is highly undesirable.

6. Lack of Confidence

Whether it’s from concerns about your diving abilities, worries about familiarity with the equipment, or any other reason, a lack of self-confidence can ruin scuba diving just like any other activity.

The best solution is to find an instructor that you get on with and trust and talk it through with them.

Often all it takes is a dive or two with them guiding you closely to solve the problem and get you back enjoying scuba again.

7. Diving the Same Place All the Time or Doing the Wrong Type of Diving

Variety in scuba diving, as with many activities, is essential.

There are certainly some people who are happy to dive the same location repeatedly, but for others, this can be boring.

Trying somewhere new might be a simple way to get the excitement back into your scuba diving.

Similarly, always doing the same kind of dives might get boring for you.

For example, if you always shore dive, getting in and out of the water can be hard work.

Trying easy boat diving instead might be all you need to get your interest back again.

8. Fear of Local Diving

Many divers miss out on incredible opportunities by avoiding the diving that they have closely accessible to home, whether in freshwater lakes, rivers, or local seas.

Often, this is due to fears about colder or darker waters than they’re used to on their vacation dives.

The best advice is to contact a local diving center, have a chat about what they can offer, and give it a try with the right equipment.

Diving near to home can open up a whole new part of the hobby to you and prevent dive fatigue.

9. Not Advancing as a Diver

One of the best ways to get bored is to not advance as a diver once you’ve passed your initial open water course.

Many people find the learning and on-going challenge to improve as one of the most exciting and rewarding parts of being a scuba diver.

If you’re finding diving a bit boring, think about taking the next level course like the Advanced Open Water.

You could find a new area of diving that really grabs your interest and passion once again.

10. Lack of a Good Buddy

Every diver needs a buddy.

If you don’t have one and rely on one being assigned to you each time you dive, it can become quite tedious.

You can end up spending the whole time worrying about your buddy and not enjoy the dive for yourself.

Finding a great buddy makes a great partnership.

You can learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and interests and can develop and improve as divers together.

A great buddy in scuba diving, as in life, can make everything better!

Is Scuba Diving For Everyone?

Not everyone is going to like scuba diving, and that’s ok.

Some people are just not interested or comfortable around water and never will be.

We’d encourage anyone who is even a little interested to give it a try as they might be surprised how well this fantastic activity grabs them.

But if it’s not for you and there’s no solvable reason why, then definitely it’s not an activity to do if you don’t enjoy it.

Conclusion

We have to accept that scuba diving, like any other activity, isn’t for everyone, and it’s even possible for it to leave you feeling “bored.”

However, if there was a passion for diving before, this boredom could be caused by a reason that’s readily addressed, and suddenly the love for scuba will be discovered once again.

Happy divers are interested, engaged, and dedicated divers, and definitely not bored!