Scuba Diver Socio-Demographic Profile

Marketing segmentation of recreational scuba divers. The dive industry participants are not homogeneous.

The “stereotype” of a scuba diver in the USA as being a white male Baby Boomer is no longer accurate. It is more of a Hispanic Millennial male with post-graduate studies and an annual income above $100,000.

This post is part of our Dive Industry Compass series by the Business of Diving Institute and Darcy Kieran, author of:

If you’ve been operating a dive center for a few years, I’m sure you already have some pre-defined scuba diver “profiles” in your head. You can probably spot somebody who will buy all the courses, and the one who will buy a full set of scuba diving gear. “Profiling” can be a dirty word in some contexts, but it can be valuable in sales & marketing. When I was operating dive centers, I defined two very different basic scuba diver profiles:

Sharks: Scuba divers interested in thrills and risky adventures.
Bird Watchers: Scuba divers interested in peace and quiet while observing tropical fish.

In the store or on the phone, one-on-one, I could adapt my message to their interest. However, in a classroom, pool, and open-water dive site, I would be serving both groups simultaneously. It can be challenging to adapt teaching style and analogies to the interests of some students without scaring or boring the rest of the class.

Ideally, we would pick one group and target them in our advertising and promotions. We would then have a more homogeneous class. However, since teaching scuba diving is already a small niche activity, and dive stores are not the most sophisticated companies, dive center operators typically try to recruit at large.

Yet, this approach may no longer be effective. As the scuba diving participation rate fluctuates, we need to understand market segmentation to adapt our marketing strategies and, even, design our operating procedures to meet the expectations of new target markets we aim to serve.

TL;DR Overview

For scuba diving industry professionals, a key finding is that the “stereotype” of a scuba diver in the USA as a white male Baby Boomer is outdated. The more accurate profile is now that of a Hispanic Millennial male with postgraduate studies and an annual income exceeding $100,000. Overall, active scuba divers are affluent, with 49% earning over $100,000 annually, and well-educated, with 55% holding at least a college degree. While scuba diving remains a male-dominated activity (62% men), casual diving shows slightly more female participation. Millennials (born 1981-1996) exhibit the highest participation rates in the US, with younger demographics (13-44 years old) generally participating more than Baby Boomers.

This highlights that the recreational scuba diving market is heterogeneous, requiring sophisticated market segmentation to adapt marketing strategies and refine product/service mixes to meet niche market needs.

A crucial distinction is that older divers often aspire to “be” a diver, viewing it as a lifelong dream, while younger individuals typically want to “do” scuba diving casually, among many other activities, which impacts their commitment to purchasing gear.

To effectively navigate these shifting tides, dive centers must understand these demographic changes and restructure their operations and marketing to cater to the new expectations of their clients. This involves designing more convenient ways to deliver scuba diving experiences to appeal to a broader audience, particularly women.

DEMA’s profiles further differentiate customer segments by purchase type: continuing education and gear buyers are typically older, wealthier, and predominantly male compared to entry-level divers. Liveaboard travelers, for example, represent a significantly wealthier demographic than those opting for land-based resorts.

While cross-promotional opportunities exist with activities like hiking, jogging, and bowling, it’s vital to note that aspirational participation in scuba diving is low across all age and income groups. Therefore, instead of solely focusing on current diver profiles, the industry must prioritize identifying and targeting non-divers who are likely to convert and then actively adapting business models to meet their needs.

Scuba diving professionals in the U.S.A. are encouraged to consult DEMA for localized data on their client base and surrounding populations for more tailored strategies.

1. Scuba Diving Market Segmentation

There are many different angles we can use to segment our clients and our target markets. We will look at some of them, but first, let’s clarify that the recreational scuba diving market is not homogeneous. And the best scuba diver socio-demographic profiles are defined by analyzing data, not by guessing, as I initially did at my first dive center.

A 2016 study at the University of Massachusetts Amherst defined 4 ‘species’ based on a survey of scuba diver values in Key West, Florida. The title is Introductory Guide to Scuba Diver Species, and the species are:

Fun-seeking Belongers
Actualizers
Inner-circles
Moderates

Regardless of how they arrived at these four sub-categories of current scuba divers, their conclusion is an excellent introduction to this discussion on the socio-demographic profile of scuba divers.

“A heterogeneous diver market that has been segmented would benefit both private and public sector stakeholders. Scuba equipment and service providers could refine their product and service mix to cost-effectively satisfy the needs of niche markets.”

I would add “by providing more value,” on top of being more “cost-effective.”

Working on defining scuba diver socio-demographic profiles should be done on two fronts:

Our initial goal is to identify various socio-demographic profiles of scuba divers among the current population to better deliver value to them with the right marketing messages.
Our 2nd goal is to do the same with non-divers. The current scuba diver socio-demographic profile may be far from the profile of people we should be targeting if we want to grow the dive industry, possibly with differentiated products and services.

We’ll examine data with market segmentation and various socio-demographic profiles, as provided by DEMA (Diving Equipment & Marketing Association) and SFIA (Sports & Fitness Industry Association). And then, we’ll review which other activities scuba divers tend to participate in, to better understand their aspirations and where we can reach them.

2. Different Paths to Scuba Diving Market Segmentation & Socio-Demographic Profiles

There are many different angles we can use to segment our current scuba diving clients and our target markets.

In fact, we could segment any industry in a million different ways and end up with so much data that we couldn’t make any decision! The goal is to identify a segmentation that enables us to effectively manage our business.

Let’s examine some market segmentation approaches.

Age Segments

One obvious market segmentation is generational. As we discussed when reviewing the scuba diving participation rate, older divers (baby boomers) often carried scuba diving as a lifelong dream.

These guys want to “be” a diver. Meanwhile, the younger crowd typically wants to “do” scuba diving, casually, among many other activities.

Message-wise, there is a big difference between aspiring to ‘be a diver’ and desiring to ‘do some diving’. We discuss it in our marketing strategies for the scuba diving industry.

And we will review the ages below when looking at the information we get from the SFIA.

Gender Market Segmentation

I’m sure you’ve noticed that the dive industry remains very much a male affair. We will provide data on this front from the information obtained from the SFIA.

Although the percentage of women engaged in scuba diving is growing, it remains surprisingly small. We need to better appreciate what keeps women away from scuba diving if we want to overcome that gap.

We also have to examine the processes we use for delivering scuba diving experiences. Maybe we feel good displaying a macho personality by carrying heavy scuba diving gear around, but that is not something everybody else will enjoy doing.

The dive industry could benefit from designing more convenient (not necessarily easier) ways of delivering the experience of breathing underwater and visiting 71% of the planet.

Geographical Segments

Another obvious way to segment the scuba diving market is by geography. If you notice that most of your clients come from within a 30-minute drive radius around your store, then you can focus your marketing energy and money within that circle, which is easy to do with online advertising.

One of my dive stores was located in a poor neighborhood. Our customers were not coming from around the store, but not far. To the East and to the West, very nearby, there were 2 extremely rich neighborhoods. That is where our clients came from, and that is where we focused our Facebook ads.

Segmentation by Dive Products & Services Purchased

The way DEMA has segmented the profiles in its most recent scuba diver surveys is based on what they purchased from you:

Entry-level Certification: e.g., PADI or SSI Open Water Diver course.
Continuing Education, commonly referred to as con’ed: Any other scuba diving training courses after entry-level certification.
Scuba Diving Equipment.
Dive Travel: DEMA further divided the scuba diver profiles of those purchasing travel into two categories, based on whether they purchased liveaboard vacations or a stay in a land-based dive resort.

We will review the data from these DEMA scuba diver profiles in the next section.

Behavioral Segmentation

Another way to segment the market is by behavioral profiles, like researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst did in the research mentioned earlier in this article, when they defined 4 ‘species’ based on a survey of scuba diver values in Key West, Florida: Fun-seeking belongers, actualizers, inner-circles, and moderates.

In the DEMA segmentation, the best household clusters are identified based on life stages, and we will briefly review them below.

The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) is a good role model for behavioral market segmentation. In their ConsumerVue report, they identify seven segments of outdoor consumers. These segments of outdoor activity participants are quite diverse, just like in scuba diving. They have different ambitions, aspirations, and interests. They shop differently.

The Achiever
The Outdoor Native
The Urban Athlete
The Aspirational Core
The Athleisureist
The Sideliner
The Complacent

The Aspirational Core represents only 14% of the population but 33% of the money spent in the outdoor industry.

We see the same in the scuba diving industry. Core divers are more likely to purchase a full set of gear, participate in local diving activities (which have seen growth during the 2020 pandemic year), and embark on numerous dive trips.

Therefore, understanding and differentiating between core and casual divers will be crucial to properly manage our dive business in the years to come. It is notable that the rate of participation in scuba diving by core divers is not fluctuating in sync with that of casual divers. Examining the overall rate of participation doesn’t provide us with the full picture we need to guide our marketing efforts.

DEMA Recommended Target Households

Using AnySite, DEMA identifies five main clusters for dive businesses to target. You can have access to AnySite data for your dive center if you are a DEMA Member in the USA.

Summit Estates
Established Elite
Sitting Pretty
Lavish Lifestyles
Apple Pie Families

You can obtain the details of these 5 clusters and how you can best use them to grow your business directly from DEMA.

None of these cluster titles sounds “cheap.” We need to enhance the experience encountered when entering a dive center, and we must design processes to ensure consistency in the quality of the experience while offering products and services that deliver greater value to the end-user.

3. SFIA’s Scuba Diving Participation Study

SFIA is among our best sources of relevant scuba diving industry market data.

Once a year, the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) publishes an extensive study on Americans’ participation in various activities. They do so in collaboration with seven other sports industry associations, including the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), of which the dive industry should be a part. Wouldn’t it be valuable to us all if DEMA were part of this survey group, providing us with a deeper understanding of the recreational scuba diving, technical diving, snorkeling, and freediving markets?

We’ve already reviewed the participation rates of casual and core scuba divers. Let’s now look at the socio-demographic profile of active scuba divers.

Wealth & Education Profile of Scuba Divers

In the SFIA survey, scuba diving is confirmed as an activity for wealthy and well-educated people:

49% of active divers earn more than US$100K per year (10 years ago: 46%)
55% of active divers are at least college graduates (10 years ago: 58%)

It is especially true of core divers. In that group, 56% earn more than US$ 100,000 per year, and 58% hold a college degree or higher.

Gender Profile of Scuba Divers

Unfortunately, scuba diving remains a male activity.

62% of active scuba divers are men (10 years ago: 64%)

This is especially true of core divers (those who dive more than 8 times per year), among whom we find 65% of men (compared to 10 years ago, 64%).

Casual diving appears slightly more attractive to women, with 40% of casual divers being women compared to 35% in the core divers group.

Age Profile of Scuba Divers

Overall, 1% of the American population went scuba diving at least once in 2021. However, people aged between 13 and 44 had a higher participation rate than the baby boomers.

6 to 12: 0.6% (10 years ago: 0.5%)
13 to 17: 1.1% (10 years ago: 0.6%)
18 to 24: 1.2% (10 years ago: 1.1%)
25 to 34: 1.3% (10 years ago: 1.9%)
35 to 44: 1.2% (10 years ago: 1.2%)
45 to 54: 0.8% (10 years ago: 1.3%)
55 to 64: 0.5% (10 years ago: 0.7%)
65+: 0.2% (10 years ago: 0.4%)

Millennials (born from 1981 to 1996) currently have the highest rate of scuba diving participation in the USA.

Race Profile of Scuba Divers

So, scuba diving is no longer a baby boomer activity, but is it still a white male one?

Caucasian Americans actually have a lower scuba diving participation rate than Hispanic and Asian-American.

Hispanic: 1.0%
Asian American: 0.9%
Caucasian: 0.8%
African American/Black: 0.5%
Other: 1.2%

That information was not surveyed 10 years ago.

In other words, the “stereotype” of a scuba diver in the USA should actually be a Hispanic Millennial male with post-graduate studies and an annual income above $100,000.

To better understand the personality and interests of active scuba divers, SFIA provides an analysis of cross-participation in other activities. We will review cross-participation later in this article.

4. DEMA’s Scuba Diver Socio-Demographic Profiles

DEMA produced socio-demographic profiles by surveying lists of scuba diving clients provided by training agencies and scuba diving equipment manufacturers.

DEMA’s profiles are segmented by the types of products the client has purchased: dive gear, dive travel (divided between liveaboard and land-based resorts), entry-level training, and advanced scuba diving courses.

Two analyses are particularly missing in DEMA’s profiles: segmentation by age and gender, both of which are increasingly important for understanding fluctuations in scuba diving participation and for reorganizing ourselves to better satisfy women and younger generations. Fortunately for us, we got some of that data from the SFIA annual study.

Entry-level Scuba Diver Profile

Of the five scuba diver socio-demographic profiles produced by DEMA, the entry-level scuba diver profile is the most discussed one. As we have seen from our examination of the dive industry’s size, we are financially heavily dependent on new divers. So, everybody is interested in THAT profile!

Unfortunately, there has been (and still is) confusion regarding this DEMA entry-level scuba diver profile due to changing figures.

When the report was first released, the average age was 33 years, with a median of 30. However, in the supporting data attached to the profile, the average age was 34, with a median of 31. Then, a new version emerged with an average age of 29 years and a median of 26, but without supporting data. Rumor has it that some influential people in the dive industry preferred the narrative that our clientele was younger than it really was.

In any case, let’s try to gather a few interesting numbers by combining both DEMA report summaries —the original one and the revised one.

64% earn more than $100K per year, with 21% making more than $150K.
Between 59% and 66% are at least college graduates.

Based on these figures from the DEMA reports, scuba diving is even more skewed toward the rich and well-educated than the SFIA study indicates.

92% are homeowners.
Male scuba divers remain the majority, accounting for between 60% and 65%, depending on the summary we examine.

It is similar to what we see in the SFIA annual survey.

Continuing Education Scuba Diver Profile

This is a diverse group of people who have completed any scuba diving training course beyond the entry-level certification.

The average age is 38 years, with a median of 36.
70% earn above $100K per year, with 25% making more than $150K.
59% are college graduates or higher.
92% are homeowners.
77% are male.

The difference between the entry-level scuba diver and those taking more courses is that he is older, richer, and more likely to be a man.

Expressed differently, it could mean that the younger generation will take on an entry-level course to do scuba diving casually, but they are not as committed to scuba as their older counterparts.

Dive Gear Buyer Profile

Presumably, dive gear buyers are even more committed to scuba diving. Let’s see if that holds true in their profile.

The average age is 54 years old.
62% earn above $100K per year, with 20% making above $150K.
59% are college graduates.
92% are homeowners.
78% are male.

In other words, this scuba diver is very similar to the one taking courses after entry-level, with one exception: he is significantly older.

This seems to confirm that older people want to “be” a diver; it was a lifelong dream. And when these baby boomers start scuba diving, they are more committed to it than the younger generations, who want to “do” scuba diving casually. This casual diver is not willing to buy much dive gear since their travel is rarely around a dedicated “dive trip.” They want to do scuba diving, among other activities.

Scuba gear manufacturers and retailers need to adapt.

Dive Traveler Profile

DEMA produced two profiles for dive travelers: One for scuba divers who went on a liveaboard and one for those divers who opted for a land-based resort. Let’s see if there are significant differences.

The average age is 41 for dive resorts and 52 for liveaboards.
38% earn above $100K per year for dive resorts and 78% for liveaboards.
Approximately 60% are college graduates in both cases.
84% are homeowners for resorts and 94% for liveaboards.
Approximately 60% of the individuals are male in both cases.

Dive resort divers tend to be younger than the liveaboard crowd. However, overall, it still suggests that the older generation is interested in a dedicated dive trip.

It’s also interesting to notice that the profile of scuba divers going on a liveaboard indicates a much wealthier crowd.

5. Cross Participation by Scuba Divers in Other Activities

From the same SFIA scuba diving report reviewed above, we get the following list of the top 15 “other activities” most popular with scuba divers.

Treadmill
Walking for Fitness
Bowling
Free Weights (Dumbbells/Hand Weights)
Running/Jogging
Hiking (Day)
Snorkeling
Elliptical Motion/Cross-Trainer
Swimming for Fitness
Weight/Resistance Machines
High Impact/Intensity Training
Camping (Within 1/4 Mile of Vehicle/Home)
Stair-Climbing Machine
Stationary Cycling (Recumbent/Upright)
Free Weights (Barbells)

Golf also appears on this list, but is lower than the activities listed above.

Interestingly, while snorkeling is popular among scuba divers, the opposite is not true. Only 13.8% of snorkelers also engage in scuba diving. Scuba is #36 on the list of “other popular activities” for snorkelers.

This list of activities popular among scuba divers provides an idea of where we could conduct cross-promotional marketing activities. For instance, we could promote a bowling club in a dive shop while the club promotes scuba diving activities.

That being said, be careful with this list, as it may not match your specific clientele. For instance, if your target market is a younger generation, I would suggest that day hiking is probably more popular with them than bowling.

DEMA also provides a list of other activities in which scuba divers participate, published in its “Diving Fast Facts” document. In order of popularity, they are:

Backpacking/hiking
Jogging/running
Weight lifting
Bicycling
Kayaking
Yoga
Bowling

The SFIA and DEMA lists of cross-participation activities differ significantly, although they share some common activities, such as bowling, hiking, weight training, and jogging.

This provides background information to better understand current scuba divers and where you can reach more of them through cross-promotions. It doesn’t tell us anything about activities enjoyed by non-divers — people who could be interested in scuba diving, although they currently don’t fit the mold the dive industry has been using for decades.

6. Aspirational Participation

In addition to current scuba diving participation levels, it can be valuable to understand how many people aspire to go scuba diving.

In its annual Topline Participation Report, SFIA provides survey results on “intent to participate” in activities in the next 12 months. They provide segmentation by age and income.

There are no age groups or income groups in which scuba diving ranks among the Top 10 activities of interest to that group.

So, that’s that! We have work to do to get people excited about trying scuba diving.

7. What’s Next?

What can we do with this info on scuba diver socio-demographic profiles?

In reality, a lot and not much! Because they are profiles of the general population of scuba divers in the USA, your clientele may be very different. For instance, even if the average American scuba diver is rich, perhaps your clientele is composed mainly of college students, and you shouldn’t count on selling a lot of expensive dive gear.

You should review the USA-wide scuba diver profiles for general background information. Then, if you operate a dive center in the USA, you should contact DEMA to get two studies from them:

An analysis of your current clients to establish their profile
A summary of the population around your dive store to identify valuable clusters to target

Understanding the profile of your current clients is a good starting point. It should help you manage your scuba diving business this month and next month. However, understanding what current scuba divers look like is not particularly impressive, considering the fact that the dive industry is shrinking.

What we need to do is determine the profile of the likely diver who is not currently diving, and then restructure the dive center to cater to this new type of client. That’s a significantly more challenging task. But it’s an exciting one!

Video Summary & Thoughts

Have a look at more scuba diving market research, surveys, reports & statistics in Your Dive Industry Compass.

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Scuba Diver Socio-Demographic Profile