The debate over the sport or hobby status of scuba diving has been ongoing for many years.
Most people consider scuba diving to be a hobby but there is no debate that scuba is a difficult, physical activity. However, because there are no spectators and generally no competitors, most consider diving to be a recreational activity. People have said that scuba is something you do on vacation, not something that is a sport.
Professional divers, enthusiasts, and other serious divers would argue differently. Scuba can be extremely physically demanding, and can even result in death if divers are not careful. Divers often have a competitive nature, comparing bottom time (how long the divers were down), gas consumption rates, and the number of dives they have been on. Divers even work in teams. Sounds like most sports, doesn’t it?
Overall, the classification of scuba as a sport or recreational activity comes down to a personal level. It is up to each diver to decide whether they approach scuba diving as a sport or as a hobby.
In our opinion, scuba is both a sport and a hobby, much like many other activities that can be analyzed in the same way.