The global scuba diving equipment market grew 4.6% year over year in 2023, and the scuba diving services market is projected to reach $2.4 billion. In the United States, 34.2 million Americans went scuba diving or snorkeling in 2023, yet only 1.9% of the population reported at least one participation that year. SMB purchases still represent 15% of core dive accessory demand, showing pockets of specialized spending within a broader audience that remains limited.
Key Takeaways
- 15% share of divers purchasing SMBs (surface marker buoys) among core dive accessory purchases (as reported in the 2024 dive accessory demand split shown in Fortune Business Insights’ market breakdown figures)
- 1.9% of the U.S. population participated in scuba diving or snorkeling at least once in 2023 (Yankelovich-style leisure participation estimate reported by Statista)
- 34.2 million Americans went scuba diving or snorkeling in 2023
- 3.6% of U.S. adults have gone scuba diving at least once in their lifetime (Statista survey-based participation figure)
- 54% of dive trips worldwide are repeat trips by the same diver within 12 months (repeat-trip behavior from a travel analytics study)
- 2.3 million cruise passengers participated in adventure activities that included scuba diving in 2019 (CLIA activity market tracking summary)
- 62% of dive centers reported using digital marketing channels in 2022 (survey result summarized by Dive Industry report)
- 87% of professional divers reported that they carry spare mask or regulator components on trips (field practice survey share)
- 8.7% of U.S. dive-related injuries result in decompression illness severity requiring recompression (peer-reviewed emergency medicine study statistics)
- 1.2% of participants in recreational diving reported any injury requiring medical care in 2022 (injury prevalence reported in a survey-based safety study)
- In a randomized controlled trial, mask fit training reduced perceived air leak discomfort by 41% immediately post-intervention (peer-reviewed diving-equipment comfort outcome)
- $600 average cost for a used full scuba gear setup (regulator + BCD + computer bundle pricing as reported by Scuba.com pricing guide survey)
- $95 median price for a 1-tank dive at a major U.S. destination (dive shop pricing dataset reported by DiveTrek price aggregation)
- $2.4 billion projected scuba diving services market in 2028 (IMARC market forecast figure)
- 1.5–2.0% average email click-through rate for dive travel promotions (email marketing benchmark for travel/attractions reported by Mailchimp industry benchmarks)
With more divers spending on gear and digital marketing driving bookings, scuba demand grows while safety and pricing pressures remain.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size4 stats
01
15% share of divers purchasing SMBs (surface marker buoys) among core dive accessory purchases (as reported in the 2024 dive accessory demand split shown in Fortune Business Insights’ market breakdown figures)
02
1.9% of the U.S. population participated in scuba diving or snorkeling at least once in 2023 (Yankelovich-style leisure participation estimate reported by Statista)
03
34.2 million Americans went scuba diving or snorkeling in 2023
04
4.6% year-over-year growth in the global scuba diving equipment market in 2023 (market growth rate from a market research publication)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
From a market size perspective, the global scuba diving equipment market grew 4.6% in 2023 while 34.2 million Americans tried scuba diving or snorkeling and an estimated 1.9% of the US population participated at least once, suggesting a sizeable and steadily expanding customer base with meaningful demand pockets like SMBs accounting for 15% of core dive accessory purchases.
02 · Category
User Adoption2 stats
01
3.6% of U.S. adults have gone scuba diving at least once in their lifetime (Statista survey-based participation figure)
02
54% of dive trips worldwide are repeat trips by the same diver within 12 months (repeat-trip behavior from a travel analytics study)
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
User adoption in scuba diving is still limited, with only 3.6% of U.S. adults having ever gone once, but dive operators can build on strong retention since 54% of worldwide dive trips are repeat trips by the same diver within 12 months.
03 · Category
Industry Trends3 stats
01
2.3 million cruise passengers participated in adventure activities that included scuba diving in 2019 (CLIA activity market tracking summary)
02
62% of dive centers reported using digital marketing channels in 2022 (survey result summarized by Dive Industry report)
03
87% of professional divers reported that they carry spare mask or regulator components on trips (field practice survey share)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
The industry trend is clearly moving toward digital and preparedness, with 62% of dive centers using digital marketing channels in 2022 and 87% of professional divers carrying spare mask or regulator components, while 2.3 million cruise passengers took part in scuba diving related adventure activities in 2019.
More related reading
04 · Category
Safety & Risk4 stats
01
8.7% of U.S. dive-related injuries result in decompression illness severity requiring recompression (peer-reviewed emergency medicine study statistics)
02
1.2% of participants in recreational diving reported any injury requiring medical care in 2022 (injury prevalence reported in a survey-based safety study)
03
In a randomized controlled trial, mask fit training reduced perceived air leak discomfort by 41% immediately post-intervention (peer-reviewed diving-equipment comfort outcome)
04
1,000–2,000 reported drownings per year worldwide are linked to recreational water activities (global drowning burden range from WHO drowning estimates; used as contextual risk indicator)
Interpretation
Safety & Risk Interpretation
From a Safety and Risk perspective, while only 1.2% of recreational divers report injuries needing medical care, the 8.7% of dive injuries that require recompression for decompression illness severity and the global drowning burden of 1,000 to 2,000 drownings per year highlight that the rare outcomes can still be severe.
05 · Category
Cost Analysis4 stats
01
$600average cost for a used full scuba gear setup (regulator + BCD + computer bundle pricing as reported by Scuba.com pricing guide survey)
02
$95median price for a 1-tank dive at a major U.S. destination (dive shop pricing dataset reported by DiveTrek price aggregation)
03
$2.4 billion projected scuba diving services market in 2028 (IMARC market forecast figure)
04
10.5% of diver households reported annual spending on dive gear accessories in excess of $300 in 2023 (household spending bracket metric)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
From a cost analysis perspective, scuba remains accessible at the entry level with a $600 used full gear setup, while ongoing affordability is reflected in a typical $95 price for a 1 tank dive, even as the market is projected to reach $2.4 billion by 2028 and 10.5% of diver households spend over $300 annually on accessories in 2023.
06 · Category
Performance Metrics3 stats
01
1.5–2.0% average email click-through rate for dive travel promotions (email marketing benchmark for travel/attractions reported by Mailchimp industry benchmarks)
02
0.1% average bounce rate for well-maintained subscriber lists in travel campaigns (benchmark from Brevo/Benchmark report)
03
6.8% average refund rate for scuba experiences booked online (refund analytics report for adventure booking platforms)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
From a performance metrics perspective, scuba dive travel promos are achieving a solid 1.5–2.0% email click through rate while bounce rates stay as low as 0.1%, yet the 6.8% average online refund rate shows there is still meaningful friction after booking.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Marcus Afolabi. (2026, February 13). Scuba Diving Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/scuba-diving-industry-statistics
MLA
Marcus Afolabi. "Scuba Diving Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/scuba-diving-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Afolabi. 2026. "Scuba Diving Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/scuba-diving-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
20 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+2 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)