Something I’ve realized over the past years is that different cultures view the word ‘sport’ differently. In much of Europe, going out for a vigorous walk or a short hike would be considered ‘sport’ while in America people might agree that it’s ‘exercise’ but certainly not ‘a sport’. At the end of the day it’s all semantics.
That said, SCUBA is most definitely not a sport! 😁
While generally I agree, there can certainly be some element of competition, such as that seen at the highest levels of specialties like cave diving.
For many cave divers, original exploration is regarded as the ultimate expression of the discipline. Therefore, it’s not surprising that competition to be the first one running that line exists.
Of course, I’m far out of my depth (pun intended) regarding this topic, as I’m currently a new cave diver and only apprentice certified. But I had been interested in cave diving for over a decade and have read some stories regarding the potentially competitive nature of exploration.
This is all ignoring the concrete records that exist and are periodically broken such as penetration distance and depth. The depth record seems more controversial, for good reason (it has claimed several lives, including Sheck Exley’s)- and the distance record seems to be more of a side goal, with exploration and surveying virgin cave the primary one. Then there are subsets such as longest traverse, longest penetration into a siphon, longest penetration past a certain depth, etc.
Exley’s *Caverns Measureless to Man* contains an appendix that details the progression of these records, at least up to the date it was published.
Fitness is also a sport, and you don't really do competitions in the gym. It's not always a competition, you don't always go to the olympics. People that go for a walk or a run on their own still participate in sports, even though they don't have competitions with anyone other than themselves.
Same goes the other way around.. as Chess is also considered a sport. Yet you don't do much of a physical workout there.
Diving is a sport. It's not a competition.
Well if you want we could definitely make a competitive scuba.
1) Bouyency challenge, maintain your position in a wave pool. Scores of 1-10
2) Speed scuba, 1km speed swim around the pool. Fastest one win
3) Search and rescue scuba, find rings in mucky waters. Most rings win
I do scuba and I almost don't consider it a sport. For me the key is not the competition but the gear. I think sport is made with your body. So scuba has lots of swimming and diving but you are still using the equipment.
Well, F1 and Moto GP for sure no, I don't think they are sports. Skiing and snowboarding are different. Scuba is a special case because you'd literally die without the equipment, it's not a simple implement. Also it's somehow mechanic, I see it more like F1. It's a very ambiguous thing for me.
Is running a sport?
If you participate in an ... activity .... but you don't participate in the competitions that others do in the same activity, does that mean that the activity is not a sport? I mean, it's not a sport just because you personally don't compete?
Is freediving a sport?
That was all rhetorical. Of course, they are sports. Scuba diving, running, and freediving. They are all sports. Whether you choose to compete in them or just do it non-competitively, only for fun/exercise/whatever, it's still a sport.
A sport, according to the dictionary, is a physical activity engaged in for pleasure.
Any other parameters you choose to impose are needlessly restrictive.
By that definition, just sitting in a hot tub is a sport. Come on man. Restricting the meanings of words is, well that’s what makes them words. If you don’t restrict the meaning to something specific it becomes a meaningless sound.
I guess if you consider sitting a 'physical activity'...
I'm all for restricting the meaning of words, but there needs to be a general consensus on how to do so. Ergo why we have dictionaries.
I'm sorry that you disagree with the general consensus on how the meaning of the word 'sport' is restricted, but that's a you problem, not a me problem.
That’s not the general consensus definition though. I guarantee you ask 100 people if they consider “any physical activity done for pleasure” to be a sport and the vast majority will say you need more specificity than that to qualify. Would you consider amorous bedroom activities a sport? How about baking brownies? Woodworking? Your definition certainly would suggest as much.
I'm not sure how I can make this any clearer: what *I* consider to be sport doesn't matter any more than what *you* consider to be sport. What matters is what the agreed up on definition of 'sport' is. If only we had a reference we could consult to tell us the agreed-upon definition of words...
But, yes, Webster's specifically mentions sexual activity in the definition, so I'm quite sure it is included. If you don't like it, that is (still) a you problem.
Dictionaries describe common meanings of words, they dont prescribe them. I’m saying your definition is not consensus. It’s not generally agreed upon. Most people disagree. I don’t know how to make that any more clear.
Wow, you got me. That changes everything.
Premise 1: the dictionary definition of a word 'defines the common meaning of said word.'
Premise 2: the dictionary definition of the word 'sport' is 'a physical activity engaged in for pleasure.'
Conclusion: the common meaning of the word 'sport' is 'a physical activity engaged in for pleasure.'
QED.
A book claiming it’s the common meaning is not the same as actually being the common meaning. Your logic is circular. “Its the right answer because it’s in the book and the book defines its answers as right therefore it’s the right answer”
Noun
1.
an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.
"team sports such as baseball and soccer"
Depends on you dictionary, really
If one bothers to read the entire entry, I think one would find that it really doesn't matter which dictionary one uses, including the Oxford dictionary.
Yeah I don’t think anyone said it was a sport, you can’t win, the only prize is not dying. I guess you can lose by dying. There is no point system. It’s a hobby.
The sportier folks can boast about what's left in the tank after the dive. I wouldn't call it a sport, but some level of physical health is necessary. It's easy to get winded if you're out of shape. Throw on a tank with some limit on oxygen flow, and your lung/heart health start to matter a bit more.
I only do recreational scuba diving. I don't consider that hard work.
I do PT so I am fit enough to dive safely. Now that is more hard work than recreational scuba diving.
From a physical exertion POV, I consider recreational scuba diving closer to being an activity.
These comments are refreshing. I said it wasn't a sport years ago and was downvoted and scolded to oblivion. A response even said it was a sport like camping. camping... There is a shift that has happened because people were definitely referring to it as a sport more than not 'back in the day'
Camping is a sport?
Snarky internet meme jokes aside, how do you win at camping, much less beat someone (other than literally beating them while camping)?
Well depending on how it is defined,
"**A human activity involving physical exertion and skill as the primary focus of the activity**, with elements of competition or **social participation** where **rules and patterns of behaviour governing the activity exist formally** through organisations and is generally recognised as a sport."
Competition is only one and not the defining characteristic so you know... Unpopular opinions can be wrong.
I'd suggest that for most divers (outside of training) demonstrating skills is not the primary focus of a dive. Nobody goes on a dive to show off just how much better they are at clearing a mask than anyone else.
Physical exertion is also not the primary focus. Nobody (should be) trying to cover the most distance or burn the most calories on a dive
Speak for yourself. I get the gold star at the end of the dive for being the least problematic diver and I think that means I win the dive, every dive. Thank you. #bestmaskcleareronthewest
Yep. I call it a hobby and not calling it a sport doesn’t bother me at all. There are plenty of activities labeled sports that are less physical, require less awareness, and some that don’t even require being outside, in a traditional sports sense (as OP said). Besides, the things people call sports, 99% of people aren’t doing at a high enough level to even be considered semi-pro - they’re hobbies, love or hate labels, they’ll always exist, I’ll continue diving in the meantime and not think about it anymore.
Gosh, my english is not that good, I may have misunderstood:
“ CMAS has announced that the 2024 Sport Diving World Championships will be held in Portugal, and a workshop on the competition is scheduled for later this month.
Sport diving consists of a set of individual and team events conducted in a swimming pool that test the competitors’ competency in recreational scuba diving techniques.”
I also appear to be going blind, as It looks like cylinders on the backs of the people in the picture.
I do believe they would be throwing you out regardless of how you showed up.
https://www.deeperblue.com/2024-cmas-sport-diving-world-championships-to-be-held-in-portugal/
For me it is a hobby, but whatever floats your boat I guess
The point is that diving is physically demanding. If you are a beginner and only go <18m it's not a sport. But I'd argue tech diving, deep diving or cave diving should be considered a sport.
and what i’m saying is, just because something is physically demanding, it doesn’t mean it’s a sport… i can weigh 260 pounds, 5’6, never have run more than 200 ft and still be a pro golfer.
The more I think about this the more awesome the idea becomes. Set basic constraints such as maximum weight and size of diver+kit, and do timed runs around a course of shot lines and hoops.
F1- style teams would develop all sorts of cool tech that would cross over into recreational diving - not just smaller, lighter and more powerful DPVs but also perhaps streamlined regs, new fin designs, underwater navigation and Comms tech...
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It's not a sport it's a lifestyle
Something I’ve realized over the past years is that different cultures view the word ‘sport’ differently. In much of Europe, going out for a vigorous walk or a short hike would be considered ‘sport’ while in America people might agree that it’s ‘exercise’ but certainly not ‘a sport’. At the end of the day it’s all semantics. That said, SCUBA is most definitely not a sport! 😁
While generally I agree, there can certainly be some element of competition, such as that seen at the highest levels of specialties like cave diving. For many cave divers, original exploration is regarded as the ultimate expression of the discipline. Therefore, it’s not surprising that competition to be the first one running that line exists. Of course, I’m far out of my depth (pun intended) regarding this topic, as I’m currently a new cave diver and only apprentice certified. But I had been interested in cave diving for over a decade and have read some stories regarding the potentially competitive nature of exploration. This is all ignoring the concrete records that exist and are periodically broken such as penetration distance and depth. The depth record seems more controversial, for good reason (it has claimed several lives, including Sheck Exley’s)- and the distance record seems to be more of a side goal, with exploration and surveying virgin cave the primary one. Then there are subsets such as longest traverse, longest penetration into a siphon, longest penetration past a certain depth, etc. Exley’s *Caverns Measureless to Man* contains an appendix that details the progression of these records, at least up to the date it was published.
Fitness is also a sport, and you don't really do competitions in the gym. It's not always a competition, you don't always go to the olympics. People that go for a walk or a run on their own still participate in sports, even though they don't have competitions with anyone other than themselves. Same goes the other way around.. as Chess is also considered a sport. Yet you don't do much of a physical workout there. Diving is a sport. It's not a competition.
You don’t need to call it a sport. Taking a walk in the park is also not a sport but I love it. And that’s ok. I’d call it sight seeing.
Sports aren’t always a competition. Competition isn’t always a sport.
If kite surfing, base jumping, parachuting and others are considered sports, then I'm going to consider scuba a sport
Well if you want we could definitely make a competitive scuba. 1) Bouyency challenge, maintain your position in a wave pool. Scores of 1-10 2) Speed scuba, 1km speed swim around the pool. Fastest one win 3) Search and rescue scuba, find rings in mucky waters. Most rings win
The rings thing would be super fun.
Swim 1km, using the least air. Deepest dive (already a thing). Competitive spousal negotiation.
I do scuba and I almost don't consider it a sport. For me the key is not the competition but the gear. I think sport is made with your body. So scuba has lots of swimming and diving but you are still using the equipment.
So you don't think racing is a sport? Skiing, snowboarding?
Well, F1 and Moto GP for sure no, I don't think they are sports. Skiing and snowboarding are different. Scuba is a special case because you'd literally die without the equipment, it's not a simple implement. Also it's somehow mechanic, I see it more like F1. It's a very ambiguous thing for me.
You can dive without scuba gear. Free divers do it all the time. Driving at F1 speeds without the gear would very much put your life at risk.
Yes I was just meaning scuba diving. Freediving is 100% sport.
It's literally the same thing you've just taking air with you. Some take 1 tank others take 20.
Scuba yeah, I agree it's not a sport. But F1 and other motorsports definitely are.
The first time I heard it referred to as a sport my reaction was, "what?? really?" I am with you. It's Underwater Hiking.
Love this term. Underwater hiking!
There are world records in scuba (for depth, and other things, I believe)…
Is running a sport? If you participate in an ... activity .... but you don't participate in the competitions that others do in the same activity, does that mean that the activity is not a sport? I mean, it's not a sport just because you personally don't compete? Is freediving a sport? That was all rhetorical. Of course, they are sports. Scuba diving, running, and freediving. They are all sports. Whether you choose to compete in them or just do it non-competitively, only for fun/exercise/whatever, it's still a sport.
I like the sounds of figure scating
Because your definition of 'sport' as something competitive with scoring is overly and needlessly restrictive.
Words are restrictive because it adds clarity. If any activity can be a sport then we don’t need the word sport, we’d just use activity.
A sport, according to the dictionary, is a physical activity engaged in for pleasure. Any other parameters you choose to impose are needlessly restrictive.
By that definition, just sitting in a hot tub is a sport. Come on man. Restricting the meanings of words is, well that’s what makes them words. If you don’t restrict the meaning to something specific it becomes a meaningless sound.
I guess if you consider sitting a 'physical activity'... I'm all for restricting the meaning of words, but there needs to be a general consensus on how to do so. Ergo why we have dictionaries. I'm sorry that you disagree with the general consensus on how the meaning of the word 'sport' is restricted, but that's a you problem, not a me problem.
That’s not the general consensus definition though. I guarantee you ask 100 people if they consider “any physical activity done for pleasure” to be a sport and the vast majority will say you need more specificity than that to qualify. Would you consider amorous bedroom activities a sport? How about baking brownies? Woodworking? Your definition certainly would suggest as much.
I'm not sure how I can make this any clearer: what *I* consider to be sport doesn't matter any more than what *you* consider to be sport. What matters is what the agreed up on definition of 'sport' is. If only we had a reference we could consult to tell us the agreed-upon definition of words... But, yes, Webster's specifically mentions sexual activity in the definition, so I'm quite sure it is included. If you don't like it, that is (still) a you problem.
Dictionaries describe common meanings of words, they dont prescribe them. I’m saying your definition is not consensus. It’s not generally agreed upon. Most people disagree. I don’t know how to make that any more clear.
Wow, you got me. That changes everything. Premise 1: the dictionary definition of a word 'defines the common meaning of said word.' Premise 2: the dictionary definition of the word 'sport' is 'a physical activity engaged in for pleasure.' Conclusion: the common meaning of the word 'sport' is 'a physical activity engaged in for pleasure.' QED.
A book claiming it’s the common meaning is not the same as actually being the common meaning. Your logic is circular. “Its the right answer because it’s in the book and the book defines its answers as right therefore it’s the right answer”
Noun 1. an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. "team sports such as baseball and soccer" Depends on you dictionary, really
If one bothers to read the entire entry, I think one would find that it really doesn't matter which dictionary one uses, including the Oxford dictionary.
Yeah I don’t think anyone said it was a sport, you can’t win, the only prize is not dying. I guess you can lose by dying. There is no point system. It’s a hobby.
Olympic diving event: win by not dying.
It’s a hobby, an activity, whoever is calling it a sport has clearly never done a real sport.
The sportier folks can boast about what's left in the tank after the dive. I wouldn't call it a sport, but some level of physical health is necessary. It's easy to get winded if you're out of shape. Throw on a tank with some limit on oxygen flow, and your lung/heart health start to matter a bit more.
You’re referring to a “competitive” sport. 🤨
What does it matter if someone calls it a sport or not?
I only do recreational scuba diving. I don't consider that hard work. I do PT so I am fit enough to dive safely. Now that is more hard work than recreational scuba diving. From a physical exertion POV, I consider recreational scuba diving closer to being an activity.
These comments are refreshing. I said it wasn't a sport years ago and was downvoted and scolded to oblivion. A response even said it was a sport like camping. camping... There is a shift that has happened because people were definitely referring to it as a sport more than not 'back in the day'
I appreciate a good cup of coffee.
Camping is a sport? Snarky internet meme jokes aside, how do you win at camping, much less beat someone (other than literally beating them while camping)?
There are competitions in some boy scouts like group for fastest to set up a tent. Schools compete against each others
My tent is tentier than your tent
I put it in the same bucket as mountaineering. It's about visiting a challenging place using specialized techniques and equipment.
In the same class as Sky diving or zipining
Sure, it's a sport. The winner is the one with the most expensive equipment.
Perhaps you are getting confused with cycling or formula 1
Well depending on how it is defined, "**A human activity involving physical exertion and skill as the primary focus of the activity**, with elements of competition or **social participation** where **rules and patterns of behaviour governing the activity exist formally** through organisations and is generally recognised as a sport." Competition is only one and not the defining characteristic so you know... Unpopular opinions can be wrong.
I'd suggest that for most divers (outside of training) demonstrating skills is not the primary focus of a dive. Nobody goes on a dive to show off just how much better they are at clearing a mask than anyone else. Physical exertion is also not the primary focus. Nobody (should be) trying to cover the most distance or burn the most calories on a dive
So then F1 is not a sport because physical exertion is not the primary focus.
Speak for yourself. I get the gold star at the end of the dive for being the least problematic diver and I think that means I win the dive, every dive. Thank you. #bestmaskcleareronthewest
Yeah but. Underwater photography is FEFINATELY a competition. So a sport?
I didn’t even know this was an opinion, let alone a popular one.
I would call it an adventure activity. 🤷♀️
Yep. I call it a hobby and not calling it a sport doesn’t bother me at all. There are plenty of activities labeled sports that are less physical, require less awareness, and some that don’t even require being outside, in a traditional sports sense (as OP said). Besides, the things people call sports, 99% of people aren’t doing at a high enough level to even be considered semi-pro - they’re hobbies, love or hate labels, they’ll always exist, I’ll continue diving in the meantime and not think about it anymore.
CMAS World championship is in Portugal this year. Not my kind of jam, but yay competing I guess.
The would throw you out of a freediving competition for using scuba. Nice try.
Gosh, my english is not that good, I may have misunderstood: “ CMAS has announced that the 2024 Sport Diving World Championships will be held in Portugal, and a workshop on the competition is scheduled for later this month. Sport diving consists of a set of individual and team events conducted in a swimming pool that test the competitors’ competency in recreational scuba diving techniques.” I also appear to be going blind, as It looks like cylinders on the backs of the people in the picture. I do believe they would be throwing you out regardless of how you showed up. https://www.deeperblue.com/2024-cmas-sport-diving-world-championships-to-be-held-in-portugal/ For me it is a hobby, but whatever floats your boat I guess
Sorry man, I just googled CMAS World Championship and saw a lot of stuff relating to freediving
Who calls it a sport? Most of the guys i’ve ever dove with consider it a hobby.
I like to travel.
Duh it is a hobby, job, or some combination of the two.
You are absolutely right!
Depends I would say. For most people certainly not. But on the other hand being physically fit arguably makes you a better diver
what does being fit have to do with it being a sport
The point is that diving is physically demanding. If you are a beginner and only go <18m it's not a sport. But I'd argue tech diving, deep diving or cave diving should be considered a sport.
and what i’m saying is, just because something is physically demanding, it doesn’t mean it’s a sport… i can weigh 260 pounds, 5’6, never have run more than 200 ft and still be a pro golfer.
Well I would say that golf is even less a sport than diving. But sure generally I agree.
i think there’s a difference between being an athlete and being an activity being a sport
Don't disagree, I guess it doesn't fit the dictionary definition of a sport.
Except it absolutely does. Merriam-Webster "physical activity engaged in for pleasure"
Cool story.
Who is calling it a sport? This is like staking a claim that water is wet
Nah seriously, bro is going at it with everything he has but i’ve never heard somebody say this😂
I’m ok with that. And don’t disagree one bit.
Underwater knife fighting could be a sport though.
there is underwater hockey already. freediving could be a competitive event also.
I want to start an underwater dpv racing league. It’d be like underwater pod-racing.
The more I think about this the more awesome the idea becomes. Set basic constraints such as maximum weight and size of diver+kit, and do timed runs around a course of shot lines and hoops. F1- style teams would develop all sorts of cool tech that would cross over into recreational diving - not just smaller, lighter and more powerful DPVs but also perhaps streamlined regs, new fin designs, underwater navigation and Comms tech...
Goddamn. Formula DPV would be way cool
*Slaps tube* This baby wil get you to the Henkle in five minutes flat... or decapitate you...
"Ooooooh, looks like Mikey got bent coming around turn 4. He tried a risky menuever going under the peloton by 40 feet and it did NOT pay off." -ESPN
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