Scuba divers’ attitudes towards responsible behaviour and profile

Abstract

Within the global tourism industry exists the niche sector of alternative tourism, which includes adventure tourism. A sub-category of adventure tourism is self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (Scuba diving). The goal of this study was to identify how a scuba diver’s underwater behaviour is related to a set of predisposing characteristics. This study used a quantitative research approach rooted in the theory of positivism to explain scuba diving tourism within a South African context. A comprehensive literature review exploring the uniqueness of adventure tourism and scuba diving and the importance of coral reefs within marine protected areas (MPAs) is presented. In addition to the literature review, an online survey was conducted among South African divers (n=137). The survey aimed to determine the divers’ level of specialisation, environmental awareness, and demographic information. The findings indicated that while the respondents were generally evenly distributed demographically, their experience and environmental awareness improved the longer they were involved in scuba diving. Respondents were observed to be generally responsible divers and to have a broad understanding of the coral reef ecosystem. These findings support existing studies conducted at dive sites across the world, which indicate that responsible diver behaviour increases with the level of specialisation.