The hottest dog days have arrived！ The diving sport, coexisting with policy support and market demand, has quietly gained popularity | New Consumption in Sports

In the hottest month of July, the most refreshing sport is undoubtedly water-based activities. Among them, diving, which is closely integrated with tourism, is also showing a bright future. In the development of the diving industry, diving training, which cultivates enthusiasts for the industry, is also expected to break through first.

As the saying goes, if you don’t lose weight in May, you’ll regret it in June. Now that it’s the peak of summer in July, it’s become an urgent priority to let your great body shine in the summer. In addition to fitness, which helps you stay in shape, water sports that are entertaining, cool, and comfortable are also becoming increasingly popular.

Among the many water sports, diving—as a sport that combines elements of tourism, entertainment, and extreme sports—is particularly popular in the summer and tourist areas.

According to official data from the China Diving Association, from 2006 to 2010, the annual growth rate of global tourists participating in introductory diving remained above 10%, and in 2015, the global revenue from introductory diving reached 24.666 billion yuan.

%Ji 2006-2015 Global Diving Market Size and Growth Rate

Data from Zhiyan Consulting

Domestically, although diving remains a niche activity in terms of popularity, the development of tourism and scenic areas in recent years has led to an increase in water areas offering diving experiences. According to official data, since 2006, the average annual growth rate of introductory diving services in China has reached 30%, and in 2015, the revenue from introductory diving in China was 2.133 billion yuan.

In addition to the boost from tourism, favorable policies for the sports industry in recent years have also brought real opportunities for diving. In October 2016, the General Office of the State Council officially issued the "Guiding Opinions on Accelerating the Development of Fitness and Leisure Industries," listing the development of water sports as one of the important measures to "improve the fitness and leisure service system." The "Water Sports Industry Development Plan" envisions a huge market size of 300 billion yuan by 2020.

With both policy support and a consumer market, there seems to be huge business potential behind the diving sport. So, what are the extended businesses of diving, and which companies in which sectors are likely to stand out?

The rapidly developing diving sport and its extended businesses

As the base of diving enthusiasts grows, so does the upstream supply of equipment and downstream diving services that arise in response to demand.

Diving can generally be divided into military diving, professional diving, and recreational or sports diving. Recreational diving is the most common type we participate in, usually aimed at underwater sightseeing and leisure entertainment, using scuba tanks and underwater breathing apparatus.

Among these, snorkeling and scuba diving are the most common types of recreational diving, often found in coastal tourist areas. Before diving enthusiasts choose to go on a coastal diving vacation, they must also undergo professional diving training, most of which is offered inland in China.

Snorkeling is relatively simple—just a mask, snorkel, and fins are needed. You generally float on the surface and view underwater scenery through the mask. Therefore, after a brief training, you can start snorkeling.

Scuba diving, on the other hand, involves diving with a compressed air tank and underwater breathing apparatus, where divers actually submerge underwater. Scuba diving carries a higher risk level, and a full set of scuba diving equipment includes a mask, snorkel, fins, regulator, dive instruments, air tank, buoyancy control vest, and wetsuit. Divers in open water may even carry additional essential gear such as dive knives and underwater flashlights.

Beyond the equipment, there is a chain of training and recreational diving services. This isn’t just about the diving venues provided by clubs and tourist areas, but also, due to the special nature of diving, requires divers to hold an international diving certification or be accompanied by a certified diving instructor.

According to online statistics, China currently has over 1.5 million tourists participating in introductory diving each year, with Sanya in Hainan having developed into the world’s largest base for introductory diving. Among them, nearly 30% of participants are willing to engage more deeply in diving, including taking training courses from international diving organizations and obtaining diving certifications.

This means that the market for diving training and international certification assessments is also expanding.

Under the craze for international certification, what are the prospects for diving training?

Regarding diving training and certification, our reporter recently visited Beijing Aorui Nameishi International Diving Club. The company’s main business is diving training and the assessment and certification of national social sports instructor certificates, with its training venue located at the Yingdong Swimming Pool in the Beijing Olympic Sports Center.

Cai Lei, CEO of Aorui Nameishi, told reporters that their training is unique in that the venues are not limited to coastal areas—they have diving training bases in Beijing, Long Beach, and Palau. The Yingdong Swimming Pool in Beijing is currently the only 5-meter-deep, 25x25-meter diving base capable of simulating training, allowing divers to learn more thoroughly and experience open-water exam conditions.

Diving scenes at Aorui Nameishi

It is understood that Aorui Nameishi currently has the qualification to issue three types of certifications: PADI, PSAI, and AIDA. PADI is currently the world’s largest certification body for recreational diving, which refers to diving at depths of over 40 meters.

Cai Lei told reporters that Aorui Nameishi has now signed an agreement with a national-level social fitness instructor base, and its certifications are nationally recognized.

According to official data from the China Diving Association, China’s emerging market had a small base but an annual growth rate of over 30%. In 2010, international diving training organizations in China issued only 5,000 diving certifications, with training business revenue of 20 million yuan. At that time, the diving association predicted that China’s diving training business revenue would reach 95 million yuan by 2015.

%Ji 2006-2015 China Professional Diving Training Market Size and Annual Growth Rate

Data source: China Diving Association

It is evident that for the growing consumer base, dive clubs serve as the most direct entry point for diving enthusiasts. As a result, most product manufacturers and brand operators have begun to collaborate with dive clubs or operate their own to achieve this effect. Companies such as Zhongqian Co., Ltd. and Qiantu have also reaped considerable benefits from this trend.

Among the over 1.5 million experiential diving tourists in China each year, the most well-known destinations include Sanya in Hainan, Qiandao Lake in Zhejiang, and Changdao in Shandong. Among them, Sanya has developed into one of the world’s largest experiential diving bases.

%Rapid006-2015 Global Experiential Diving Service Market Size and Annual Growth Rate

Data source: China Diving Association

In addition, according to statistics and analysis by the China Diving Association, the global diving training business maintained an average annual growth rate of over 10% from 2006 to 2010, with the global training business revenue reaching 3.083 billion yuan in 2015.

Despite showing a positive development trend, alongside the expansion of the tourism industry and the artificial development of tourist environments, the safety issues of diving and environmental protection are also concerns that need our attention.

Vast market potential coexists with a sense of vigilance

Like most emerging recreational sports industries, China’s diving industry is in a phase of rapid development. With the continuous improvement of the consumption level of urban residents in China, some internationally renowned diving training institutions have entered the Chinese diving market, leading to a significant increase in both the diving population and the number of dive clubs in China.

Content from Zhiyan Consulting, 2015 data

This reflects consumers’ increasing emphasis on quality of life and personal health, as well as a rise in their demand for and ability to pay for sports fitness and sports entertainment. On the other hand, it also plays a significant role in promoting the diversification of business models and structures, with the proportion of spending on sports and sports entertainment expected to grow steadily.

Against this backdrop, current sectors such as fitness sports, recreational sports, leisure sports, and sports education all have significant room for development and growth potential, and the industries behind them, such as sports equipment and gear, will also grow accordingly.

Although fitness sports and recreational leisure sports are promoted and extended based on consumers' interests and hobbies, it is essential to ensure they align with the income levels and healthy lifestyles of fitness enthusiasts. While the supply of products and services for entertainment, leisure, and fitness in fitness sports and recreational leisure sports is crucial, the advancement of traditional sports disciplines themselves should not be overlooked during this development.

Relevant data shows that in 2012, there were only slightly over 500 certified diving instructors nationwide, with around 300 able to engage in teaching activities, most of whom only held beginner or intermediate-level qualifications. Therefore, although the number of enthusiasts is growing, training an excellent diving instructor generally requires several years of hands-on experience, making the focus on and cultivation of talent critically important.

The industry is in a growth stage, and systems are not yet fully mature. While ensuring the insurance and rights of diving enthusiasts, professional diving instructors are also currently in high demand. Only with a sufficient number of high-quality instructors can a multi-billion-dollar diving market be sustained.

For this reason, in the process of the diving market’s development, diving training has been the first to demonstrate tremendous market potential and commercial value.