CCN: Towards a model of comfort, constraints and negotiation in recreational SCUBA diving

Scuba diving has become a popular form of marine-based tourism and adventure activity. Yet, little empirical information details what transpires during an encounter once a diver descends from the surface. Using a qualitative methodology, the stories of scuba diving experiences were collected and examined in an effort to define some of the prevailing features of an underwater encounter. The presence of comfort, constraint, and negotiation (CNN) emerged as important features of scuba diving. Titled CCN, this article offers a conceptual model that presents the central concepts and depicts the association between comfort, constraints, and negotiation during scuba diving as dynamic elements of the activity.