Has the World Economy slowed diving down?

I know I have slowed way down and the number of traveling folks I travel with has diminished quite a bit, but Cal is a tough economy with over 10% unemployment off the hook gas prices, that has taken discretionary spending way down! I wonder many times if that isn't reflected in this boards activity level? Not a lot to write about? Even with 20% unemployment that means 80% still have some kind of job.... This is very much dive related and I am interested in every ones opinion (Non-Political of course) if this is true? Has Diving become, like skiing, a rich mans sport? Have we priced the middle class out of diving? I have watched DEMA get smaller and smaller over the last 4 years and where I live we have lost a half dozen SCUBA shops! in a 40 mile radius there are only three left in SoCal and that seems to be a disturbing trend..... Can we see the glory days of diving like it was between the late 90s to mid 2000s?

It would be interesting to hear your local stories and get another perspective on this subject.... Please feel free to chip in, there are NO wrong answers, it just might help some see where we are and if there is a light on at the end of the tunnel?

I think the economy has taken the the ding into peoples tropical dive plans....as those two have gone up in price substantially due to fuel costs.