My caving log book records that on the 14th October 1973 there were more than 50 vehicles on Priddy Green and a 1.5 hour queue either side of the Twenty. I think this era, 40 years ago, marks the peak in popularity of Mendip caving (and probably caving generally in the UK). Back at that time if you were an adventurous outdoors sort of person you really had just three choices. You could be a caver or a climber or a paddler (there was the relatively new sport of diving for the more affluent).
Today 'adventure' sports and activities have never been more popular. None of the following had been invented 40 years ago:
mountain biking
paragliding
jet skiing
wind surfing
high ropes courses
sport climbing
paint balling
via ferrata
etc, etc...
It's not that people don't want adventure, or can't afford it. There are more people than ever before getting out and enjoying stuff, but they are much less inclined to devote themselves to any one activity.
I would hazard a guess that there may actually be more people caving today than there were in 1973, or at least having a caving experience. The novice caves of Britain are as busy as ever. What has really changed is the growth of instructed caving, and the decline in 'club' caving. It's not just kids who are enjoying instructed caving - there are plenty of adults who spend a couple of weekends each year enjoying 'intermediate' level trips. These people often divide their time between caving and other activities - paragliding one weekend, mountain biking the next...
There will always be that one in a thousand person who is absolutely captivated by cave exploration, and who will go on to be part of the next generation of club cavers. The problem today is, firstly, to find that person and subsequently to induct them into caving club culture.
Now, let me say, that I am strong supporter of Try Caving initiatives, and I have met some very keen new club members who came along that avenue. Try caving, is though, I suspect, unlikely to solve the recruitment problem alone. Try caving is what we, in instructed caving, do nearly every working day. In parallel to Try Caving I would like to see Continue Caving - a pathway that crosses the divide between instructed and club caving. I'd like to have a nice glossy Continue Caving leaflet to give to my would-be new cavers, that would ease them into the club system under some kind of buddy or mentoring system (I'm talking 18+ here so no child protection issues).
Any thoughts on this?