OP what do you want out of dating? - if it is just fairly casual sex rather than long term relationships you are probably using the wrong app.
I have observed a couple of my partner's friends start on line dating after their marriages. There seems to be a bit of a common theme. When they first register they are inundated with messages from guys, pick the most attractive/charming/polished who are really just interested in sex and soon dump the girl after getting to that stage. After this happened a couple of times the women became more cautious and certainly did not put out on the first few dates - most of this was not leaned first hand but passed on to me by my wife later.
I also worked with a guy who had got divorced and joined Match. He had quite a lot of success but his filter was set quite low.
OP I guess the point I am trying to make is that dating apps do seem to mess with the dynamics of relationships and there can be quite a lot going on - maybe these dates who will not put out think that you will be off once they have had sex with you. One of the wife's friends got seriously concerned that she was unattractive and crap in bed - there is probably more going on than in these women's heads than we realise.
What do I want out of dating?... yeah ultimately Im looking for the one. Someone I can have a long term relationship with. A best friend I can shag. I cant imagine ever giving up punting completely. Im a greedy sod and I like the variety it offers, but ultimately I want to have a good enough sex life at home that I wont feel the need for finding it outside of it that often.
The holy grail of course would be a woman that I could talk openly about punting with and who would be open minded enough I could have threesomes with. But I recognise that is like finding a bloody unicorn.
Either way the 'one' has to have a decent sexual appetite and like to initiate and make time for sex. My last relationship did my head in. If I wanted sex I was always the one that initiated it. My other half treated sex like it was a necessary chore, like putting the bins out. She never initiated it, never applied any imagination to it or put time aside for it. She started to make me feel like I was a sex pest for having a normal sexual appetite. Thats when I started turning to punting because I was not having my needs met at home. But then I guess that story is as long as the hills and a story that most blokes on here could relate to.
Either way its a situation I want to avoid being in again.
To clarify I know how to play the long game. Ive done it through all my years dating. Made sure that I didnt come across like all I wanted was a shag. Been a sensitive and caring partner - because ultimately I actually am that guy.
But this time round Im wondering did I have my strategy right - should I front load the fact that sex is an important part of something I need in a partner early into the dating chat and how do you do that without coming across as just a serial shagger. Is there a strategy to find the women that place a high priority on sex. How do you filter them/find them.
Ive seen some suggestions here on trying seeking arrangements but to my mind that just seems like paying over the odds for an escort.
Maybe I do need to try some of the more sexually motivated apps like Tinder and see where that leads. Im on Grindr which Ive not been too impressed by so far. Most of the women on there are ugly as fuck or are confused that they have signed up to a hook-up app and think its just for normal dating.