Sexism?

[dumpsterDiver]

Nor should that happen...ever.
One thing I know is, underwater all the male/female stuff goes away, we are all one in skill level and capability.
I think women in many ways actually have an edge when it comes to all the bravado that can (sometimes to some people) happen on a dive. They are more level headed, more cognitive, have a better awareness in some situations. Men have this hormone called testosterone that can really do weird things to their heads and women are the antidote.
I couldn't imagine a boat full of men and no women...how boring!

My buddy had a boat. I dove a lot with him for 15 years. There was pretty much 2 rules.. don't get killed and NO WOMEN. He never wavered from the rule and nobody ever got killed. This is not an exaggeration.

Actually, having no women on the boat does have some significant advantages.

 

[drrich2]

Seems men are often viewed as sexist if they view women as 'different' in any way that's not complimentary. So, all gender differences, if any, in females are positive?

This dove tails with another impression I get from modern culture; that there is nothing special that's good about men, but there's quite a bit special that's good about women. If one says women are more level-headed, sensible about risk, empathetic, nurturant, better communicators, more collaborative, less competitive/ego-driven/macho., etc..., it's all good.

But if you say men tend to be better than women in any positive way, well...you're sexist.

Doesn't that sound sexist?

Seems to me women make a difference between the sexes just as men do. So & so is the 1st woman to do this, be appointed to that, a role model for girls & young women...

Richard.

 

[BluewaterSail]

I read through this whole thread with interest, though it got a little monotonous at times. I would like to add a few small comments, as a female who is Trimix certified, but dives mostly recreational ( in double 12's):

1) I'm almost 60 and not an athlete. If anyone volunteers to carry my gear, I am very grateful. To lift up my loaded doubles (V-weight, regs, etc) from ground level to the shelf I gear up on at my regular dive club, I always ask some young bucks for assistance. When on my own, the double tanks do not ever get to ground level, because they are inconvenient for me down there. However, I really hate when someone interferes with my setup activities. That usually results in a hose which is not routed correctly, or some other error. I don't think that has happened because I'm female though, just a DM who is trying to be helpful.

2) I have never experienced blatant sexism in the dive world. I feel that I am only limited by the level of confidence that I have in my abilities, and what type of activity I consider too risky or have a desire to participate in. Never by anyone saying that its not a women's dive, or questioning why I am there. However, I only started diving a few years ago. I know that when I entered the professional world as an engineer in the late 1970s, I experienced a lot of discrimination, which I don't think exists so much today. So timing might be the reason that I have not received negative vibes in the dive world.

3) I've been told stories by an instructor who spent time working at a Caribbean resort. He told me that if a pretty girl in an OW class couldn't do all of the skills, for example if she was afraid to remove her mask, they would let it go and be really complimentary to her, in the hopes of scoring with her that evening. I found that really scary, that these young women have unearned C-cards.

Linda

 

[drbill]

Bill, after 52 years, you're mostly just "forgetting", mate.

Now that is simply age-ist!

I used to teach a high school course on Animal Behavior. One day the topic was male/female behavioral differences. During the discussion one male became very argumentative and aggressive while the female he directed it at was very patient and logical in her counters. I let the "debate" between the two of them continue for about 10 minutes, then said to the class "Well, Tim and Amy seem to have just proven the point"

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

My buddy had a boat. I dove a lot with him for 15 years. There was pretty much 2 rules.. don't get killed and NO WOMEN. He never wavered from the rule and nobody ever got killed. This is not an exaggeration.

Actually, having no women on the boat does have some significant advantages.

I could see the advantage of no women on a private boat, if you have to pee you just whip it out and pee. Ever notice how men will be men in a group talking about all sorts of crude stuff and when a woman walks up how the conversation magically cleans up so fast.
On a private boat with just men we can get our crude fix to the max without any holding back. Sometimes men need to do this, it dumps the trash so we can keep a clean filter in "normal" everyday society. This is coming from a blue collar man though, perhaps there are some clean cut city boys that wouldn't understand, but I wouldn't know I'm not one of those.
However, I'm also a people watcher and sometimes there's nothing more I like than to get on a charter boat down south with all sorts of people of both genders and socialize. We do so much solo and small group isolated diving up here that I need to get out into the real world once in a while, It's refreshing.

 

[Storker]

I could see the advantage of no women on a private boat, if you have to pee you just whip it out and pee.

Except for your apparent phobia that someone of the opposite sex might steal a glance at your willie (BTW, don't worry. They won't), what other advantage of refusing mates on the basis of their private parts configuration can you mention?



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[dumpsterDiver]

Except for your apparent phobia that someone of the opposite sex might steal a glance at your willie (BTW, don't worry. They won't), what other advantage of refusing mates on the basis of their private parts configuration can you mention?



--
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Typos are a feature, not a bug

A huge advantage is wives... Wives have one less thing to worry about when their husbands are off on 5-day overnight trips.. plus I never used the head once in 15 years...

 

[drrich2]

In U.S. society, it would be widely deemed very rude for a man to publicly urinate in plain view of women. For that matter, if a woman were to squat sticking her butt off the side of the boat, pants down, that would also be frowned upon.

My point is, it's not just an aversion to other people seeing you; sometimes it's respect for the other people that drives such restraint.

As for onboard restrooms, one time on a cruise ship excursion, wife & I did a little 'tug boat' looking vessel trip from St. Maarten to Anguila, and I, normally having no issues with sea sickness, went in that closed, dark head on the moving boat. Wow! That's powerful. Nowadays I do not want to try a boat head if I can help it.

Richard.

 

[TSandM]

I've squatted off the side (or bow) of boats quite a lot of times. Considerate male boat companions turn their backs and continue their conversations. Others of my friends try to see if they can induce shy bladder syndrome by making rude remarks. They do it when I'm using the She-P, too.

I dunno if that's sexist. I think they do it to each other, too, except they don't have to squat off the gunwale of the boat

 

[Storker]

In U.S. society, it would be widely deemed very rude for a man to publicly urinate in plain view of women.

I can't help thinking that that attitude might make matters... unnecessarily complicated for both parties if you're roughing it ever so slightly. Or, if I lay off my manners: it really seems unnecessarily prudish.

No, I don't whip it out in plain view. But if I'm on a small boat and have to go, I assume everone, men or women, to either turn away or tolerate the sight of my back as I'm watering the ocean. I'll even extend the same courtesy to the ladies: I'll turn my back to them if they have to go.