Aiieee!!! ScubaDiving mag discovers women!

[saltwater taffy]

I haven't been keeping up with this thread. I now officially give my "Excuse me, I have to go air brush my butt" line to divemistress.

Enjoy,
SWT

 

[divemistress]

You are SO cool!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

SWT, you are truly awesome!

Now, since this is a family board:

MODS: Is this sig line OK? Please read and comment. (I will also msg a couple of them directly.)

I haven't been keeping up with this thread. I now officially give my "Excuse me, I have to go air brush my butt" line to divemistress.

Enjoy,
SWT

 

[alcina]

The reason behind black gear is the same reason why women tend to choose silly colors like pink.
.

Truly amazing.

a) why is pink silly?
b) I know zero female divers with pink gear; most are in black, a few in purple and a few more in blue (only two in yellow)
c) I know three male divers with pink gear (purple, blue too)
d) no one will steal pink gear (too easily noticed) and it is very easy to ID on a crowded deck, so it makes sense

You don't have to like it but why be nasty about it? I personally don't like much pink but so what? I am pretty sure that colour doesn't effect performance. Yeessh.

To all you pink wearers - do it, be bold, be proud...don't let anyone make you feel like you're an inferior diver because of the colour of your gear!

 

[ckbonder]

All,

I really think that you are reading too much into the article.

It is a biological fact that women are a different shape, and what they are saying IMHO is that perhaps it is time that gear be sized accordingly. I cannot see how it matters for stuff like fins and snorkels. For gear like BC's and exposure protection, I would think that it be common sense that you get the gear that works for you. Not what some company says will work.

Just my two cents.

Well, I had a heck of time getting fins that fit me properly. I have narrow feet and apparently the equipment companies got rid of the Extra Small size fins right before I started taking my scuba lessons. I was always getting cramps in my feet and blisters on the top of my instep even through the boots because my foot would slide from side to side in the foot pocket.

I currently have a pair of size small Aqualung Blades II that I wear with the storage insert still in the foot pocket. It keeps my foot from sliding from side to side and I haven't had a single blister or foot/leg cramp since I started diving with the inserts in place.

My former instructor shakes his head when he sees me putting on the fins this way but hey, it works.

Thought it would be better if at least one of the manufacturers made a narrower foot pocket version of their fins for those of us who don't have "bear paw" feet.

Christine in Dayton, OH

 

[scubajoe]

Christine,
Have you tried Scuba Pro fins? They seem to be narrower then some of the others. I have a hard time getting my fat feet into them.

Joe

 

[ckbonder]

Christine,
Have you tried Scuba Pro fins? They seem to be narrower then some of the others. I have a hard time getting my fat feet into them.

Joe

I haven't tried them, mainly because my LDS doesn't handle ScubaPro at this time. I'll see if I can find a shop that does have them within a reasonable driving distance and see whether they'll work for me. Thanks!

Christine in Dayton, OH :bfish:

 

[Essroc123]

Also essroc if you dont agree with how women feel about how MEN market women then you can take yourself and go to another forum. You cannot fathom how it feels to be a women in a mans world!!

You are completely mistaken, one hundred and twenty per cent mistaken. I understand completely about how women can feel like they are completely being overrun in an admittedly male dominated sport.

You are indeed entitled to your opinion, and I will never berate someone for speaking what is on thier mind. In fact, I may not agree with it. But I will defend to the death your right to say it.(apologies to Voltaire)

If you are looking for female role models, look to such women as Ann Kristovich at the Mexicoprofundo website: http://www.mexicoprofundo.org/teammembers-annkristovich.html. The depths that this crew dives at makes the rest of us look like we are diving in puddles. According to that very site. She is only among six people in the world to dive deeper than 500 feet in a cave. In fact the last time that site was updated, with the exception of Jim Bowden, the team was made up entirely of women!

Now, as far as your invitation to up and take myself to another board. I think I will.

 

[starfish365]

Ok so they're now speaking about a subject in magazines women have been crying about for years. "This doesn't fit cause my hips are bigger than a guys", or "Do they really think my shoulders are built like his?"

It IS about time the sports world and sports apparrel companies recognize the difference, they have in many sports for many years. So the scuba people now think they can put in writing what has needed to be said about the physical difference between men and women and the previous and obvious problems woman have had with sizing.

Hey I just found out the other week they make bicycle seats with a special "trough" in the middle for a guys...um..you know. If I was a guy I'd kinda like one for riding bike, wouldn't you be glad someone invented such a thing.

See stuff is available out there....don't be so shocked that someone is finally putting into writing what we already knew. Its a good thing. It gets the word out - education is important remember?

 

[RonFrank]

And it's not pretty!

AS YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED??? What The .....???

We women sound so odd. Even odder, the realization that we are different is made to sound so fresh: Someone JUST realized our hips are wider? And what a scholarly presentation! I feel like a rare Amazonian spider unveiled to the world for the first time in National Geographic.

This gem follows three-plus page article (August, p. 83) aiming to teach readers how to fit their gear properly, specifically their wetsuits, drysuits, BCs and fins. The advice seems decent enough -- at least through one breezy airplane reading. There are plenty of little tips, most seemingly gender-neutral.

So why the irritating (IMO) and stupid (IMO) little treatise at the end? Dunno. Unless it's to court all those companies with money to spend advertising their female lines.

Hmm, I noticed that woman were *different* sometime around the age of 14

I think you are reading a bit too much into this. Be happy, female scuba divers are a true market, and manufactures and publications are recognizing this fact. Regardless as to if you like the way the author presented his advice, would you perfer that they just ignore female options provided by the manufactures?

The bottom line is that people of both sexes come in all shapes and sizes, and perfect fitting stuff be it clothing or scuba gear is a matter of finding what fits each individual.

From a formum that has a *girl only* forum, and now a *girl only* dive, I think the ladies would welcome the attention.

If I wanted to start a *Male only* forum most anywhere I'd be stoned! Plus I'm rather fond of the fairer sex, so I have no desire to do so.

Ron

 

[cobaltbabe]

I am going to interject here. I am a female diver, infact a rather active female diver. I buy my equipment because it feels good and allows me to dive in comfort and allows me to get to my gauges and other things easily. I don't care what I look like when I come out of the water. I am there to dive!!! If a magazine chooses to display their products for women in a manner that offends me, I turn the page and have a good laugh at it.

Now as far as someone saying Essroc123 doesn't know what it is like to be a woman diver, I can honestly say that he has been around me, a woman, for over 2 years now and has listened to all my stories. It is true he doesn't know what it is like to be a woman but he is fully aware of what women go through in the dive industry.

So with this said, lets all go out and dive and have some fun!!!