doing a paper on women in diving

[Dive-aholic]

What do you mean by professional women divers? Are you looking for women instructors or women commercial divers or ...

There are lots of women instructors out there. I don't think a paper on that topic would be of much interest. You may want to research women technical divers. There aren't many, but they have accomplished a lot in what has been considered a man's sport. My wife is one of those and it's sad the looks and attitude she sometimes gets when we're getting our doubles and deco bottles filled. However, I do have to say we have been seeing more women tech divers lately than even just a couple years ago.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Just another quick note;

In Nature (Intl Weekly Journal of Science) this month, 26 October, 2006, on pages 904/905, is an article by Emma Marris regarding "Drugs from the Deep" regarding pharmaceutical companies seeking new drugs from marine natural products.

Quite the hot topic recently...

FYI...

 

[divinotter]

Thank you very much - Now I just need to think and figure out what I'm really doing- and what I should do- Just reading everyones comments is already getting me fired up for the paper- thank you, thank you , thank you

 

[Ayisha]

Catherine's post about women and DCS is intriguing and made me recall some info that concerned me. DAN has a great article about diving issues for women here: http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/articles/article.asp?articleid=9

DAN has found that:

One recent retrospective review of women divers (956 divers) with DCI found 38 percent were menstruating at the time of their injury. Additionally, 85 percent of those taking oral contraceptives were menstruating at the time of the accident. This suggests, but does not prove, that women taking oral contraceptives are at increased risk of decompression illness during menstruation. Therefore, it may be advisable for menstruating women to dive more conservatively, particularly if they are taking oral contraceptives. This could involve making fewer dives, shorter and shallower dives and making longer safety stops. Four other studies have provided evidence that women are at higher risk of DCI, and in one study of altitude bends, menses also appeared to be a risk factor for bends.

38% of the women with DCI were menstruating at the time. 85% of the women who were on the pill and menstruating at the time were hit. These are very statistically significant figures.

I also recall that a British accident analysis report posted on this board in the last year found a high number of DCS cases in menstruating women - I believe it was 10% - also statistically significant.

Divinotter, maybe you might be interested in investigating some of those aspects of diving issues regarding women...

 

[BabyDuck]

or maybe a historical look at a woman on a famous wreck like the doria - i've seen evie dudas give two talks about diving that in the 60s & 70s, and she's fascinating. might be interesting to compare how she & others of the time planned & equipped for the dive to how it's generally done today.

 

[Thalassamania]

Somehow you overlooked Sylvia Earle.

 

[Gene_Hobbs]

DAN has a great article about diving issues for women here: http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/articles/article.asp?articleid=9

This was a very good article Donna did. It is worth calling DAN and talking to her directly. (919)684-2948 non-emergent line

http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/

A search for "women and diving" yields 1512 results. It might take some time to refine the search but we are starting to get thing entered.

Take care,
G

 

[Sam Miller III]

[QUOTE=Dive-aholic...

"There are lots of women instructors out there. I don't think a paper on that topic would be of much interest."

"You may want to research women technical divers. There aren't many, but they have accomplished a lot in what has been considered a man's sport...."

________________________________________________________________

You are probably correct...There are a lot of women instructors out there.
For the education of You and your bubble machine toting wife lets review the accomplishments of just one of the female pioneers, Dottie Frazier..

1) Dottie Frazier

Dottie began diving as a small child prior to WW11, with much of the equipment hand crafted by her father. in the late 1940s Charlie Sturgil made her round diving mask (See Discover Diving "The Mask" about 12-15 years ago)

Her first husband was killed at Iwo Jima leaving her with a small son to raise--she became a commercial diver to support hereself and small son--- probably one if not the first female working in that profession

She ventured were no female had ventured before-- In 1955, she applied, was accepted, and passed the most demanding diving course ever presented the LA County UICC. She became the world's first female Underwater instructor. (AKA -for you late model tube sucking bubble blowers "Underwater instructor" = "SCUBA instructor'')

She was the first woman to own a dive shop in the early 1950s.

She was the first woman have a custom wet suit factory.

She competed against males in spearfishing meets prior to the establishment of a seperate women's spearfishing class.

She was on the BoD of LA co UIA in its formulative years--5 years prior to NAUI & 15 prior to PADI being established.

She was the very first female member of the second oldest established spear fishing dive club in the US the "Long Beach Neptunes." (A very prestigious club membership is limited and the waiting list for full membership is years--longest was nine years)

She was one of the few females honored in 2000 as a "Pioneer Mother of Spearfishing and Free diving" (only 80 total male & female in the world)

She is in "Whos who of Scuba Diving"

These are just a few of Dotties accomplishments I can recall that occured during the 50 -60 years we have been friends--believe me there are many many more long forgotten and possbly too mundane to list. The others have equally impressive CVs but in different area of expertise related to diving. So if you like you may classify all of this "of not much interest." Maybe it isn't, but it it hadn't been for Dottie, Barbara, Zale and Lyn, the ones who lead the way, who said "I can do that" and proved they could do that, and did- most of the women of today possibly would not be diving encluding your tank toting wife, the 70 year old at Mermet, the Andrea Doria diver and all the rest...

Strongly suggest that you do some reseach into the short histrory of recreational diving and some who made a difference ..Like Dottie, Barbara, Zale and Lyn.
SDM

 

[Dive-aholic]

I realize there are people like Dottie in our history. You completely misunderstood my statement. If you go back and read it, you might see I was directing my question to the OP. My impression was that the OP was thinking about writing a paper on present day women divers. I replied that writing a general paper on women who are professional divers might not be of much interest. To find a topic of interest, look at something more dazzling.

BTW, I don't consider Dottie Frazier a recreational diver.

I'll be nice and not say anymore.

 

[Sam Miller III]

[Dive-aholic]I realize there are people like Dottie in our history. ...

BTW, I don't consider Dottie Frazier a recreational diver. ... ]

________________________________________________________

Thank you for your for your comments.

I will relay your quote "I don't consider Dottie Frazier a recreational diver" to Dottie who is currently spearfishing in Mexico...

Poor Dottie! I'll bet she didn't relize that she was NOT a recreational diver
I seriouly doubt if she will be broken-hearted since it was posted by a dive -aholic with a wopping big five years of diving experience.

Heck with her 75 + years of pioneering dive experience she has spit more liquid in her mask than you will ever dive in...

SDM