Girlie purchasing Mares Abyss

[gigimartin]

I am really just looking for some female reassurance here as yesterday morning I took a knock from a dive shop gorilla. I have been working my little behind off to save for a brand spanking new set of regs for six months and went to a really good shop here in London in a final pricing quote before visiting the dive show this weekend (LIDS). The assistant spoke directly to my partner who is also buying regs this week and only addressed me jokingly to step outside when he wanted to make a mildly sexist joke. I am not averse to a joking comment as we are all guilty of it and I only wear short skirts because yes I want to be noticed for my legs by the opposite sex as well as to induce jealousy in my sisters. ( I wasn't yesterday, and please don't be cross girls I am jesting a little here) But there is a time and place for all that and I was so dissapointed that MY £350 pounds plus the fact that I am a diver didn't warrant a decent response. Anyway I'm still getting an abyss even if that man thinks its too butch for a girl, and besides it being a brilliant relable sturdy make I think its beautiful and will go nicely with my hair. Can't belive how bothered I am at all.

 

[Kim]

Well I'm not a girl but are you really sure it was:-

....a really good shop here in London

I think that your money should be as good as anyones - and I'd be looking for a new shop!!

p.s. My wife dives a DiveRite harness with rec-wings (as I do) - I wonder what the gorilla would have made of that!!!!

 

[justleesa]

You woman - He idiot!

Was he the shop owner? If not and it really really bugs you - Go to the boss!
Remember: NO STORE CAN AFFORD TO LOSE A SALE OR A CUSTOMER and in his manorism he did exactly that. Get him put on the spot for being such an idiot and maybe get a discount too! You go girl!

 

[nkw5]

We women encounter prejudice all the time. Sad to say. It doesn't make it right or acceptable. And no, I don't blame you gigimartin for being upset. Take justleesa's advice though. Complain to the boss and I hope you get that discount!

 

[Helen]

Hi

I had a similar experience with a guy in a shop in Newcastle upon Tyne, I went in to buy all of my kit £1000 plus and was spoken to like a child and was asked by two sales men if I was buying for my husband.
I was so insensed that I asked them both to look at this and showed them the £1000 pounds cash. I then told them they had not only lost my business but also my husbands who was planning to shop for his gear at the weekend. they suddenly changed their tune and wanted to help then but I walked out.
we went to another shop at the coast and I was treat as a woman diver straight away, in fact when my husband made comment the shop assisant told him to go look at something else and let me decide myself.

Make sure you tell everyone what a crap company they were and dont shop with them again.

 

[JimmyK]

There is a young girl that learned to dive from the same shop as I. She's credentialed as a master diver...at 16 years old! It doesn't matter if you're a male of female, we're all here to have fun, in my book! As for the guy who made the comment, just remember...if he doesn't want to earn a sale, someone else will. Your money is as good as the next, and deserve the same respect as anyone else. Next time, tell him to stick it!

 

[H2Andy]

the guy's a moron

 

[sangria]

I am sorry to hear this sort of thing. Everything goes full circle and in the end, you will have your nice new equip. and he will have one less customer and a whole lot of bad press.

I am lucky to be affiliated with a decent shop that respects us girlie girls...I can pull my own weight and someone else's for that matter, but in the end, (especially in wreck valley) there are always those burly few who feel the slightest bit of female on the boat gravely hinders their levels of testosterone, their loss, not ours.

 

[netmage]

Anyway I'm still getting an abyss even if that man thinks its too butch for a girl, and besides it being a brilliant relable sturdy make I think its beautiful and will go nicely with my hair. Can't belive how bothered I am at all.

Now thats my kinda woman.... Not only does she look for solid cold water gear - but she makes sure it easily accessorizes.....

 

[Divemonkey]

Gigi,

As all the other posts have already said, you don't deserve treatment like that, in england or anywhere else. The dive shop I frequent is owned by a husband and wife team of divers, and run a good mix of male and female sales people.

Maybe it is a California thing, but out here WE WANT MORE woman divers. We want friends and dive buddies on both sides of the gender gap that you unfortunatly encountered.

As I look around on any weekend in Monterey CA I see a very healthy mix of men and women divers, and although the guys will generally be a little more assistive and attentive to the "fairer sex" that is generally done as a respect thing, and probably a bit of our upbringing. I mean after all, if we have any decent breeding at all, we were taught to defer to the women, respect and support our women, and yes, that most basic of human male traits, protect our women.

Having said that, it is hard to cast aside these traits, and I am not sure they are a bad thing to have. You obviously enjoy the effect your legs have on the opposite sex, and so that is an advantage that you have the ability to use. Enjoy that advantage to the fullest.

That is not to say that your encounter in your old dive shop was in any way acceptable behavior. In California, at most dive shops, this individual would have probably been taken aside in short order and straightend out, or, not so gently shown the door. We simply have a different attitude about such things here, and our "Girlie Girls" as someone called them, simply will not accept behavior like that from anybody. Truth be told, most of the dive diva's I know would have listened to the joke and then top'd it with a raunchier one!

As to accessorizing, I believe Basic Black is always in fashion. I personally accessorize with blue, from my mask trim, to my retractor, to my trim on my BC things gotta match or you look like you just bought everything at the trift store. I think that many folks subconcously judge you by how "together" you look, and a well maintained dive kit goes along ways to making a good impression.

In the end, I do believe the world is a far better place for women now than it has ever been before. Yes it needs improvement, and with the ladies and gents I see on this thread and others I think it truely will.

Happy diving, and give California Diving a try.

Sincerly yours,
Matt Elyash
Northern CA