Related to Sexism in Diving

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

I can totally see why some women divers would feel offended by the way that conversation was worded. However there is a background to the "Hello Kitty" comment which Andrew did not mention during that webcast but explained later in the following words:

Then I completely apologies for coming off that way. That was by no means what I intended in this quick intro to what we are working in on 2017. The hello kitty comment was an inside joke as our Asian female clients were asking for it. Their exact comments in emails to me is that they want something more "sexy" .. so I do apologize for offending you and other women for that word. The entire point was lost .. As I said above , we are wanting to make the principles, features and benefits of the DIR system more "appealing" to both men and women who may not need the "hard core" versions

He is trying to accommodate that sub-category of female (and male) divers who want something more personalized and self-expressive be it "Hello Kitty" or a particular color pattern like camouflage etc. Since these female customers from Asia specifically wrote to him asking for it, he was addressing them and not all women in general.

There is nothing wrong with some female divers demanding gear that offers them that aesthetic self-expression. Nor is there anything wrong with the manufacturer building his product line to cater to them. In fact, one way to look at this would be that while most manufacturers have always ignored this sub-category, UTD product line will acknowledge them and design what they have communicated.

 

[rivers]

Looks great! But too much air in your wing might detract a bit from the sex appeal... ;-)

Just a wee bit overweighted in the twins in the pool. Hell, I'm overweighted in a single in the pool, but hey ho what can you do?

 

[Peter69_56]

Don't throw away all the pink gear - some of us like it!

But it's gotta match the drysuit...

I gotta have me one of those, so cute!

 

[tbeck3579]

Sexism or any "ism" in any form is bad :

 

[kelemvor]

All you need to see is the racks of "women's" gear for sale where the only difference is color and how they are lapped up by so many women.

Not all women's dive gear is only superficially different from men's. I learned that lesson last year when I got married and had to find a better fitting (than my backplate setups) bcd for my wife. When you compare the zeagle zena we bought to a bp/w there are some significant and not superficial differences. I even tried to put it on, and "SURPRISE" I did not find it comfortable. If i had the necessary equipment to make a zena fit me, I'd never leave the house. The color of the bcd was not a factor. However... some people - women and men both - do like colored gear. I spent quite a bit of money on blue hoses a few years ago, and I'm about to spend a few hundred bucks getting my wife pink hoses this weekend.

These guys do come across as a bit sexist. After watching the video, I think it's mostly because they aren't very good at public speaking on behalf of a business. I think they'd be well served to hire an actor for their promotional videos.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I gotta have me one of those, so cute!

Off Topic: My course director switched to pink exposure protection when he "lost" a customer who up on the wrong boat in the tropics. He continued that when diving in the cold Puget Sound in his dry suit, as he wanted to be easily identified. One of the guys in my IDC got a similar DUI dry suit with pink for safety. I opted for the paw print design, as until two AI's I work with get their dry suits, I'm the only one in the area with that pattern. I've gotten some grief by the previous shop I taught at for having a women's BCD (Aqualung i3) that I use for the pool, but I explained to them that unlike them, my chest measurement is much greater than my waist. And I got it for the i3 inflator/deflator arm for teaching the rescue course.

On Topic: With regards to the video, I think that's the case of Andrew just needing a cinder block against his head and realizing the importance of words. I would like to think he didn't mean to make sexist remarks (I've only met him at DEMA, and we just talked about the UTD Z-system). I know that at one point I actually did have such sexist views, but a few cinder blocks made me aware of that just is not acceptable and I now drag my knuckles less often.

 

[AlexL]

I think they'd be well served to hire an actor for their promotional videos.

when you're speaking at and from that level in the industry, hiring an actor would quite possibly come across as completely insincere. public speaking classes definitely would not hurt.

for the record, i do think my wife's BP/W is sexy. not because its a standard BP/W, but because she's an awesome diver and that’s the rig that works best for her.

 

[RainPilot]

Not all women's dive gear is only superficially different from men's. I learned that lesson last year when I got married and had to find a better fitting (than my backplate setups) bcd for my wife. When you compare the zeagle zena we bought to a bp/w there are some significant and not superficial differences. I even tried to put it on, and "SURPRISE" I did not find it comfortable. If i had the necessary equipment to make a zena fit me, I'd never leave the house. The color of the bcd was not a factor. However... some people - women and men both - do like colored gear. I spent quite a bit of money on blue hoses a few years ago, and I'm about to spend a few hundred bucks getting my wife pink hoses this weekend.

These guys do come across as a bit sexist. After watching the video, I think it's mostly because they aren't very good at public speaking on behalf of a business. I think they'd be well served to hire an actor for their promotional videos.

Agree totally. To clarify, I know there is a lot of gear for women that is fundamentally different. I was referring to those cases where colour etc is the ONLY difference and how these get bought in droves at a premium.

My wife loved her Zena.

 

[WinfieldNC]

Sexism or any "ism" in any form is bad :

organism?

 

[mmadiver]

Sexism or any "ism" in any form is bad :

Bold statement that borders on hypercriticalism, some might say extremism. You should reconsider and stick to factualism as this attitude doesn't bode well for the fraternalism we try to foster here especially with those that practice cubism (down with Impressionism!). As far as the OPs original comments, chalk UTDs video up as just another humanism - none of us are perfect except us CCR divers, but maybe it's just a cultism.

Unless you meant embolism? Yes those are bad