To new FEMALE divers

[TheRavenCT]

This isn't a question, but an observation from my OW class. There were two of us who were really tiny, and it was a problem finding rental dry suits to fit. The shop ended up doing the best they could, but I got drenched in the pool in the rental suit. I was worried, and talked to my instructor, and was reassured that it would be fine in the salt water, because we wouldn't be doing the somersaults and such that we did in the pool.

As it turned out, the suit leaked badly in open water, too, and I got pretty hypothermic -- enough to scare me.

I also had a lot of problems because the BCs they had, even in small, were too big and shifted around me all the time, magnifying my instability.

I think it's really important to make sure equipment fits properly, especially for the small women.

I am also tiny, and most women are petite. I think there are probably two BCs in the market for my size. Luckily, wetsuits help me get away with an imperfect fit. Are most women divers NOT petite?

 

[SubMariner]

I am also tiny, and most women are petite. I think there are probably two BCs in the market for my size. Luckily, wetsuits help me get away with an imperfect fit. Are most women divers NOT petite?

Ooh... is THAT ever a loaded question!!! :shocked2:

BCs, like women, come in all different sizes. I advise choosing the one that fits comfortably with the most common exposure protection that you wear. Could be a jacket, could be a hybrid, could be bp/w. Use whatever works best for you.

 

[invadedbyiceland]

Definitely agree with the drysuit thing...I'm 5'9 and 130 pounds with big feet, rental drysuits are an absolute nightmare. Apparently if you're my build, I need to weigh 200lbs to fit an off the rack dry suit.

 

[Gilldiver]

Some stuff for the wemen divers here, but it has not been updated in a long time: Dive Girl: The website of women and scuba diving

 

[otterfox]

Every so often I will do this but not always. The most common reason is because there is a young nice looking female and I usually assume she doesn't want to be bugged too much by the horndogs.

Im my OW class, my final two dives were with only one other student. He was a very nice older gentlemen, but by the end of our dives, we had assumed some rather awkward positions for buddy towing and such. I can see why pairing women together just makes things run smoothly. From a student's perspective, I would prefer to be paired with a less distracting buddy.

 

[Dsix36]

Maybe the females in my OW class were a bit more vocal than most, but several things were discussed. Diving during periods, adjusting chest straps in a manner to avoid smashing their boobs, and possible issues with crotch straps causing a pinching situation (males can be effected with this also).

The long hair discussion was directed at me and then progessed to the issues with a long beard. Fortunately neither of the females had this problem to deal with.

Peeing in a wetsuit was also discussed and we all came to a very obvious conclusion. Just let it go and rinse the suit after the dive.

 

[Natkins]

Something that may be addressed is hair styles under a hood.
many women seem to prefer braids, but it isn't universal or obvious.

I do not like the braid as my Hair is very long and tangles in a braid. I wear a swim cap under my hood to keep my hair in place.

 

[Bexny]

Diving during your period on a boat with a single squat toilet that empties directly under the boat, no toilet paper, no bin - I wish someone had prepared me for the logistical challenges of a 3 dive day trip on a boat like that! Well, I wound up finding a plastic baggie somewhere and then tossed out my rubbish as discreetly as I could into the general bin on the boat. The next day, I used two super tampons which lasted me the entire day. The next boat I worked on had real western style flushing toilets with toilet paper and bins, I thought I was in heaven!