What can your LDS do to bring in more women divers?

[drrich2]

It would be interesting to know from a marketing perspective what's different about marketing to 'women' (a huge, very diverse group) vs. 'men.' From the Original Post:

"It was TSandM who stated in one of her posts that dive-shops should stop looking like "Hardware stores" and add some decor to them."

That is not something I would expect to hear from a man. My initial reaction was 'What's wrong with hardware stores? I like hardware stores when I need hardware. If I'm in a dive shop, I'm probably looking at hardware.' What decor?

Some of the advice on the thread is what you'd expect for any diver; a good selection of relevant gear that fits at a good price. More women are petite and average different bodily build, but the basic need is the same.

While the 'shrink it and pink it' approach gets dissed, here's a question (putting aside 'pink' for the moment). Any thoughts on what percentage of the female diving public prefer feminine looking dive gear? Is it at all meaningful to 'appear female' when suited up?

I recall from another thread mention of a woman looking for a wetsuit at a LDS who asked something like 'Don't you have anything with a design on it?' Evidently not; she left. My initial reaction on reading that was 'Design? Of what for what?'

Put another way, are a substantial number of female divers looking for anything different than the male diver customer base are after?

Richard.

 

[WetPup]

Honestly, my LDS is hopeless.

1. They stock no women's gear at all. At best you have to buy unisex and hope it fits. If you want a woman's wetsuit or bcd, you have to order it in and pay for it without being able to try it on first. It's a nightmare - which makes it no better than randomly ordering online for a fraction of the price.

What can they do? Well, obviously they could actually start stocking women's gear. At the moment I buy gear when I'm travelling and can physically go into a shop to buy it - my LDS loses out on all that potential income.

2. Their instructor trainer/shop owner is constantly talking down to females, as are a number of their DM's. Like I can't lift my own tank or have any kind of technical/mechanical ability. I mean heaven forbid a woman walks in and enquires about tech training.

What can they do? Change their attitudes. This is a cultural thing that needs to be addressed from the top down. The DM's aren't going to change if the big man in charge is doing it too.

 

[WetPup]

While the 'shrink it and pink it' approach gets dissed, here's a question (putting aside 'pink' for the moment). Any thoughts on what percentage of the female diving public prefer feminine looking dive gear? Is it at all meaningful to 'appear female' when suited up?

I recall from another thread mention of a woman looking for a wetsuit at a LDS who asked something like 'Don't you have anything with a design on it?' Evidently not; she left. My initial reaction on reading that was 'Design? Of what for what?'

Put another way, are a substantial number of female divers looking for anything different than the male diver customer base are after?

1. I dive and I surf. I want a wetsuit that has a high degree of flexibility. I could not give a crap about what it looks like - it needs to be functional for both sports. I find myself purchasing surfing wetsuits more often than not because I find they are superior in terms of their fit and flexibility. This is something I think dive manufacturers could learn from the surfing industry to be honest. That being said, I do know a number of women who are far more into aesthetics than I am. I would say the number would be about 25% based on my own experience. I've seen women get permanent markers and draw flowers and butterflies on their wetsuits...So yeah.

2. Not really. Gear that fits the female physique better, but that's about it. I want to be treated with respect, but I think every diver should be treated with respect, it shouldn't be granted based on gender.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

2. Their instructor trainer/shop owner is constantly talking down to females, as are a number of their DM's. Like I can't lift my own tank or have any kind of technical/mechanical ability. I mean heaven forbid a woman walks in and enquires about tech training..

Care to elaborate please?

 

[WetPup]

Care to elaborate please?

They commonly suggest that women are physically incapable of handling their own dive gear on the day trip boat (seriously, they thought I couldn't change my own tank over between dives), or physically able to deal with the demands of tech diving. I enquired about doing sidemount training with them at one point and was basically laughed at and got "are you sure you don't just want to go look at pretty fish on the reef, honey? tech diving is physically demanding and requires a lot of study" by the DM candidate who was working in the shop that day.

I don't pretend I'm the strongest person around by any means, but I'm perfectly capable of handling my own gear. And if there was ever a situation where I couldn't physically cope with something, I'd ask for help. Condescending attitudes from the LDS staff are a complete put-off, and this is a small town. People talk. I'd rather drive 4 hours north up the road to dive than deal with my LDS.

 

[MMM]

Any thoughts on what percentage of the female diving public prefer feminine looking dive gear? Is it at all meaningful to 'appear female' when suited up?

Put another way, are a substantial number of female divers looking for anything different than the male diver customer base are after?

Richard.

Speaking as a woman, my perspective is the answer to your questions are as follows: 0-5%; no; and no.

Treat me as you'd treat a man in all regards to my shopping habits for diving....respectful and attentive to my explanation of my needs and questions.

I don't NEED pink or colorful things. I do like them however and so given an option, I bought the Halycon BP&W special edition for breast cancer research (in pink). Wetsuit: black. Hooded vest: black. Booties: black. Fins: silver. Mask: black Etc. Etc.

And as an afterthought, I do find it passing strange how many men seem to want to post in a forum intended for women's thoughts and issues about diving.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

They commonly suggest that women are physically incapable of handling their own dive gear on the day trip boat (seriously, they thought I couldn't change my own tank over between dives), or physically able to deal with the demands of tech diving. I enquired about doing sidemount training with them at one point and was basically laughed at and got "are you sure you don't just want to go look at pretty fish on the reef, honey? tech diving is physically demanding and requires a lot of study" by the DM candidate who was working in the shop that day.

I don't pretend I'm the strongest person around by any means, but I'm perfectly capable of handling my own gear. And if there was ever a situation where I couldn't physically cope with something, I'd ask for help. Condescending attitudes from the LDS staff are a complete put-off, and this is a small town. People talk. I'd rather drive 4 hours north up the road to dive than deal with my LDS.

Perfect example of how to lose customers and successfully shut down your own dive business.

 

[kelemvor]

Boats are culprits here too. I dive with several women. Every one of them greatly prefers a shorter tank. I've never seen a dive boat that offers al63 or HP80 shorty tanks as a standard (not for an extra fee, not something you have to special order in advance) option. Some of these women have gone to the lengths of buying their own tank so they can get one that fits properly. Most are stuck with al80's. These same women have really AWESOME sac rates. They don't get to take advantage of that, because they're stuck with a big ol' al80 and a time limit.

When the problem is solved as a whole, you'll see more appropriate gear choices across the industry and not just in select dive shops.

The funny thing about all this to me is that according to every diving "history" book I've read, diving has traditionally been done by women. It's us men who are new to the whole thing. That really says something about the current climate with regards to sexism in the world as a whole.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Jill Heinerth wrote an excellent article on sexism in the dive industry.

Sexism: Alive and well in scuba diving | DIVER magazine

Even with this coming out one mfg, MARES, just put out an ad for the XR gear range I saw on facebook that is blatantly sexist. A pinup style ad with the large chest, open wetsuit, and "take me now big boy" look.

As for the jerk shop owner and his mindless minions it sounds like it's time to find a new shop and tell them exactly why you are leaving. Not that it will truly make any difference to some neanderthals.

Years ago I got a lesson in what women are capable of at the hands, and feet, of a 2nd degree black belt in my martial arts class who I would not go full contact with. She literally kicked me all over the dojo. It was only when I wised up and treated her like an equal that we got along and I stopped getting my butt kicked.

 

[drrich2]

"And as an afterthought, I do find it passing strange how many men seem to want to post in a forum intended for women's thoughts and issues about diving."

Controversial issues are of broad interest. Women's issues are ultimately issues for everybody. They make up roughly half of the human race, and most men care about some women in their lives. On a darker note, experience shows that 'women's issue's' are often blamed on men, an issue that came up Heinerth's thread Sexism?, where a number of people raised some objections to some content in her article.

Richard.