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

[WetPup]

"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.

I think it's apt in this case for men to be part of this conversation. Simple reality is that most dive shop owners are men. If they want to know how to market to women, they do need to ask the initial question, and ask follow-up questions on the responses.

Unlike the original "Sexism" thread, which predictably caused some tension, this one asks the question about what LDS's can do to better market to women. Given that the LDS's are in my experience predominantly owned and staffed by men (a separate but related issue), I don't think the comments by the guys in this thread are out of order so far.

 

[drrich2]

On that note, does it matter to most women to see some female staff affiliated with a dive shop? All other things being equal, would a shop with a couple of female instructors on staff have a slightly stronger appeal to women?

I wonder how many female customers would prefer a female instructor, all other things being equal? Maybe none; I have no idea so I'm asking.

Richard.

 

[MMM]

On that note, does it matter to most women to see some female staff affiliated with a dive shop? All other things being equal, would a shop with a couple of female instructors on staff have a slightly stronger appeal to women?

I wonder how many female customers would prefer a female instructor, all other things being equal? Maybe none; I have no idea so I'm asking.

Richard.

I have dealt with both; I don't care one way or the other.

 

[WetPup]

I don't know that it would matter to me personally to be honest. I just want to deal with someone who knows what they're talking about, and treats me with respect.

I can imagine a certain subset of the female diving community who would prefer a female instructor and female only dive courses (yes, read into that what you will). There's probably a market out there for it, even if it's not a big one. Maybe every so often an LDS could advertise that they're running a female only course, even if it's not a frequent thing?

 

[Storker]

On that note, does it matter to most women to see some female staff affiliated with a dive shop? All other things being equal, would a shop with a couple of female instructors on staff have a slightly stronger appeal to women?

I strongly believe that an LDS - like any other employer - would benefit from a mixed-gender staff.

1: there's no reason women shouldn't be just as capable as men, and limiting your choice of staff to 50% of the population is kinda stoopid
2: female role models for those of the women who may be inhibited by sexist crap they've been hearing for too long
3: less testosterone (or, in female-dominated workplaces, estrogen) saturating the atmosphere


BTW, my apologies for posting in this forum without having the proper qualifications...

 

[boulderjohn]

I don't know that it would matter to me personally to be honest. I just want to deal with someone who knows what they're talking about, and treats me with respect.

I can imagine a certain subset of the female diving community who would prefer a female instructor and female only dive courses (yes, read into that what you will). There's probably a market out there for it, even if it's not a big one. Maybe every so often an LDS could advertise that they're running a female only course, even if it's not a frequent thing?

The shop with which I used to work had a staff that was predominately female, and they decided to offer female-only classes. That was a total flop--no one was interested. I don't think they ever ran a single one.

I do think it is important for a staff to be mixed, though. If I were in charge of hiring, I would strive for roughly 50/50. I would not get obsessed over it, though, because I believe most people, male and female alike, have your attitude: "I just want to deal with someone who knows what they're talking about, and treats me with respect."

 

[kimbalabala]

The most important feature to me is good customer service. If I wasn't a diver I can't imagine anything that would draw me into a dive shop, but once I'm in there I appreciate a prompt greeting, full attention (not answering calls while in the middle of a conversation if possible - or telling the caller they'll call back), and prompt follow-up. I LOVE our LDS because of the great customer service. I'd like to see a larger space and more inventory, but I know the return on investment probably wouldn't justify it. Generally our dive shop is prompt, but the thing I appreciate the most is the genuine commitment to good customer service. The owner will take time to research something and get back to us to help us figure out which options to go with. Yes, we buy things online, but if I have gone to my LDS for information then I am committed to buying the product there even if I can get it cheaper online. I like to see pictures of dive locations but not of young, fit, buxom women spilling out of their wetsuits.

Btw, I would also like colorful or patterned wetsuits. I don't want camo, I'd like something that is easy to see under the water. I use yellow or pink wraps on my hoses and white fins - not for fashion but so that I'm easy to find. My dive buddy wears Force Fins so he's easy to pick out of a crowd of divers and I like that.

Oh, and I'd like wetsuits that are made to fit the female body - without having to pull our largest section (yes, our butts) through the smallest part of the wetsuit (the waistline - as if any of us are built like Elizabeth Taylor anyway!). Whose idiotic idea was it to do that anyway?!. But that's not a dive shop issue as much as a dive industry issue.

 

[drrich2]

Wetsuits colorful or patterned how? Please show us some examples. I'd like to see how representative your choices might be to the tastes of other women.

 

[muzikbiz22]

Aqualung has wetsuits with colors, patterns, accents, prints. DUI has drysuits with custom colors, prints, patterns, accents. Halcyon has custom wings with colors, patterns, prints, accents. Just a few, but these immediately came to mind.

 

[kimbalabala]

Wetsuits colorful or patterned how? Please show us some examples. I'd like to see how representative your choices might be to the tastes of other women.

There are some wetsuits made by Henderson that have a yellow stripe on either side of the torso. I'd like to see that stripe go down the leg (where it doesn't get covered up by a BC). I'm not crazy about the skins that look like pajamas in crazy patterns - just not my style. (And maybe a stripe like this would create a place that would easily fray with time so it's not a good idea?) A light colored stripe - yellow, blue, even pink - so that you can be picked out of a crowd. It's not much of a fashion statement huh?