What have you learned in the last year, regardless of how long you have been diving?

[aubie85]

I LOVE my job working in a SCUBA shop, I've been a manager for 2 years now and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Here's the background:: I'm a 20 yr old female; I've been a store manager for 1.5 yrs and recently aquired a job as a retail manager.. I have a LOT more experience than a lot of these customers think when they first get to know me.. I love to get the question "I need to ask someone about service of..." and I say "Ok, How can I help?" the normal response.. "Oh, you probably wouldn't know, I need someone that can service." Well ladies and gentlemen I've learned a lot being in this business, LOT more than people realize, so when I ask "How can I help?" It's usually because I REALLY CAN HELP YOU!! Give a younger person a chance, you don't have to be diving for 40+ years before you can answer questions!! There's a lot you learn when you're in a the SAME environment for long periods of time. Just because I'm FEMALE AND YOUNGER doesn't mean I don't know...

I love to be able to explain and answer to someone that thinks they've had all of the experience in the world and them look at me and say "What!?!?". Hah!! We do know!! Give women a chance to teach, sometimes we do know more.... (not always, we're still learning, but a lot of times we CAN stand up and hold our own...

Ok, now that that's off my chest... know anyone else like me; I'm always interested in females of higher positions at younger ages.. because WE CAN ACHIEVE!

I completely understand you. I get treated that way, and I'M NOT EVEN A MANAGER!!! So who cares if I'm 21? Just b/c I'm young doesn't mean I'm a complete idiot, so don't treat me like one... However, I do have to admit that I do know a few people around our age who ARE complete idiots and don't have a clue about the world around them. I would just like people to give us a chance to show that we know what we are talking about.
PS, BTW I am going to be a nurse soon, so I guess I'll ljust have to learn how to deal with this. Come on, do we think people are ACTUALLY going to change. Okay, off my soapbox I go....:nurse:

 

[Santa]

I symphathise with anyone who are subject to bigotry and recognise the overall political need for women to stand up as women because in many areas they are being kept out exactly for that very reason.

I have a few comments to your last remarks though.

"I love to be able to explain and answer to someone that thinks they've had all of the experience in the world and them look at me and say "What!?!?". Hah!! We do know!!"

I may be wrong but i get a sense of vindication there. If so nothing wrong with that really but that's different from the desire to provide customer service. I support your drive to be professional and a role model but it must just be draining if you get emotionally involved every time you meet someone like that (maybe you dont).

Personally I'd focus more on the power of the good example and the rewards of doing the job right. That's more revolutionary to my mind than earning the recognition of an, as yet unknown, number of fools if you get my drift.

"Give women a chance to teach"
Chances, in my experience, mostly are not given but something to be taken. Same for power. Same for influence, and i have a feeling that this is actually roughly the same for everyone who wants a leading position in life. It's a struggle and there will be competition and it won't be fair.


"sometimes we do know more.... (not always, we're still learning, but a lot of times we CAN stand up and hold our own..."
But is this not about true recognition of proficiency rather than gender?

I had this discussion recently with a southafrican friend who wanted to be recognised by the government as genuinely southafrican because he had ethnic roots there. I don't know I just thought it might be even nicer for him to belong to southafrica just because he was a human being and wanted to live there.

Obviously that reaction came out of a long history of severe repression where having dark skin was portrayed as being shameful. but does the gravity of that really change our need to be recognised just for what we are and what we can do? Is holding up our gender or ethnicity or whatever as something somehow special and better than the alternatives not merely evidence that this is where we've been hurt at one point? Less liberating than if we're just gauging objectively what a person is capable of or not?

At least if the objective is a fair evaluation and not rebuilding confidence.

Personally I'm not really interested in whether a man or woman, youngster or adult performed a task but more whether it was done well or actually just whether the person made an effort worthy of his or her current capability.

"Ok, now that that's off my chest... know anyone else like me; I'm always interested in females of higher positions at younger ages.. because WE CAN ACHIEVE!"

Sure. Go for it.

 

[Bobyjimmie]

Ok Ill try to get the very valid points above, back on track.

I am 34 and look younger so I get both worlds above.

I have learned to listen first.

Ive learned that the more I say about myself the less credit I am adding to my character and the less I say about myself the more people will put their impression of you on a higher level especially over long periods of time. (Granted that doesnt work on a forum because we are supposed to talk, talk and talk, to interact, but in life....)

 

[opalobsidian]

I have a LOT more experience than a lot of these customers think when they first get to know me.. I love to get the question "I need to ask someone about service of..." and I say "Ok, How can I help?" the normal response.. "Oh, you probably wouldn't know....!

Well Scoob, I am 48 and female, running my own business for the last ten years selling stone carvings and jewelry, and some customers talk to me the same way, asking for my assistance with statements like "You probably don't know what kind of stone this is do you?"

Maybe it's because my botox gives me a rather blank expression...I don't know, but I never hear customers talk to my husband like that! I think that they must figure men just know more about "scientific stuff"

That being said, I do remember being in a Dive Shop in Hawaii that had a young woman working there who was so agressive and defensive in the way she was answering my questions that I sought out assistance from someone else who happened to be a guy. I don't know if this woman's confrontational attitude came out of constantly having to deal with customers who didn't think she would know anything, but dealing with her was exhausting!

 

[redrover]

· I learned that unlike at home, when I set things down for a moment in the ocean I’m not likely to run across them later.
· I learned ‘go real slow’ is relative and highly variable.
· I learned there are some really odd assumptions and attitudes among divers.
· I learned like a light switch on or off, there is an exact distance I am comfortable from one or more barracuda.
· I learned it is poor etiquette to feverously signal excitement (come here, you gotta come see this) with my light at night to a DIR diver and (so far) a DIR diver is nothing to be afraid of.
· I learned by reading about types of diving that I didn’t think I would find interesting they had aspects I can apply to my diving, and were interesting.
· I learned I didn’t get narced at 120’ and 120’ was no more or less appealing than I had expected.
· I learned I can find some really unusual things that no one else notices or sees even when I am pointing to them, despite the fact I can barely find a frog fish a few inches from my face that is being pointed to.
· I learned the only acceptable way to use the word ‘hose’ in a sentence on scubaboard is to preface it with, “I use a long” and in PM it is ok to use it however you wish.
· I learned what it felt like to be rolled like a beach ball among manta rays.
· Knowing my penchant for reference books I learned I was right when I worried about the cost of diving.

 

[Bobyjimmie]

· 1. I learned I didn’t get narced at 120’ and 120’ was no more or less appealing than I had expected.
· 2. I learned I can find some really unusual things that no one else notices or sees even when I am pointing to them, despite the fact I can barely find a frog fish a few inches from my face that is being pointed to.
· 3. I learned the only acceptable way to use the word ‘hose’ in a sentence on scubaboard is to preface it with, “I use a long” and in PM it is ok to use it however you wish.
· 4. I learned what it felt like to be rolled like a beach ball among manta rays.
·

1. I couldnt agree with you more on the depth thing, some of my favorite dives I never got below 30 feet.
2. I do that too! This is why I like diving with local people, id miss everything in their area without them pointing them out!!
3. LMAO
4. Did you get run over by a manta on a manta dive? Our DM said dont touch them, but they will touch you if they want to and if you hold your light to low they may run into you and it may feel like getting hit by a VW bus!! Did it? Oh do please explain! Awesome creatures btw.

 

[TSandM]

I learned that it isn't having the lights go out or losing all your gas that's going to kill you in a cave. It's getting lost. That was a big insight.

I also learned that being superbly prepared for the next step takes a lot of stress out of it.

 

[BTravlin]

1. I owe Mark a big thanks for convincing me to try diving.

2. After reading numerous posts here on SB, I've learned that I'm lucky to have my wife for a dive buddy.

3. I'm glad my dive buddy wife and I are like-minded as to our approach to diving and the kind of diving we like.

4. Certain DM's will often refrain from telling rec divers on their boat that they shouldn't be bouncing off of 200 feet. (worried about tips maybe???)

5. Certain DM's will often refrain from telling the proud parents that their two sons are the Beavis & Butthead of the reef and are ruining dives for both the sea life and other divers.

6. Certain DM's will totally ignore the brand new divers in their group, and everyone and everything else for that matter, if a pretty young thing in a skimpy bikini is paying them attention.

7. For some reason, less experienced divers want to come to me underwater with their problems rather than going to the DM leading the dive.

8. Ignorance, prejudice and hate are alive and well in South Carolina and Virginia thanks to some real gems I met on the boat in Roatan. (Note: This is not a blanket indictment of these two fine states, just these particular residents.)

9. I love liveaboard diving!

10. I need more vacation time!

11. I need more money!

 

[redrover]

Well, it was not my intent.
Hanging with a wide angle balcony view of the Manta Dive circle of light, had light on and shining behind me when much to my surprise the first one came up. Right at me, as in my impression being markedly different than one flying by or swooping over, buried light in BC and tried to minimize contact surfaces – the sticky out parts.

As one after another came flying in, and with the tardy realization being suspended meant from all directions, stuffed light into the conveniently stretchable neck of wetsuit and tucked into the tightest ball I could. (Viewing computer and get those fins in was the first time I wished for a dangelable console.)

Seeing 3 aimed at me on a relative speed and distance heading was a bit unsettling but they’d avoid smacking each other head on in just the nick of time. I liked barrel rolling inside a full circle the best. Rather proud of managing to dump air accurately (no doubt pure luck) and not pop in the effect resembling a fountain jet when they’d circle up under me. Deprived of rudders and ailerons, mostly was tossed and pushed around every which way in the pressure waves they generated. Like being in the midst of an intricate three dimension ballet. There was some exclaiming, ‘I’m not supposed to touch you guys!’ and apologizing. At a pause in my eyes out front area, stuck my head out getting it promptly whacked back down and whumped a good one. While I (at least) suffered no unfortunate repercussions, I didn’t try to count them again.

Knowing eventually this long safety stop had to end, looked for a good opportunity to break away in the direction of my boat then just looked for any opportunity. In due course eventually arrived and unable to think of a better way, just plowed forward in hope they’d avoid me. Several followed and with fins getting in their way, gave up and ascended. One stuck with me to the boat where another was hanging out at the ladder. The lookout kindly called my attention to them but now cold, I inched my way in.

It was a dive to remember.

 

[aubie85]

Well, it was not my intent.
Hanging with a wide angle balcony view of the Manta Dive circle of light, had light on and shining behind me when much to my surprise the first one came up. Right at me, as in my impression being markedly different than one flying by or swooping over, buried light in BC and tried to minimize contact surfaces – the sticky out parts.

As one after another came flying in, and with the tardy realization being suspended meant from all directions, stuffed light into the conveniently stretchable neck of wetsuit and tucked into the tightest ball I could. (Viewing computer and get those fins in was the first time I wished for a dangelable console.)

Seeing 3 aimed at me on a relative speed and distance heading was a bit unsettling but they’d avoid smacking each other head on in just the nick of time. I liked barrel rolling inside a full circle the best. Rather proud of managing to dump air accurately (no doubt pure luck) and not pop in the effect resembling a fountain jet when they’d circle up under me. Deprived of rudders and ailerons, mostly was tossed and pushed around every which way in the pressure waves they generated. Like being in the midst of an intricate three dimension ballet. There was some exclaiming, ‘I’m not supposed to touch you guys!’ and apologizing. At a pause in my eyes out front area, stuck my head out getting it promptly whacked back down and whumped a good one. While I (at least) suffered no unfortunate repercussions, I didn’t try to count them again.

Knowing eventually this long safety stop had to end, looked for a good opportunity to break away in the direction of my boat then just looked for any opportunity. In due course eventually arrived and unable to think of a better way, just plowed forward in hope they’d avoid me. Several followed and with fins getting in their way, gave up and ascended. One stuck with me to the boat where another was hanging out at the ladder. The lookout kindly called my attention to them but now cold, I inched my way in.

It was a dive to remember.

Amazing story Redrover