But, I must say, I would have expected something a bit more open-minded from a mod.
Just a reminder that we moderators are allowed to participate in threads with our own opinions -- which are NOT the position of ScubaBoard as an entity. On some subjects, mods can be very opinionated!
Anyway, mania, the reason nobody's addressing your question about susceptibility to DCS in women versus men is because THERE ISN'T ANY INFORMATION OUT THERE ON THE SUBJECT! Gene gave you some links to some papers, and that's just about what there is. Honestly, there isn't that much diving research, period, and what there is tends to be initiated by paid for by the military, which isn't terribly interested in gender-related differences in diving, since there aren't a lot of female SEALs
We may be VERY interested in the topic, but since there's almost no information about it, it makes for a short discussion. "Gee, do you think there are differences based on body fat percentages?" "Shoot, I dunno." End of discussion . . .
In reality, most things about diving ARE gender-neutral. Diving technique, equipment (except for fit), protocols, locations, etc. are universal. When Liz brought up the idea of a women's diving conference, we had to thrash around a bit to figure out what good topics would be, but we did find them. And they might not be absolutely women-specific -- Fitting exposure protection, for example, could be a problem as much for small men as for small women, although I think most manufacturers have a bigger selection of men's sizes than of women's, at least from my experience with dry suits -- but they are
interesting to women.
And some of those topics are going to have to do with grooming, because grooming is very different between the sexes, for the most part. I don't know many men who wear mascara and worry about whether it will dissolve and run into their eyes when they're diving . . . But that was a question I asked the videographer for our Fundies class, was what she was wearing!
A concern for looking good doesn't imply that the woman in question doesn't have a brain or use it, mania. I've seen pictures of you in girly clothes, and I'll bet you didn't shut off your intelligence when you wore them! During my residency, it was my conceit to go in on non-call days wearing heels and dresses (usually paid for it by having to do some long, involved procedure which required standing in one place) simply because I enjoyed indulging my feminine side when I could.
Nowadays, I live in sweats, scrubs, riding breeches and diving undergarments, and no, I don't get my nails done -- They don't last that long. But give me an opportunity to head out for a social event, and I dig into the closet for the few remaining feminine things in there!
