why women don't dive?

[SueMermaid]

I haven't had the pleasure of diving with such a high-maintenance creature. I think it would be amusing, and I suspect I would be tempted to have some fun with her.

 

[Frank Kohler]

pretty much the only girl diver that i know is my aunt and she is a tech diver.

 

[scubagirl15]

I think someone has mentioned it earlier in this thread that in Asia, women divers outnumber men. That was certainly my experience when I dove Malaysia back in the spring. On two separate trips, women outnumber men by far.

Would you guys agree that cold water diving is more demanding in terms of gear and skill? Most of the Asian divers of the female persuasion were real girlie girls, like the ones we're talking about now.

Most trips here at home, the occasional female diver I see are like me: on the tomboy side. One of my female dive buddies has gone as far as to say we're butch!

I suspect that it's not so much a question of why more women don't dive because apparently, elsewhere in the world they do; the real question is why more women don't dive in cold water...and I think everyone's pretty much nailed it.

 

[cudachaser]

My Classes are at 40% female

 

[Ishie]

I have fun with Jim because he's a born gentleman and I'm a die-hard chick. I work out and engage in sports like diving, ice skating, running, swimming, weight lifting, indoor climbing, etc, but don't look too "built". He was raised to take care of the ladies and I was raised to take care of myself. We often get to wrestle over gear. I come back from the bathroom to find everything unloaded and assembled. He leans over to rinse a reg after a dive and finds both tanks loaded in the car.

Heh heh heh

I've never been a fan of the women who expect men to wait on them hand and foot, and they make me look bad by association. For one thing, I am bewildered by the fact that many men (not Jim) cannot STAND to see a woman holding a twenty lb box or weight belt, but don't bat an eyelash to see one carrying a 60 lb child on their hip.

My weakness is in my hands, despite the fact that I shoot and play guitar. With my arms straight, it's hard to carry a tank by the valve (it doesn't help that I'm short). However, get something on my hips, back, or shoulder and I can carry it for miles without rest. My favorite trick is a large tank on each shoulder with the fun part of figuring out how to get them back down without getting a concussion.

Oh, for other ladies who like lifting heavy stuff, the easiest way to get through a grocery line (if you have a dog) is to haul a 20-40 lb bag of dog food over one shoulder and stand in line that way. You'll be through the line in five minutes or less. Mwa ha ha ha ha.

Ishie

 

[scubagirl15]

... For one thing, I am bewildered by the fact that many men (not Jim) cannot STAND to see a woman holding a twenty lb box or weight belt, but don't bat an eyelash to see one carrying a 60 lb child on their hip.

Ishie

Oh, that is too true! LOL

 

[divemistress]

Hmmm. Maybe there aren't more women women divers because the current crop has scared off the propects.

some people espessialy prissy women are happy to walk on this earth letting the air fill thier lungs and look responsible but when you don your gear and go down one is completely in control of thier life and death thats a big responsibility for some one who thinks thier decision of the year was what color hand bag to buy for the fall season. some people simply cant imagine being responsible for every move they make. there is no one to blame down there but your self and some people alot of people go through thier whole lives not being responsible for thier actions.

It is the females who come to the world of diving with the expectation that the men will carry their gear just becase they are women that irritate me.

LOL - me too! Although that is when it is amusing to watch the princesses try and climb up the ladders onto the dive boat after a dive.....

I haven't had the pleasure of diving with such a high-maintenance creature. I think it would be amusing, and I suspect I would be tempted to have some fun with her.

 

[scubacoz22]

Diving separates the woman from the girls!!!!!! I think you have to be pretty secure with yourself to get on the boat wearing less clothing in front of tons of people than you'd ever even imagine, then to throw on the wet suit that squeezes us in all the wrong places, for some, no make-up, & knotted hair, maybe even a few nasty little sea lice marks on the neck and face, but these are usually the women with the biggest smiles on their faces.
I've noticed when I'm helping out with an OW class a big gender change. I'm so excited to see all the women in class, and yes, caring all their own gear. To date, I've only had one "diva" worry about re-applying her make-up and I truly found it quiet comical to just sit and watch. (When she came back up, her "waterproof" mascara was running all down her face.....hehehehehe)
I always tell my hubby; the worse I look the better of a diver I become. I care more about what I'll see than what will see me.....
I see more and more young women dominating the boats than ever before. I guess its good for both genders

I have to agree with you on this, why the heck put make up on its a waste of time when you are diving. Thats one think i rarely wear when we go on diving vacations is makeup and my hubby loves it. We have been diving for 14 years now and just love it. Of course i prefer warm water thats why we go to cozumel most of the time. We are going to cozumel in novemeber for 5 days of diving and we went to the BVI in July. I would rather dive than do anything else. Of course all my kids are grown up and gone but when they were teenages they were certified then too so we all dove as a family. Kathy in Texas

 

[scubacoz22]

Let me throw this to the discussion, why are most people who fish, men? I heard of a thesis that says that there is an anthropological predisposition for each of the sexes for certain activities. If you go back to the caveman era, men were the ones who hunted, fished, explored, chased and fought animals/other men; women were the ones taking care of the children. This happened for millions of years, it's embedded somehow in our brains and in society. That is also the reason why men are better at physical tasks and focusing at one task (specializing); and women are better at multitasking or organizing (I'm talking about tendencies, not absolute rules).

When did attitudes toward women start to change? Beginning of the 20th century. So put that in context.

I'm not saying that it will take millions of years, but it'll take some time, but hopefully not too long ... it depends a great deal on society, in more open societies you'll see more women. In a sense it's our fault too (men), we've been relegating women to be at home for thousands of years

My 2 cents,


Eddy.

hey i love to fish, we have a boat and live on the lake. And i love going to the coast to go fishing since you catch such interesting things there. Stingrays, eels, dog fish, etc. You never know what is going to be on the end of that hook when fishing. Kathy in Texas :dazzler1:

 

[TekDiveGirl]

Hmmm. Maybe there aren't more women women divers because the current crop has scared off the propects.

I was trying to figure out who exactly who said this -- If you did not say this DiveMistress then I apologize for the incorrect quotation. It doesn't look like you did because of what you said after whic I agree with.

I can't see how the current crop of divers "scare off" the prospective crop of divers. Most women divers I know are excited about diving. Heck a woman here on SB posted about how she got the run around when she wanted to get more information about a bp/w from a shop in San Diego because she is a rec diver and they told her bp/w is only for tech divers - and now she was questioning her thoughs and ideas - so I have been emailing her a bunch. I happened to be coming home to San Diego this week. I dive a special short womans cut backplate because a normal cut one is not as comfortable on me. I added an extra 10 pounds to my luggage to bring my bp (because my AL BP happensing to now be assembled right now and I didn't not have time to put it together) so she can check it out and am going to take at least a 1/2 if not whole day of my vacation to hang out with her and go run around local dive shops to help her out and show her some things. Because I love diving and sharing my knowledge and experience. This is how I know most women divers to be.

When people ask about my diving, men or women, I am excited about it. As most people I know are. There is nothing that I know of people do to discourage people from diving.

Kimber