As Muddiver has probably pointed out, commercial offshore diving is far more about heavy construction than diving. Long before considering diving school I always recommend acquiring skills in rigging, welding, basic diesel mechanics, seamanship, and the use of hand and power tools — which is an enigma since virtually all tools are hammers to commercial divers. Keep in mind that divers are paid for the job they complete that happens to be underwater. Many divers find that the lifestyle is not what they expected. Working in heavy construction or offshore will be a big advantage both on your résumé and determining if you will be happy in this work.
The diving industry is notorious for rigorous scrutiny of newbies. Every tender must prove to the supervisor’s and diver’s satisfaction that they can perform mentally and physically when a life is on the other end of that hose. Proving mental toughness often involves overcoming some pretty abusive behavior. Physical toughness requires a lot of upper body strength. Every diver starts their career as a tender and schlepping heavy crap all day — which are 12 hours plus offshore.
No doubt there is a “Neanderthal” character to the work environment; it is a rough, dirty, and dangerous business. It is also a business with eye-watering operating costs. As a result, there are lots of people waiting in line for your potentially high-paid job and client reps who are masterful at diverting blame.
It would be foolish not to expect greater scrutiny due to gender… except maybe from diving school admissions. Regardless of what they might tell you, there are a far more diving school graduates than working commercial divers. I blame the high “drop-out” rate more on unrealistic expectations of the lifestyle and the skills they must bring to the game.
Best of luck with your career choices.