Going back to the original point, it is not abnormal to see an advert specify age and gender requirements for a dive job. It is quite common for a dive centre to request a man or a woman in order to balance their existing numbers. I would not want to work in an environment that was all male or all female so someone advertising for one or the other is not an issue for me.
Age usually features because some people think that young sexy dive pros will get more business so will sacrifice experience for youth. That's no problem, they can do that and as an (over the hill for most dive centres) instructor working in the industry full time, I have no problem with being discriminated against in that way. If a dive centre manager prefers an employee who looks good in a swim suit over someone who can safely and efficiently train competent divers then there is no way I would want to work for them, such an advert saves me from wasting my time.
Sometimes dive centres need younger workers who are better suited to physical aspects of dive jobs like carrying tanks. When I get put on a tank shift, I may have to carry 70 tanks for hundreds of feet in the midday Caribbean sun then carry 70 empty tanks back the same distance. I am fit and no stranger to hard work but have no problem in admitting it was much easier doing that kinda stuff in my twenties than as the 37 year old man I am now. It is not suitable work for all and age does come in to it.
Age usually features because some people think that young sexy dive pros will get more business so will sacrifice experience for youth. That's no problem, they can do that and as an (over the hill for most dive centres) instructor working in the industry full time, I have no problem with being discriminated against in that way. If a dive centre manager prefers an employee who looks good in a swim suit over someone who can safely and efficiently train competent divers then there is no way I would want to work for them, such an advert saves me from wasting my time.
Sometimes dive centres need younger workers who are better suited to physical aspects of dive jobs like carrying tanks. When I get put on a tank shift, I may have to carry 70 tanks for hundreds of feet in the midday Caribbean sun then carry 70 empty tanks back the same distance. I am fit and no stranger to hard work but have no problem in admitting it was much easier doing that kinda stuff in my twenties than as the 37 year old man I am now. It is not suitable work for all and age does come in to it.