What are the biggest challenges for female divers compared to men?

What is your biggest challenge when diving?


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Definitely wetsuit sizing. I am short, strong and pudgy, so the ladies suits aren't big enough. When I buy a man's suit, they are always too long in the arms, legs and crotch--not to mention boob smashage due to the fact the men's suits don't have "apple holders", as the guy who has the LDS calls them.....
 
I am also a tall woman. Most wetsuits don't fit properly, however, I've had some success with Henderson.

I've not had too much trouble carrying a single tank, but my fav is a set of triples with a cotton harness (vintage). I also do alot of diving with my Freedom plate and I must say that a plate, for me, is incredibly comfortable. Outside of that, warmth is my biggest issue. My 3 mil in Florida is plenty, but I still get cold after 60+ minutes, even in summer.

And listen up Manufacturers, as the ladies have already stated, PINK doesn't make the gear good. We know what we want, quality gear at a great price and to NOT look like a bottle of Pepto in the process.
 
I've been using a small men's BCD and tomorrow I'm trying out a women's BCD in the pool.
I loved the way the belt actually fit on my natural waist in the shop.
The BCD is black with pink accents, I'm OK with that, even though I prefer lime green over pink.
 
Sizing is often really far off. For instance, I have a Zeagle Zena size small and it fits perfectly, but according to their size chart, I'd need a medium vest and XXL front panel. That's not even remotely close. I tried on the medium, but I could cinch it all the way closed over a 7mm wetsuit on dry land, so it would have been way too big once I got underwater. The size small is, according to the chart, a good ten inches too small for me! That's a pretty big discrepancy.
 
Interestingly - the other item on this list that IS an issue for me is Fin sizing. I have to wear two pairs of thick socks under my turbosoles to keep my jetfins from kicking off. And I have tried several other fins (I'd like a bigger blade) but the foot pockets are all too big. I wish there more options that took into account women's feet size!

I stubbornly dive jetfins too
Have you tried the medium, or are you between medium and large but want to dive jetfins?

I have a medium pair for warm water diving with booties, and a large pair for diving my drysuit (the boots, which are a non standard, slim fit, non rugged boot fit very very well in the large, but any other boot would probably not fit in the large at all).
That would put my feet, in a drysuit, in rugged boots at size too big for L but far too small for XL.

The jetfin sizing is also definitely inconsistent depending on the year of manufacture. When I completed my DM (warm water) I could not fit in the Medium at my LDS and wore a slightly too large pair for Large jetfins, later that year I tried on a Medium pair that I stole/swapped with the boat marshall and they fitted like a dream.
Bloody jetfins, great fins, ridiculous sizing.
I have size 5 UK feet, but wear 5.5 because I have high and wideish feet....


I ended up voting for drysuit sizing/options. Being short, and prefering front entry, I am always going to have to compromise.

I'm also suprised that for larger breasted women, a BP and wing with webbing is considered unccomfortably. I mean... it has no boob strap, it doesn't need one.
The boob straps on female BCDs are never quite wear you need them. If you;re in trim, it is redundant. If you are vertical, its not quite in the right place, and if you're on the surface it strangles you.

That leaves, back weight. As I am transitioning to twin 12s this is likely to be an issue. I do weighted squats etc but will always need to lift the cylinders onto a bench/car boot etc before donning them. Once they're on, they're fine... then I need a decent escape route from the water. Quarries never have the clambering out handles high enough for when you're tired after a dive, and dive boats must be chosen on the basis of whether or not I can get out the water without assistance.

So.... Drysuit, Fins (but finally sorted) and Back weight

Nic

---------- Post added ----------

Regarding menstruating and diving.
Personally I am happy to dive if my flow is light. No different from going to the swimming pool. Just make sure you take enough tampons when you travel and dive. So many countries just don't do tampons.
I am least happiest diving the day before or first day of my period when my cramps can be uncomfortable at best and excrutiating at worst. If I were a dive instructor I just would refuse to dive on those days. They make concentrating impossible, and may mask other symptoms.
Fortunately I have recently found a contraceptive pill that has reduced my symptoms if not eliminated them entirely. I am trialling it on and off at the moment as I don't much like mucking around with my hormones, and do not need the contraception.

And when it comes to peeing, I have got very used to.... peeing during long dives in a wetsuit, during the dive, on the ascent, and at the surface. When I get back into my drysuit again it will likely be a few dives of drysuit diving orientation before I fit a pee valve.

Nic
 
I read through this thread this morning, and it struck me that it may be the best ever example of how the posting membership of SB is SO not representative of the diving world at large. Look at the number of women posting in this thread who are diving doubles and complaining about the weight of the gear. In the world at large, how many female divers do you think are diving double tanks?
 
I read through this thread this morning, and it struck me that it may be the best ever example of how the posting membership of SB is SO not representative of the diving world at large. Look at the number of women posting in this thread who are diving doubles and complaining about the weight of the gear. In the world at large, how many female divers do you think are diving double tanks?
In general the women who post on SB are probably more avid divers than the average certified female. From there I agree there is probably a disproportionate amount of women technical divers represented on SB as compared to the general diving population. I would guess, and this strictly a guess, that the average certified female dives at most a few times of year with her s/o in a resort setting single tank set up.
 
Lynne, I am also surprised (pleasantly) at how many women are NOT diving the standard vacation kit. To me, this means that manufacturers need to start listening to women divers and take our needs seriously. This does not mean more pink wetsuits and Hello Kitty regs. It's actually insulting.



Lisa



I read through this thread this morning, and it struck me that it may be the best ever example of how the posting membership of SB is SO not representative of the diving world at large. Look at the number of women posting in this thread who are diving doubles and complaining about the weight of the gear. In the world at large, how many female divers do you think are diving double tanks?
 
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Notice how there are no votes for fashion being an issue. :D I'd like to be able to tell all manufactures that PINK does not make women's gear fit or function better!

More choices in sizes, gear that fits my torso/center of gravity. That's where I'll blow all my spare cash. But if it is freeking pink, I'll wonder if it is just a cut down guys pattern with a "girly" color.

My biggest problem is staying warm, so I'm finally shopping for a drysuit. So many fewer choices in women's sizes. Because of this, I'll probably end up going w Whites Fusion where fit is more flexible. And it doesn't come in pink!

ooh wow a fellow pink hater, i'm glad i'm not the only one lol

i vote for banning pink from diving gear lmao


I am also a tall woman. Most wetsuits don't fit properly, however, I've had some success with Henderson.

we just got the 5mm Henderson Thermoprene, they are awesome, very comfortable and well fitting
i usually have a hard time finding long enough sleeves and legs without going wider, but this one fits perfect
 
...This does not mean more pink wetsuits and Hello Kitty regs. It's actually insulting....

I don't know... I'm not into pink AT ALL but I think I may be interested in a Hello Kitty reg - just for the novelty of it! :D

Please note the only pink diving item that remained at my home in any semblance of rotation of use, was my old pink wing which I did not even order in pink (long story)... it is now permanently living at my parent's house with a BP so I don't have to pack a BP/W to dive Morehead City. The shame of a pink wing is a small price to pay, to not mess with air travel with a BP/W :)

---------- Post added ----------

I stubbornly dive jetfins too
Have you tried the medium, or are you between medium and large but want to dive jetfins?

,,,

The mediums are way too small... but I may continue to try different vintages per your point about the production year.

What I'd really like to be able to do is dive the XL's but I am SWIMMING in them.
 

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