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

[RTee]

If you allow me, I would like to bring up some points for my GF.

Staying warm in the water. It can be solved but more time than others it involves wearing thicker thermal protection (resulting in heavier weight requirement) or a step up such as drysuit which brings its own particularities...urination, hair versus neck seal and sizing. Presently, she is using a BARE XCD2 drysuit. She went with that model for the added warmth provided by crushed/compressed neoprene over bilam/trilam suits. Even though it was purchased with the assistance of the company rep and adapted to her physionomy, it does create its fair share of drag (thus requiring more effort to move around in the water than a neoprene wetsuit). She also opted for the neoprene neck seal for added warmth. The part of the dive she dreads for is...wet tangled hair vs neck seal when donning off her drysuit after the dive.

[asha]

General strength limitations are probably my biggest issue. I've learned to manage, mostly, but I struggle to do some of the things the boys do, like dead-lift my kit from the ground onto my shoulders. I compensate by lifting it onto a bench or tailgate (or fence or post or whatever's available) and putting it onto my back from there. Drysuit drag is also something I've noticed, but none of my team members ever seem to mind when I ask that we surface-swim a little slower or drop down early and swim on the bottom. I agree wholeheartedly with TSandM that the world would be a better place with more accommodating ladders and gear setup/breakdown areas!

I realize I'm fortunate in that I'm tall and athletically-shaped, so I can usually fit into mens' or unisex drysuits without a problem. Length is sometimes an issue with womens' stuff. I've never struggled too much with wetsuits, because they are either sufficiently stretchy to make it work (3mm) or not warm enough anyway (7mm). This brings me to the next issue, warmth (or lack thereof), which I find to be a solvable problem--sometimes at great expense, but solvable nonetheless. I'm not yet doing long enough tech dives to need the She-P, but I acknowledge it's in my probably not-too-distant future, and I'm dreading the process a little bit.

Yucky tangly salt water hair sucks, but it's nothing a brush and some leave-in conditioner can't fix. Try Subseries--another female diver let me try hers the other day, and it was life-changing!

[katepnatl]

I voted "other" bc far and away I would say my biggest challenge is related to hydration and then - obviously - the results. I have a she-p but it's just not my favorite dive equipment...

Next would be strength challenges... for which I have come up with some creative equipment solutions (Example: by myself I can't quite get the 130's all the way up in the truck with one heave, but if I get them half-way up, THEN I can get them all the way up - Home Depot step ladder solved that problem!). As others have mentioned: some of the ladders are quite simply built for people with longer legs. It is what it is, not complaining, but if were queen for a day...

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!

[TSandM]

Kate, Kate, Kate . . . I should have lent you my DR EXPs! They solve the "small foot pocket but I'd like a FIN attached to it, please" problem.

[Selchie in LB]

Notice how there are no votes for fashion being an issue. 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!

PINK Really! Marketing geniuses.

Warmth! I read some where that male and females experience heat differently from one another. Have any of the exposure companies looked into this?

Urination. I have not tried a SheP. While the idea sounds great I guess the reality is not happening. I don't do hour long dives, but it sure sucks trying to contorted ones self in a head & not inadvertently dunk or step all over the suit.

Sizing. I am a tall woman. I am not sure who the models are for standard sizing, e.
g. 10, 12, 14, etc. "Standard" "normal"?¿?¿

[kathydee]

The one issue I just can't seem to solve is short torso size and head clearance when diving certain doubles such as the al80's.

She Pee, increased workouts, 3/5 neoprene hooded vest under the wetsuit, conditioner on the hair under the hood, extra socks in drysuit/finkeepers/spring straps to fill XL Jet pockets, small backplate, etc - have basically solved most of the other issues.

[katepnatl]

RE Strength issues: stepping up aerobic workouts and strength routines has definitely helped - but a twinset of steel 130's is still heavy. Going down and up steps multiple times a day (especially in 90+ degree heat in a dry suit) adds to the challenges. One of my goals is eventually to able to lift the 130's like I can now lift the 85's... but that's a bit of a goal at this point .

As a general rule, out of the water, it's gonna be easier for guys to manage those tanks (from a strength perspective). Doesn't mean we (ladies) don't do it perfectly well - or even better than plenty of the guys out there - but we have to put a little extra effort to be able to do so, as a rule.

[drbill]

Putting up w/male divers !!!!!...Especially the ones who think women aren't capable.......

Beaten to the punch.

I am so glad that the activity of SCUBA has attracted so many lady divers compared to when I started in the 60s. I rarely hear a lady diver bragging about her capabilities (and then proving otherwise once underwater).

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

Warmth! I read some where that male and females experience heat differently from one another. Have any of the exposure companies looked into this?

Several of my favorite buddies (ladies all) express this concern. They are outstanding divers, but they tend to chill more quickly. I've heard that it is in part due to gender-based differences in metabolism as well as distribution of fat and muscle tissue.

[SerenaG]

Sometimes the pink gear can be nice on a busy boat; a good portion of the divers won't accidentally grab your stuff thinking it is theirs! That's also why I like pink umbrellas. Some guy walked off with my black umbrella in a movie theatre!

My biggest issue is "real estate!" I'm 5'4" and don't have the length on my arms for a slate and wrist computer, don't have enough circumference to attach sidemount plus stage bottles, plus deco bottle. When diving OW single tank, I have to attach the top band of my BC on the curve of an AL80 so my first stage doesn't impede my head movement. I've had to explain that to a lot of people who think I'm doing it wrong (and don't get me started on DIR, straps and a back plate just don't work when you have breasts!).

I've been diving long enough to be used to being cold, having wet suits that don't fit, and masks that leak (even the Serene is too wide/big for my face). My Whites Fusion barely fits through my hips and thighs, and is huge through my waist and has a lot more height than I need.

Making wetsuits (and drysuits) for women is tough, we come in so many shapes! I have a 14" difference between my waist and hips, but wide shoulders and bigger upper arms than some manufacturers think I should. An ideal world world be reasonable priced made-to-measure suits. I haven't checked out the ones that I have read about but it seemed that they were expensive.

[TSandM]

(and don't get me started on DIR, straps and a back plate just don't work when you have breasts!

Really?

(Says Lynne, who is a 34DD and LOVES her backplates)