What can your LDS do to bring in more women divers?

[tbone1004]

yeah I'm with Jax, why does a shop have to appeal to women specifically? Per PADI there are more young women being certified than men right now, but it is rather sexist to go specifically. You have to find your target audience, and cater to them regardless of sex.

 

[muzikbiz22]

@muzikbiz22
What is the name of the shop? Sounds like a place I'd like to visit sometime.

Deep Blue Scuba & Swim Center, in Long Beach, California. Female owned (husband & wife) business. Here's a quick little 2 minute blurb .

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

yeah I'm with Jax, why does a shop have to appeal to women specifically? Per PADI there are more young women being certified than men right now, but it is rather sexist to go specifically. You have to find your target audience, and cater to them regardless of sex.

I am not suggesting that dive shops target women specifically. Since female participation has increased to the level where it has already become a female dominated sport at least at rec level, dive shops need to reflect that I think. By this I do not mean pink jet fins. When I look at wetsuit selection on display in most shops, two thirds of suits are mens and one third are women's. Then the same shop-owner will complain why local customers are buying things over the internet.

 

[tbone1004]

Scuba Diving Participation in 2014

apparently my memory skills were off. PADI is still 2/3 men

What I was thinking of was the young diver lopsidedness with more young women than young men, though the sport is still dominated by middle aged men

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Scuba Diving Participation in 2014

apparently my memory skills were off. PADI is still 2/3 men

What I was thinking of was the young diver lopsidedness with more young women than young men, though the sport is still dominated by middle aged men

Interesting breakdown. I find those numbers quite different from my own experience because I find myself diving with groups that are evenly split between men and women at Rec level. Tec is still mostly older men in our area at least.

 

[Scuba Christine]

I am just curious.

.Question: Which of the three places would get your business? What exactly can each of the above shops do to attract more female customers? Finally how important is any of the above to your choice of an LDS. A Jet fin remains a Jet fin when you walk out with it. Your regulator will breath the same no matter where you got it from. Classes would depend more on the person teaching but I am sure I am missing something.

Thanks -

CS

It's much simpler than that, the LDS that has a range women's gear on hand in multiple sizes is always the winner for women. That and listening to and treating women customers as divers not "girlfriends and wives of divers."

Imagine the most organized, welcoming store full of gear not made to fit you properly, displaying a full range of men's BC, wetsuits, etc. and the afterthought of one or two SAP (small and pink) versions for women...with sales people knowledgable on everything they sell and happy to say...oh we could order a women's version for you. Would you bother? Nope. You might as well do your own research and order gear online.

The LDS where I buy and service my gear is 2.5 hours away and I go to them because they carry a range of women's gear and most importantly they have always listened to me like a customer. How they answered questions on a phone call got me to make the drive and I've been a loyal customer since.

 

[Wingy]

The shop who gets most of my business here is the one that understands how small I am. I don't expect every LDS to carry XXXS or size 4 (Aus) gear because they're simply not going to sell it...other than to the tiny (pardon the pun) percentage of women divers who are as small as I am. They don't carry smallest size either..they order me in 3 choices in different sizes and do this in a one week turnaround between Xmas and new year because they know I'm going away. Asking me where I'm going and remembering where I've been and a quick chat about the last trip makes me know they at least remember me. I don't want couches, I don't have time to lounge around, it's a business, I don't see that. I'm any different nor do I want any other treatment or decor because I'm a certain gender.

 

[WrmBluH2O]

The shop who gets most of my business here is the one that understands how small I am. I don't expect every LDS to carry XXXS or size 4 (Aus) gear because they're simply not going to sell it...other than to the tiny (pardon the pun) percentage of women divers who are as small as I am. They don't carry smallest size either..they order me in 3 choices in different sizes and do this in a one week turnaround between Xmas and new year because they know I'm going away. Asking me where I'm going and remembering where I've been and a quick chat about the last trip makes me know they at least remember me. I don't want couches, I don't have time to lounge around, it's a business, I don't see that. I'm any different nor do I want any other treatment or decor because I'm a certain gender.

Wish I had thought to have written what you did here so very well. I have had exactly the same experience here with my fab LDS.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba.]

Attitude. Just because I am a woman and you may not know me, don"t assume I don't know what I am doing, that you need to talk to my male partner or that I need special decor or pink fins.

I have a student who told me an experience she had when she walked into the first shop she tried after moving into a new city. She was there with her boyfriend, and the employees directed most of their comments to him, giving the distinct impression that he was the real diver and she was just tagging along. In truth, she was looking for technical gear and instruction for herself. She was already fully cave certified. Her boyfriend had just gotten OW certified. She never went back.

There is a lot of research that indicates that people who have specific attitudes will send subtle messages consistent with those attitudes, even when trying not to. In one study, teachers were instructed to do a special project with students. They were told to read a specific script for the instructions, and they were not to deviate from it. They were to show students pictures of people and have the students rate them on a scale as to how successful they thought the people were, using nothing but their appearances as a guide. The teachers were told ahead of time which pictures the students would likely identify as most successful.

The fact is, though, that different teachers were told different pictures would be picked out as most successful, and in each case the students' choices corresponded to what the teachers had been told. The expectations of the teachers were passed on somehow to the students, despite the fact that they did not say a single word to indicate those expectations.

I suspect that whatever attitudes a shop employee has about women will be communicated in some way, and that may be the most important factor in how well a shop appeals to women in general.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

John has some excellent points. I grew up in retail. I learned early on that the best way to make women feel welcome as customers and keep their business is to treat them the same as I would a man.

In other words as an intelligent, capable, and valued customer. That's what keeps them coming back.

I never use terms like honey, dear, darlin, etc. Those are demeaning and disrespectful. When talking with them I always assume they understand what I am talking about unless THEY TELL ME otherwise.

In training there is no need to be coddling or condescending. Most of the females I've worked with are better students than the men. They don't allow things like ego to get in the way of training. If they realize they don't know something they are more likely to say it. In that way they are more courageous than the guy who doesn't know but is afraid of looking foolish. I have had some who thought that by appearing to be on the frail and meek side that they could get special treatment. Sorry. Not happening unless you are actually physically compromised. You'll carry your own tank, assemble your own gear, and your BF, husband, son, etc. is not going to do those things for you.

As far as gear goes, most of my female customers don't want pink. The shop I send my students to for wetsuits and personal gear has as many wetsuits in different sizes for women as it does for men. In fact right now I think the women's selection is better size wise.