Differences Between Men And Women In Diving

[dvrliz1]

Great job all!~ I'm still working on the seminar, I think it will be the beginning of next year...I will keep everyone updated...Can't type much right now, minor left hand surgery...more in depth in a few days when I'm not fumbling so much!

Liz.

 

[girldiverllc]

I help our local instructor as much as I can, and have seen some very promising young girls in the intro to scuba class. (One of them told me how she dreams about being underwater looking up at the world - you would't believe how beautifully she moved with her little tank for the first time). Too young to be put off by peer pressure, and I'm wondering how to help them. In the past I've paid swimming instructors to give a few lessons to young women who just don't have the means themselves, and I'm trying to think about how to establish such a thing on a more formal basis to the diving world. Maybe make it a charity and solicit donations? I haven't got a clue how to go about such a thing.
Laurie in New Mexico

Also, look for local "women and girls grant programs". I found one in my area that I'm going to be pursuing to start a program in 2008 (this year is already overloaded...) for females in juvenile incarceration. An ongoing program that will give them something that requires discipline, follow through, decision making and improve what they believe they can achieve. I think scuba can pair itself nicely in a lot of areas that serve to empower young women. The "grant" that I'm going to try to secure is through an endowment fund that makes small gifts to small groups of females, i.e. foster girls who wanted to join scouts...college single mom who needed one time money for books... There may be something similar in your area.

Ok...enough of the hijacked thread...sorry!!

 

[lswaters]

Good idea!
Hmmm, I wonder if some of the scuba manufacturers would contribute to something like this.
Wish I knew how to start a thread on this subject in the Women's Views forum.

 

[jeepchick]

The very best thing about being a female diver, I was at a VERY crowded quarry over the weekend diving, I needed to go to the bath house to use the bathroom, when I got in, there was a line for the mens bathroom, walked right into the womens room, that just would never happen anywhere else!

 

[drbill]

When I'm not diving solo, I generally dive with female buddies. They are generally much better dive buddies... more attuned to relationships including the buddy relationship and ecological relationships. Their air consumption is generally better so we are more closely matched. They are easier on the eyes, don't belch or fart as much as men, and don't talk about football or baseball... just diving.

 

[Spratman]

I've dove with two women. One being a very competent technical diver and the other a newer, trying to be technical diver. One would hump her own doubles, the other would rather not.

I had a heck of a time for a while, because my wife would look at the magazines and movies. She would see Jacqueline Bisset in The Deep and Jessica Alba in the knock off of The Deep. I have NEVER been remotely close to a female diver that looked like them. Finally, my wife came up to the quarry with me one weekend and told me she wasn't worried about me diving with women....

I would dive with a woman as readily as a guy. However, I'm pretty picky about skills a diver has more than their gender. While there is a good portion of tech divers that don't believe women should be involved because of the physical aspects, you have Chickdiver and several others that could run circles around them.

I dive to dive and am not much for socializing. A good diver is all I'm looking at. If you happen to be a babe AND a great diver, well....that's just a plus.

 

[piikki]

I've dove with two women. One being a very competent technical diver and the other a newer, trying to be technical diver. One would hump her own doubles, the other would rather not.

I had a heck of a time for a while, because my wife would look at the magazines and movies. She would see Jacqueline Bisset in The Deep and Jessica Alba in the knock off of The Deep. I have NEVER been remotely close to a female diver that looked like them. Finally, my wife came up to the quarry with me one weekend and told me she wasn't worried about me diving with women....

I would dive with a woman as readily as a guy. However, I'm pretty picky about skills a diver has more than their gender. While there is a good portion of tech divers that don't believe women should be involved because of the physical aspects, you have Chickdiver and several others that could run circles around them.

I dive to dive and am not much for socializing. A good diver is all I'm looking at. If you happen to be a babe AND a great diver, well....that's just a plus.

Hmm, actually reading this response one thing does come to mind… The much-brought-up issue that (some) men concentrate on one thing while being able to ignore some other aspects better than women. Women often expect several things in one package or “a total package” before they are happy.

For me, as a woman, it’s important that someone is good-enough diver but it’s still very important s/he is good company too. Or let me put it the other way – if you are a jerk it does not matter to me if you are the best diver in the world, I won’t be interested in hanging around you above or below.

A lot of guys seem to emphasize comparing/sizing the skill and strength aspect (not necessarily between men and women). I am all about challenge and fun games but there’s something to constant measuring up that colors some guys – something that is different to majority of gal action.

And the Jessica Alba-aspect has absolutely nothing to do with my dive buddy preferences. Even though women joke about physical aspects too, it certainly is more prevalent with guys. That is a difference, I dare say.

 

[TSandM]

What really matters to me in a dive buddy is whether the feeling of the dive is smooth and stress-free or not. I could care less what he or she looks like, although I would prefer someone whose company I enjoy on land. But a dive is like a dance; if you are on the same wavelength throughout, and every move is smooth and graceful, it is a thing of beauty. If you are not, nothing can salvage the situation.

 

[Spratman]

WOW!! That certainly was enlightening Piikki and TSandM!

You don't always get to pick your dance partner, especially on a boat trip. If I'm being graded on personality above water, nobody would dive with me....I didn't realize that (some) women approach a dive like a date...However, better to call the dive because of non-compatibility than getting attacked underwater!

Since we're supposed to be team diving, and you can't talk underwater, I don't care how you are on the surface. If we agree on a dive plan, dive it and have a good dive, then it was a success. If someone doesn't want to bother with me after the dive, that's fine. There are plenty of people to dive with.

From my first post, I believe there are some women out there that do approach diving, particularly tech diving, as most men do.

Interesting.

 

[TSandM]

Well, when Peter took the Essentials class from Joe Talavera, Joe was going over the four basic elements of diving, and his last was "Community". He pointed to me and my dive buddy of the day and asked, "How much time have you guys spent together today?" And the answer was seven hours. Then he asked, "How much of it was underwater?" And the answer was 50 minutes.

Diving IS almost inherently social. I suppose there are people who don't talk before a dive except for the minimum required to set a plan, and who pack up and take off afterward without even enjoying some, "Wow, did you see that octopus?" talk. None of the people I dive with are like that, and I wouldn't enjoy it very much if they were. But I don't think that's a men/women difference at all, because almost all my dive buddies are men, and they seem to enjoy going for a coffee or a beer after the dive and talking just as much as I do.