Female technical divers

[kathydee]

Kathy and I have done some diving together here in Puget Sound. ... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I miss diving with you Bob ! If I could just stay down in Mexico cave diving, I probably would. Alas, I must come up for air and work and other interruptions . Also love wrecks !

 

[Taliena]

A lot females in the US I see. I am full cave, full trimix oc, full trimix ccr, instructor for advanced recreational trimix. And I like it, even it is a 'man world'.
But sometimes man are jalous

 

[HIGHwing]

I regularly sleep with a female who claims she is a technical diver. Here's her website. I hope she qualifies. www.IntoThePlanet.com

Very subtle, Robert...

 

[Kristi@CCDS]

A lot females in the US I see. I am full cave, full trimix oc, full trimix ccr, instructor for advanced recreational trimix. And I like it, even it is a 'man world'.
But sometimes man are jalous

There are a lot more men, but a mans world, I don't know. Plenty of ladies who stand well on their own. Jill, Becky, Amanda, Christina to name a few. We ladies are awesome and capable of handling our own under pressure.

 

[dreamdive]

The photographer/videographer Becky Kagan Schott is a cave diver, trimix diver, and CCR diver - she is also a certified instructor on the Meg. I did a "discover CCR" session under her guidance, which was an amazing experience. I'm a cave diver and a decompression diver myself, but I'm not sure I'll ever go the rebreather route. My husband has his heart set on the Meg, but I'm concerned that forking out for two units plus instruction and the ongoing care, parts, and maintenance would break the bank. One CCR diver in the family is all we can afford - for now.

You guys might want to consider getting used units rather than new ones. The meg is a very robust rebreather and good used units are available. I personally prefer the pathfinder. I like its electronics over the meg and it is a heck of a lot lighter and smaller. I have seen pathfinders for sale on rebreather world. You might also want to contact ADDHelium.com. They train a ton of CCR divers and there are many good units that come through them and are being sold without the units ever needing to be advertised for sale.

A rebreather will definitely pay for itself in a couple of years if you are diving helium. Tony Land has written up this comparison which you might find interesting: Which is Cheaper? | Add Helium

Hope this helps some

Claudia

 

[boulderjohn]

Natalie Gibb is a cave diving instructor and guide working in the Yucatan. I have dived with her several times. She also writes the about.com scuba columns.

 

[Kristi@CCDS]

You guys might want to consider getting used units rather than new ones. The meg is a very robust rebreather and good used units are available. I personally prefer the pathfinder. I like its electronics over the meg and it is a heck of a lot lighter and smaller. I have seen pathfinders for sale on rebreather world. You might also want to contact ADDHelium.com. They train a ton of CCR divers and there are many good units that come through them and are being sold without the units ever needing to be advertised for sale.

A rebreather will definitely pay for itself in a couple of years if you are diving helium. Tony Land has written up this comparison which you might find interesting: Which is Cheaper? | Add Helium

Hope this helps some

Claudia

Keep in mind many used units require upgrades and service, sometimes getting you close in cost to a brand new unit. Just be careful and ask the right questions. There are a lot of great options out there, but each unit has pros and cons.

 

[vinegarbiscuit]

Keep in mind many used units require upgrades and service, sometimes getting you close in cost to a brand new unit. Just be careful and ask the right questions. There are a lot of great options out there, but each unit has pros and cons.

I'm a big believer in used gear. So is my husband - well, for the most part, anyway. We've been tracking prices for used Megs for some time, to get a feel of how folks price their units and what's included in the package. While I do see Megs offered for sale occasionally, Pathfinders appear few and far between. (I demo'ed Becky's Pathfinder - such a compact little unit! - although my husband stuck to the Meg.) Perhaps they're too new to start appearing second-hand - or maybe owners can't bear the thought of selling them!

The costs entailed in upgrading and servicing units can be pretty steep, for sure. My husband bought a KISS in 2008, and the modifications he made to it - not to mention the usual running costs such as O2 sensors and sorb - were pretty steep. A Shrimp BOV here, a few hoses there...it's amazing how quickly they add up.

 

[medtechdvr]

One more here. I'm a tech & cave diver, haven't picked up CCR, not sure it's worth the risk. Not many of us in Asia though. And Practically none my size, 5"2 is stretching it, so finding gear is a big problem...

 

[diving4ever]

I am a cave diver & beginning to learn CCR for cave diving (maybe eventually some depth (trimix), but doubt it would be much over 300ft). Here in the Mid West, there are not very many female technical divers, but there are a few.

Because most women are mothers, there is the tendency to avoid risky situations,.... basically to ensure their own safety for the good of the family. I am in no way saying this as a negative to those who do engage in technical diving,.... but rather just thinking how I would think most mothers who are offered the chance to engage in such activities. That said, I am single with no children, so am no real authority. I think most men get into these sports for the sense of adventure. Most women have no desire to pursue such interests,.... they are quite content with diving on the reef looking at the magnificent life around them. I would say on the average, most women are more risk adverse than men.

A couple of interesting trends to note: About 20% of women (in the US) do not / will not have children. That is a 100% increase in the last 30 years. In another 30 years you could be looking at 40% of women not having children. Women who do not have children have higher incomes and education levals than those who do have children. This isn't a rallying cry against motherhood, its just a stat. Anyway, what that says to me is that there is a quickly growing community of childless women with higher than average levels of disposable income....which should be great for the future of the dive industry if we can engage them.

Are women more risk averse? It’s hard to measure, but maybe. Anecdotally I think we have higher expectations of risk/benefit ratios than men do (on average). I.e. I'll take a BIG risk...but the reward needs to be bigger. For me the statistical risks associated (and costs) associated with cave diving, rebreathers, and big depths don't offer a high enough reward. I.e....there isn't anything down there I want to see that badly. I tend to think I might be pretty typical in this way. That said, I'd expect more women to get involved as time passes and more women have financial freedom.

One other factor. Women may be less likely to feel competent to tech dive. This is often (but not always) a bad thing. For example I think it’s less common for women to overestimate their preparedness for new and/or high risk activities.