We all started out as O/W students

[Sas]

1). try to impress me with their dive knowledge so I smile and politely distance myself from them.
2). try to hit on me so I smile and politely distance myself from them.
3). try to help me haul gear which I am grateful but would rather handle my own gear and politely tell them so.
4). quietly observe off to the side and leaves me alone but gives me a sympathetic look because he knows #1 & #2 are reflecting poorly on his sex.

Yea that is pretty much what I get too. OP, I think the reaction is in part because you are young and female, people tend not to treat us seriously. That's just the way it is. Honestly, I do not mind, as I am wrinkle free, my body is unaffected by gravity, I have lots of energy and a long period of life ahead of me, so any time someone treats me poorly because of my age, I just remind myself of the many, many benefits of youth. They don't last forever so make the most of it!

 

[Gombessa]

... and you should've seen him in the coconut bra ... they set off his tatoos beautifully ... and nobody questioned his professionalism.

That guy ripped off his clothes and jumped into cold 55 degree water in his swim trunks and swam out 50 yards and back to retrieve a plastic hot tub toy we dropped off the boat...while we were standing on deck wimpily wondering whether we could snag it by tossing out a life preserver. Mad mad props to him. Dude takes his job seriously and has a lot of fun doing it, and really showed then that actions often speak louder than words!

 

[Jax]

So why the need to have such cocky attitudes?

Okay, I am a somewhat new diver, but have been working in a dive shop for 2+ years. Why is it that when someone comes into the store or comes on to a dive boat they automatically assume that I don't know anything and often times become demeaning? Do other divers experience this behavior or is it because I'm a female? Being young does not equate clueless.

Mercy, sad to say this is not just diving, but just about any "male-dominated'" environment. The men will act the same whether it's diving, military service, mechanics, sports, motorcycles, home repair, guns, . . .

You can choose to take it personal, or accept that most of them don't have the self-confidence to deal with the fact that a woman might know what she is doing. By acceptance, you loose the irritation and frustration that will only color your own attitude. Also, once you accept that most men are like that, you will find it much easier to pick out the one or two 'gems' that stand on the sidelines and watch and admire. Those are worth your time.

 

[Jax]

Whether male or female how you present yourself is usually a good barometer of how you will be treated. If you come across as professional and no nonsense (and yes you can still be friendly) it is more likely you will be taken seriously. Again male or female if even other word is like or dude or really or other nonsense I will rightly or wrongly assume a ditz, stoner, or space taker. If I ask a question about a reg and you give me informed answers you will be taken seriously. How you dress will affect your image also. You don't need to be a frump but a miniskirt, tank top, or halter top will have me looking but not hearing anything. Jeans or slacks, nice shirt or polo. Or even a tasteful sundress ( unless you're a guy) will tend to make me take you seriously. A french bikini on the boat may look nice but a simple, practical one piece will look more like a professional than like a "pro" that has nothing to do with diving. Chauvinist, perhaps but also one who sees people all the time come for interviews looking like bums, sluts, or gang bangers and wonder why they do not get hired.

Because I am honest? And expect when I walk into a business to be treated in a business like manner? Many guys will act like they are taking a female in a mini seriously but that is usually all it is- an act. I'm just honest about how I see people and right or wrong that attitude has been formed by many years in retail service. As a butcher I wore a tie everyday. That and a shirt with a collar gave customers the impression that they could trust me and that I knew what I was talking about. No matter what the politically correct thing to say might be when you are dealing with the public, presentation of product and yourself is everything. My grandfather who ran a very successful business for over 40 years taught me that. It's why I would never hire anyone who did not respect theirself enough to appear looking like a professional for an interview no matter what the job. Scuba at the pool or on the boat is a little different but in a shop look like a professional or expect to not be treated like one.

After reading Pete's post I have to say that I never met the young lady in question. But if she carries herself the way Pete implies she would have my respect. My posts weree in general as the question was quite broad and again I have been dealing with the public since the age of 8 when working in my grandfathers store. Back in the old days.

I am with Mercy here, Jim. You are really showing you snap-judge a book by its cover.

 

[pjhansman]

Being young does not equate clueless.

Just remember, it's a 2-way street....being "older" does not always equate to senility either.

Being a new diver in my 50's brings me in contact with many young people who feel the need to treat me like an idiot when it comes to technology.

As an example....the fact that I actually prefer analog gauges to go with my digital dive computer does not in fact prove that I am "slow".

Phil

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Mercy, sad to say this is not just diving, but just about any "male-dominated'" environment. The men will act the same whether it's diving, military service, mechanics, sports, motorcycles, home repair, guns, . . .

... which is to say mostly like adolescents ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[diver 85]

This is almost comical, as none of you know Mercy as I do.

She's the girl who gets all of her stuff on the boat without ever asking for help. Her gear is set up before the lines are cast off. She' quite pretty, but dresses modestly enough. Yet I have seen guys try to give her all kinds of "tips" to help this poor wittle waif. For the most part, she just rolls her eyes and keeps doing what she knows to do. I would dive with Mercy anywhere that she feels comfortable diving. And you can be sure that I won't be telling her how to dive UNLESS she asks me a question.

Fortunately, scuba diving is not nearly the macho sport as it was in the 70s (or earlier). Unfortunately, far too many people are still way too quick to apply bigoted stereotypes and judge a book by it's cover. You'll miss having a number of good buddies this way and that is your loss.

I do remember a long time ago, a guy on a boat being very fatherly with his young, cute insta-buddy. She took about 20 seconds of his condescending attitude and said: "Let's just shut up and dive!"

Why would anyone need help getting their "stuff on the boat "??.....

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Why would anyone need help getting their "stuff on the boat "??.....

... I'll take all the help I can get ... sadly, no one ever offers to help out an old, fat guy ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[MClark12]

Lots of snot in Cozumel too! Let's not forget the after dive belch too - a great way to make an impression!

Being taken less than seriously in your youth is nothing new (and not exclusively a female thing) many, many, many years ago when I worked in banking I had an encounter with an elderly client who simply refused to believe anyone under the age of 40 knew anything about anything. I turned her over to an "older" employee to look after her needs, she was somewhat surprised when I got called back in to handle the transaction as no one else in the branch had experience dealing with foreign bond coupons (do bonds even have coupons any more??)

Don't let them get to you.

This is often the case. A customer comes in and assumes I'm some dumb teenager that only thinks about what shade of lipstick I should be wearing and talks down to me. I get annoyed and pass them to another employee, to avoid any unecessary conflict, as it is my job and then in most cases the employee comes back to me and asks where something is or how to find it in the computer. Like I mentioned before I've been working at my current dive shop for 2+ years, most customers know who I am and what I'm capable of. It's just the select few that are new or are someone I've never delt with that think "how could she possibly know anything?" It's not what they think of me it's that they usually don't give me the time of day and then they've already bothered me to the point that I don't want to deal with them in the first place !

 

[Sas]

... I'll take all the help I can get ... sadly, no one ever offers to help out an old, fat guy ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Well honestly, I often ask if old fat guys need help getting their stuff on the boat and many look quite distressed at the idea of me helping them and sometimes will wait until a male can help them saying they don't want me to hurt myself or something like that. One guy last week wanted to lift his doubles down to the boat from the pier, so I offered to grab them off him as he handed them down but he refused to do it, saying he wanted the (male) deckhand to help because they were 'heavy'. I assured him that I could lift them down but he just looked very doubtfully at me.