Women in Diving from A Female Scuba diving Instructor Silent World Divers Puerto Vallarta

Women in Diving: From a Female Scuba Diving Instructor Silent World Divers Puerto Vallarta

Women in diving and why this is even a topic. As female scuba diving instructors we see this all the time. Let’s lay it all out here and tell you that not only do women make fantastic divers and instructors but we are also highly effective in the business of diving!

Woman in Professional Diving instructing her students
Yadira Alvarez Giving one of the best pool dive briefings

Let’s look at women as divers:
Women have a few physical traits that can make them better divers.

Women’s bodies are more suited for diving

When it comes to air consumption, women tend to have the advantage. We are often physically smaller than men, have a smaller lung capacity, and less muscle mass. It is not a guarantee, but for new divers, especially, it is likely that we will have more air left in our cylinders than men will.

Women also seem to have more control over their own buoyancy as a diver. This could be contributed to the fact that women have higher body fat, making us a bit more buoyant. Because of this women sometimes learn how to control buoyancy as swimmers making it much easier when learning to dive.

Women are more safety conscious

This is a neurological trait. Typically, women can be seen as ‘damsels in distress’, or, in a stressful situation, some may think that women will just fall apart and break down, whereas men take charge and become the heroes. Studies are showing that this may be untrue. Mara Mather, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of southern California and Ruud van den Bos, a neurobiologist at Radboud University found then when in stressful situation men are more likely to take risks. This can be due to a natural chain reaction of hormones. First the stress hormone cortisol is released, followed by testosterone, concluding with adrenaline, this can be a hormonal cocktail for bad and risky decision making. Whereas women tend to become more risk alert in stressful situations and tend to look at the bigger picture more so than the immediate reward. This can be very valuable in diving, especially in the beginning. As a new diver you are completely out of your natural element. We hear it all the time as divers that if you experience stress underwater, what you must do first is stop, think and then act! Given our neurological make up, this is a bit more likely for women to do than men.

Female Scuba Instructor best dive briefing

Women have Natural Navigation in Scuba Diving

On land men may have women beat on this one, and it is an old stereotypical joke that women cannot navigate. Well men, again, in diving, we have you beat here.  Marine Scientist, Mandy Shackleton, led a two year study on scuba divers. The findings were that women have greater awareness of what is going on around them in a smaller setting and tend to use cues that are in their immediate vicinity for navigation. Which in diving can be very beneficial.

Women as scuba diving instructors

Women are patient, understanding, and honestly we can make you tough. Why? Because this industry was tough on us and we often have to quickly adopt a ‘no bullshit’ attitude if we want to make it as a dive instructor. We have to lift as many tanks as the boys, we have to clean as many dirty regulators and we have to deal with all kinds of students, even the ones that doubt us.

Women girl scuba diving instructor

Teaching Scuba Diving in the Classroom

If you are a female student, then it’s a win-win, if I can be a dive instructor, you can be a diver. Don’t let anyone tell you ‘it’s too tough’ or ‘it’s a bit more of a man sport’. We are happy to listen to your fears and we understand. If you are a man and you are having trouble, first off we may just tell you to ‘man up’ but if the tough love approach doesn’t work, don’t worry we will be more than willing to hold your hand as well. Ever thought of becoming a diving instructor?

Diving is becoming easier for women

Diving has always been a male dominated sport, we know this. Women now make up 40% of the dive community which is quite an accomplishment. There are some things that are making it more attainable.

Scuba Diving easy for women and girls

Dive Equipment for women scuba divers

For years dive equipment was more geared towards men and men’s physics, making it much more of a challenge for women to find gear that would fit and work comfortably for them. Now almost all major scuba equipment brands have multiple women’s BCD’s, wetsuits and masks that work much better for our body types.

Female Scuba Instructor

Regardless of preconceptions that scuba diving is male dominated, women have a huge place in the scuba diving world. Some of the advantages mentioned above as well as the general suitability of scuba diving for women. , we are a very successful and functional team of diving staff that work along side each other regardless of gender. So don’t miss out on an ancient notion and join other successful women in diving as a career or just learn to dive and explore the underwater world with us!

START YOUR ADVENTUR TODAY. Yadira Alvarez