PADI released a blog article months ago, that has caused a bit of an uprising from the scuba community in the recent social media post.
The social post “Attention all female divers! Dive into Comfort and Style! Finding the perfect gear enhances your underwater experience. From stylish wetsuits to epic apparel, we’ve got you covered with our top 12 dive gear recommendations” has proven that the community not only has taken offense to the list of suggestions, but the post provides an excellent source of humor and good fun.
Helpful Tips or an Uprising in the Dive industry?
The seemingly harmless “helpful tips” article has been interpreted as suggesting that specifically women should not only look good, but also be certain to clean up while they’re on their dive. Ironically, the article, written by a female in July of 2023, has newfound ire among those who feel they don’t need to be told how to look, what to buy, or what to wear.
The comments range from offense to neutral, informative to a general “wait, what, this again?” mentality… but nonetheless, a hot topic among divers in today’s world.
What Could This Mean to the Dive Industry?
- Should they avoid the controversy with the “male/female” taglines and let people figure out what gear applies to them?
- Or, continue stirring the pot to get their social media posts seen and let creativity and sarcasm flow freely?
- Or, actually ask divers what they want or need. Surely, they’ll tell you:
- More diving!
- More trips!
- Things that aren’t always pink
- More things that are pink – defer to Woody at #DiveTalk
- Solid gear bags, that weight under 7# and don’t look like theft-bait
- More affordable and/or women’s fit options for drysuit undergarments. We know you say unisex, but…
- Improved jubilee band covers that won’t rip/fray on continued use
- Larger/brighter print computer displays for low vis
- Full wide angle and macro camera systems with strobes, lights and floats that pack into a box small enough to fit under an airplane seat
- Camera buckets big enough for everyone’s rig
- Rechargeable batteries with a common size plug
- More D Rings
Leggings, Full Frame Masks & Trash Bags…or, Refusal to Be Segregated?
The points made in responses to the article about male or female sides are clear that the divers have chosen a side: DIVERS.
We are taught early on that diving is a buddy sport, and create a community that looks out for one another. It’s reassuring to see that despite the inferences and interpretations, our community is still looking out for safety, inclusion and above all else, gloriously creative and sarcastic remarks from the general public.
As for the dive community, and those with a humorous nature, we salute you. Thank you for the laughs and we hope to enjoy a long boat ride with you somewhere in the world.
As for the dive industry, shhhhh. Listen. The voices are telling you what they want.
