Frustrations of Diving as a short and/or petite woman
Posted in Uncategorized by admin on February 24th, 2008 I have been diving since 1995, and there are still some obstacles underwater that I have not been able to get around. I have been fighting these same problems since my open water classes.
Not only do we have to deal with the obvious problems of the average female’s smaller frame having to carry the same heavy gear as our male counterparts, but everything else seems to be designed for men only as well…
First, the B.C.’s. Even the “woman’s” B.C.’s are nowhere comfortable enough to actually have be designed for a woman. I would love to see what models are being used to measure these devices.
Even during my pool sessions back in 1995, I have tried different sizes and designs of B.C.’s. The”woman’s” are no better than the mens. I always feel uncomfortable and bulky. One size up and it’s too loose on top and the cumber bun doesn’t fit tight enough around the stomach. One size down and the cumber bun doesn’t reach the stomach and tightens around the lower ribs. Either problem, the result is the BC riding up underwater.
At first I unconsciously would push out on my stomach to hold it down, but I would come up with stomach pains and it would hurt to breathe using my diaphragm for a few days after diving. I knew this couldn’t be safe, so I would compensate by using my hands to hold it down, or I would constantly be tugging it back down as I swam.
I tried the B.C.’s that only inflate in the back, but they are too wide and do not tighten around the stomach enough and hence, ride up. If I go a size smaller, it doesn’t fit around my chest and cuts off circulation if I inflate. Yet another safety issue.
Different brands, different styles… same results…
If anybody has had the same trouble, or has found a solution or a B.C. that solves either of these problems, please let me know.
Problem number 2 - the tanks. Let’s face it, most woman are shorter than men. Scientific fact. The tanks however only come in the standard sizes. If you want a smaller tank, you get less air and therefore have shorter bottom time. The only advantage is that the average woman has smaller lungs and therefore use less air. But, that does not apply to all the woman, and in my experience diving, there is a variety of shapes and sizes of woman who love the sport.
So what about those female divers who don’t have smaller lungs or use less air? They are then stuck with a larger tank. You kick, and the back of your legs hits the back of the tank. To compensate, you spread your legs a little farther using more energy and therefore… more air… less bottom time.
If you put your head back a little too far to look ahead or up, you hit the back of the tank or else the tank pulls at your hair tie. Do that enough times in one dive and your hair tie falls out causing your hair to go everywhere. If you don’t notice it fall out right away, there is no saving it. The only solution… bring extra hair ties. We can’t grow, and tank companies have yet to develop a shorter, wider tank.
So dive gear companies, please PLEASE start making more gear suitable for the vast variety of female divers. Maybe a cumber bun on a BC that is fitted below the air pockets so it can tighten properly in the waist… and tanks that are wider and shorter making our dives much more enjoyable…
Thanks for listening (or reading)!
