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Women as commercial divers
What do you guys think about women commercial divers? I'm not one, but I know a gal interested in becoming one. In such a male-dominated industry, would it be harder for a woman to have a successful career? Would you enjoy working side by side with women?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by R. Hood on
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Damn liz u say "this day and age" as if the world is not awash in ignorance and injustice. As far as I see it U are a "commercial diver" no gender qualifications needed, u meet the requirements of the job so u are what u are. I bet that if u find yourself at the worksite with someone with an ignorant opinion of u, that u would not hesitate to educate them in the reality of the situation. To me it's not a question of can a woman be a commercial diver - it's just are u a commercial diver or not. And unless u got an extra set of vocal chords below i dont really see how your gentals are ever gonna manage to answer that question. (man there are so many good puns available with that last point - but i went as pc as i could. now i kinda hate myself for passing up such an opportunity) good luck and be safe to all u Commercial Divers out there.
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Permalink Reply by Dive Diva on
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The stated reasons for concern about women working offshore have always been that they could not do the work required or that the work places lacked the physical accommodations, such as bathrooms and living quarters, needed by women.
The problems men describe have as much to do with the disruption of the all-male culture as they do with getting work done. Working offshore takes men away from the responsibilities of home – which includes the responsibility to act respectfully.
In entering the all male offshore work place, women disrupted the work culture that defined who could and who couldn’t be a member of the team. The changes in workplace culture that accompanied the inclusion of women challenged ideologies that had been assumed to be critical to the smooth and efficient functioning of the industry.
For the most part, men expect that a woman’s success will depend on her willingness and ability to adapt to the male culture. However men too have to adjust, though fewer are likely to acknowledge that men’s attitudes and behaviors are key factors in women’s experiences.
Learning to respect women as co-workers comes easier for some than for others. Even when men conclude that the women have done a good job, their language often conveys a certain degree of condescension. Embedded in these posts is evidence of the significance of the challenge to the traditional male roles and ideologies and the resistance to change.
Some men are quick to recognize a woman’s competence while others continue to dismiss their success. Even now decades after the first women have been working offshore, women are regularly reminded that their gender keeps them apart.
Thirty-five years after the first women began working offshore, women are still a rarity and each one has to negotiate her relationships with her co-workers on the basis of gender as well as performance. The ultimate goal for a woman is to be accepted and treated as both a woman and a co-worker.
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Permalink Reply by Martin Morris on
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Ethan is right in that it is a distraction. When you have been offshore awhile and haven't had sex in a while having a female onboard distracts the wh*** crew. On one job I was in the head just about to drop one when a little feminine squeeky voice in the booth behind me piped up and said "Marty, is that you" and I felt so weird I couldn't. It was funny though. Later I threw a crunched up candy bar that looked like a turd on one of the wetsuits that had to be washed just out of fun. She didn't talk to me for at least 3 hours after that.
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Permalink Reply by Rebekah Feasel on
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There are as many terrible female divers out there as there are terrible male ones. Likewise, there are plenty of good ones. The only difference I see is how much louder the bad male divers whine.
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Permalink Reply by James Daniele on
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Bottom line, If she can do it better than he can she goes in the water, not about gender but productivity. Coming from the military I can say its only the p****** who b**** about women in the workplace!!
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Permalink Reply by Sarah Jane PELL on
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Many professionals face old-school prejudice, sterotyping and discrimination at the outset of their careers - it is not uncommon. I have been over-looked, under-estimated and even disquailifed for being young, female, tall, blonde, well-spoken - you name it!! In my experience, this disolves when I focus on the job at hand. I do not try to be one of the boys just part of the team. When it comes to the dive job, I fail to see where my gender is an issue.
But I do understand that many of my male colleagues have never (ever!!) worked with woman before. It is therefore not surprising that my feminine presence alone in many male-dominated industries is challenging for some. Nevertheless, in my experience, this has been an all-round positive challenge. For instance, I have noticed male colleagues try to out-perform me and/or impress me with best practice, best judgement and best times etc. No employer ever complains about this!
Yes, it is harder for woman to have a successful career in commercial diving, but I would not discourage any potential candidate on that basis. Gender alone will not determine success, satifaction, reward or fulfillment. Go for it!!
My current employer has 30% female commercial divers on site and I enjoy it. There is a healthy balance - encouraging an atmosphere of respect for difference and best performance. With an equal opportunity, the right training, crews and equipment, professional woman work just as well in commercial diving as men. At the end of the day the physical and mental requirements of the job do not have a gender bias, the bias only exists as a social and cultural issue.
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Concerning the wh*** guy girl thing, I sympathize with the guys offshore about one thing.
When I used to have to wake stand by divers up several of them would tell me afterwards that being woken up by a female voice confused the hell out of them. They would struggle to remember where they were.
For that one aspect of the dual-gender boat/barge, gentlemen, I humbly apologize.
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Your awesome Beka. Miss you girl. keep up the good work!
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Permalink Reply by Roger Newton-Darby on
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I have worked with a female diver, she was employed as a graduate and positioned in operations of sevral jobs one which I was on. she also was very young only mid 20's me being 27 at the time I could relait with her on trying to get into the industry, she could do pretty much most thing, a good diver also and run the team which was her major strugle as one of the lads was in his 50's, they gave her a hard time, but this did'nt stop her either, what stopped her in her tracks and ended her short carear as a comercial diver was the life style, she just was to fare away from her life in the city, I cought her on the phone all the time after work finished to her girlie pals I sipose missing her old life that she had left behind. When she would come out to the pub to mingle with the boys, she was protected to much by the main manager of the firm who was molly cudling his risky uni investment employee, it didnt help her be her self. I guess she was just to Cosmo for the job some gals belong in the city in nice office suits and thats that. now she was a looker and its nice to have a pretty bird in a some what dreary cage. so come on boy's next time you work with a bird treat her like one of the lads and not china and she may serprise you.
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