? abt LDS

[ixrayu]

That is one of the problems! I don't know if I was treated that way about the mask because I am a dumb newbie or because I am a woman. Not many women in our area dive. We only have 2 dive shops in or area. One is the PADI shop and the other SSI. I don't really care for the stuff the SSI shop sells. So for local shopping I'm stuck.

[quarkuud]

I don't feel like my LDS owner treats me differently when I go in to buy gear or pay for my next trip because I'm a woman. I haven't bought anything big from them, though, so I guess that could change.

I do feel like I was treated differently by diving instructors, though. I can't put my finger on it, exactly, but I think it's that they're more...reassuring, somehow, than with the boys. I'm not sure how much of that is that I'm a woman and how much is that I'm young and have a sort of hesitant manner. I suspect it's the combination more than anything else.It doesn't exactly bother me, so long as they will still tell me what I'm doing wrong.

I felt the same way in weapons training, too, when I was the only women and the youngest person in a class of ten men taught by three federal cops (all men). The head instructor would go out of his way to tell me that I was doing well. I was, actually, but sometimes that kind of thing makes you doubt yourself. So it isn't just a diving problem, and some of it is probably a me problem.

[mdwestgrl]

My lds all seem to treat women and men equally from my experience. I would give them another shot to see how they act when you go in next time by yourself and see how they act. Was it everyone there or just one person? We did have one employee at one lds that completely ignored both my husband & myself and pretended we weren't even in the store. They are no longer working there. (not because of us, we didn't say anything - apparently several other people did)

[scubasavvy]

I've been treated differently at my LDS...they won't touch me when I try on BCs so they don't find themselves a lawsuit. Other than that, I don't see much of a difference in the treatment between me and the guys...

[voodoodoly]

The first LDS I went to is owned by a woman. You would think that this would be a great place to go if you are a woman but no. I did my open water cert. through this shop only because my buddy insisted, it was convenient. The only way a female was to get attention from the shop owner was if you had your husband or boyfriend with you. I won't deal with moody shop owners so I looked around. I finally found a great LDS after going to at least 6 shops in a 1 hour drive time. ( I liked this new shop so much that I now work there part-time one or two days a week)

[lucidblue]

I haven't been treated any differently in any LDS I've gone to in the area (been to about 4). Instructors seemed to treat everyone the same too.

[Chocoholic]

I've had no problems, here in Alaska they are just happy to have someone come in to talk diving with.

[scuba Widow]

I have only been in the LDS with finflippers and they seem to follow him around like a bunch of vultures waiting for the kill and doesn't even notice me.

[sudnit5]

My girlfriend has had the same experience. That is why we don't go there anymore either.

[ScubaJenn81]

I do not think it matter which gender you are, I think it is about what kind of fibe you give off. When I go shopping, I want to be left alone, while my husband likes to talk to the staff about the product. So, when we go shopping, they always talk to him and leave me alone, but that happens if the staff is male and female.