Over and over again, I say that exploring the waterworld has touched me immensely and in many ways have changed me as a person. My joys multiplied in every experience I savored, I’m learning new things and obviously I’m enjoying every bit of it. There are more etched in my memory than what I’ve said or what I wrote, it always brings smiles on my lips everytime I remember them…
Contrary to this however, is my being a woman. My being one put limits in this pursuit, my strenght is not enough to accomodate the rigors of diving. My gear bag is heavy, the tank is heavy, gears are heavy and my doctor said I need to be careful with my shoulders. Although there is an increasing of ladies diving now, there are still dive resorts espeically those managed by foreigners bit critical to find Filipina (married to foreigners is okey) in this sport. They look at you as if you’re an ET!
I was wishing I could put on the gears (bc, tank, weights) walk to the dive boat and climb up from the boat with them still on, but I don’t want to put much pressure on my back and shoulders, so I’m truly dependent with the help. Sometimes too, there are men buddy who are too solicitous and keep tagging along and once my buddy held my BC until we ascend and when we surfaced he inflated my BC – I can do it anyway! 😛 Men are men, so they can stare at you while you’re at your snug fitting attire, and that’s rude I think!
But more than that, I enjoy the benefit of my being the “Venusian”, I can get the attention of the “Martians” during dive trips. And I’m always grateful for it, the men are always ready for all your requests. My gears are always carried for me, even during shore dives – I always put on the gears on the waters. My mentor always arranges things for me to make me comfortable in my dive trips, that is if I dive with them. I always gain favor from him, including discounts on dive fees and stuff from the dive shop.
Also, dive resort treat divers with special care and attention especially PADI accredited, I always admire their professionalism and courtesy. It’s like I’m into a career oriented group dealing with special people – at a higher level.
Perhaps, as a woman I can not equal what men can do as a diver but more than that my being a Venusian is not an obstacle in exploring and broadening my horizons in the underwater world. Divers are special people, they are fun loving and adventurous, woman at that! J
Life in the Great Beyond 