An Update from PADI
My recent story about why women should learn to scuba dive got the attention of a spokesperson from certification agency PADI. It seems that my stats on women divers were old. More women are learning to dive every year. Yay! And PADI is determined to close the gender gap when it comes to women who scuba dive.
Here’s what they had to say:
- July 15th is PADI’s third-annual Women’s Dive Day which was created to strengthen and grow the female diver community along with narrowing the gender gap in scuba diving.
- Last year, PADI dive centers around the world hosted more than 700 events across 77 countries and you can expect even greater numbers for the upcoming 2017 event! Together, divers around the world helped to decrease the gender gap in certification, from 35% female certifications in 2014 to 37.2% in 2016. This 1.1% annual change may sound insignificant, but each year we do this we get closer to our goal of an equal 50/50 split between male and female certifications.
So what does that mean for you right now? It means that you should join the party! You won’t lack for women to buddy up with when you dive, and you should even be able to find female instructors if that makes you more comfortable. It also means that wherever you are on July 15th, you should find a PADI Dive Center to celebrate with. Sounds like a good time to check out the new Marriott Courtyard and Dive Friends Bonaire.
If you are unsure about whether diving is for you, start with a Discover Scuba course, either at a PADI resort or at your local dive shop. The course lets you get in the water with the gear to see how it feels to breathe underwater. If you are already a snorkeler, diving is the next logical step. Whadaya waitin’ for?
