Women and Scuba Diving

Greg Galford   Jun 29, 2024

Scuba diving has traditionally been, and remains to this day, a male dominated sport. Approximately 1% of the world's population has participated in diving at least once (PADI, 2013) and of PADI issued certifications, only an estimated 37% are female (PADI, 2017). However, the tide is changing my friends, the number was 33% in 2011. Women from all walks of life are choosing diving as their sport of choice and it is no longer just a boys club. Every year the number of women participating in diving increases and women are making huge differences for our oceans and our dive community.

Throughout history, women have had additional hoops and jumps, obstacles and prejudices to overcome when stepping foot into a male dominated world. And yet, women prevail! Let's take a look at some of the women of diving history who have helped to shape the dive community today and what it will become in the future.

Notable Women in Diving:

Dottie Frazier
First up in our elite list, she has claimed MANY firsts in diving. She was the first female instructor, first female dive shop owner and first female Hard Hat diver. She manufactured wetsuits and drysuits for both Navy and recreational divers and is one of Scuba's living legends.

Simone Melchoir Cousteau
The matriarch of the Costeau's and a contributing member to the invention of the Aqualung. Her family helped fund the exploration vessel Calypso and while onboard she played the role of psychiatrist, nurse and whale watcher. The phrase "behind every great man, there is a great woman," comes to mind here.

Dr. Sylvia Earle
Ok so I have to admit, Dr. Earle is a personal hero of mine. An icon amongst divers, she was the first female Chief Scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). She was a trailblazer in the development of deep sea submersibles and the leader of the Tektite II submersible in 1970. She is an author (if you haven't read her books I highly recommend taking the time to do so), has received more than a hundred national and international honors including a TED prize and is a current Explorer-in-Residence for National Geographic. Her current project, Mission Blue, is both a documentary and a movement for ocean conservation and protection.

Valerie Taylor
Valerie Taylor and her husband were amongst the first to film a great white shark (unintentionally without a cage no less). Their documentary, The Hunt for the Great White Shark inspired author Peter Benchley to write Jaws and Steven Speilberg hired the Taylors to shoot underwater footage for the film.

Zale Perry
She was instrumental in developing the first civilian hyperbaric chamber (thank you for that!). She was an actress and stunt double in the TV series Sea Hunt, she set a women's deep diving record, was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated (May 23rd, 1955) and was an accomplished underwater photographer.

Lotte Baierl Hass
She is considered the "First Lady of Diving". She married filmmaker Hans Hass in the 50's and their film Red Sea won first prize in the Venice Film Festival, predating the Cousteau's The Silent World by five years. She had an accomplished career as an underwater explorer and photographer. Her family was famous in Great Britain for their TV series Diving to Adventure and The Undersea World of Adventure.

Dr. Eugenie Clark
Our very own "Shark Lady". Dr. Clark was known as a leading scientific authority on fish (a few even named after her) with a passion for sharks. She learned to dive in the 40's at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and, even with the limiting factor of not being able to participate in overnight research trips, she was not deterred. She has worked at the American Museum of Natural History and founded the Cape Haze Marine Laboratory (now know at Mote Marine Laboratory) in 1955. Her research is extensive and she produced numerous articles and books on shark behavior.

During her seven decades in the field, she made more than 70 dives in submersibles, to depths as great as 12,000 feet. One of her last dives was on her 92nd birthday last year, in the Red Sea. To say she is an inspiration is an understatement.

Thanks to these amazing women overcoming the obstacles put before them, we have a diverse and exciting world of diving accessible to so many. They have shaped our community and inspired other women to feel empowered to explore the underwater world.

Cheers to you dive ladies!