Why I wear pink fins

Most people assume that I wear pink fins and have pink diving accessories because, obviously,  I'm a cliche girly girl. In fact the reason is totally the opposite. I wear pink precisely because I'm not usually perceived to be a girl at all; to mark my female identity and redeem a sense of femininity in a predominantly male orientated industry. 



I'm not sure why, but the colour pink seems to be synonymous with female identity, so my using of the colour pink is an attempted reminder that I am, in fact, a girl. I have always been happier to go catch some waves or play beach sports with the guys than to lie on the beach sunbathing, but in doing so I have been accepted and treated like one of the boys, because 'most girls don't act like that.' 



I want to break down these gender barriers and stereotypes that dictate what is and isn't socially expected from girls. Working as a dive instructor I have unfortunately experienced countless sexist remarks and people's archaic views on the 'woman's place' first-hand.It used to be considered bad luck to have a woman on board a boat because they distracted the sailors from their sea duties. Thankfully we've come a long way since then and I am qualified to drive, crew and work on boats just as my male counterparts are. However it seems that some people's views have not moved with the times.


I often receive condescending comments about wearing pink fins; however I would rather accept these sweeping generalisations and assumptions of fitting a stereotype than to be forgotten as a female. What I struggle to accept though, is people assuming I will be inferior to my male colleagues; an opinion purely determined by my gender. Or people presupposing that I am just a deck hand or intern because they don't expect a girl to have a career teaching people to scuba dive. 


What frustrates me the most though is when people are surprised if I actually do a good job: I want to be seen as good at my job because I'm a girl, not despite it.



However, this gender stereotyping can even be extended to colleagues and employers. I have worked in several dive jobs where women are encouraged to work in the shop and let the men do the heavy lifting and filling of tanks. Is equality so much to ask for in first world society in the twenty-first century?




For a while I tried to suppress my female identity and fit in with the guys, in order to be treated as an equal, but to no avail. The guys I worked with used to hide or use my dive equipment 'as a joke' because I was the only girl, and so by default, the only target. I am all for a bit of fun in the workplace, but it gets tiresome when you become the target for all pranks, solely due to your gender. So I bought pink fins to embrace the fact that I am a girl, but to be respected and not targeted for being one. It seemed to work, apparently most guys don't want to be caught dead diving in bright pink fins.