Fifty years ago, Donna Tobias made history as the first woman to graduate from the US Navy’s Second Class Dive School, breaking barriers in a male-dominated field. Today, as the Association of Women Navy Divers marks this milestone, the legacy of trailblazers like Tobias continues to inspire. Over 300 women have since graduated from the Navy’s dive programs, a testament to perseverance and progress. But the journey wasn’t easy.
The 1970s were a time of seismic change in the US military. The Equal Rights Amendment’s passage through Congress in 1972 set the stage for Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, then Chief of Naval Operations, to push for policies allowing women to qualify for any position in the armed forces. This shift in policy opened doors, but cultural resistance remained. Women like Mary Bonnin and Karen Kohanowich had to fight not just the physical demands of diving but also the skepticism of their peers.
Bonnin’s story is a case in point. While working at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, she seized an unexpected opportunity when a male sailor’s withdrawal from dive school left an opening. A Chief Warrant Officer dismissed her ambition, saying, “You couldn’t do it. Babe, what do you want to be a diver for? You’ll be thrown out of that school in a week.” His doubt only fueled her determination. She proved him wrong, graduating and carving out a place for herself in the Navy’s diving community.
Kohanowich, another pioneer, was drawn to diving precisely because the standards were the same for everyone. “What really got me into diving was that the standards for women were the same [as for men],” she said. “Women had to do the same number of sit-ups and push-ups. They had to climb up and down the dive ladders wearing the same 200-pound Mark V dive system.” This equality in challenge was both a motivator and a proving ground.
Yet, the physical challenges were only part of the battle. The gear itself was designed for men, often oversized and ill-fitting for women. In the September/October issue of Marine Technology Reporter, Captain Bobbie Scolley (U.S. Navy, ret.) and Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet (U.S. Navy, ret.) detail how women adapted, overcoming these obstacles through sheer grit and ingenuity.
The impact of these early divers extends beyond their individual achievements. They paved the way for future generations, proving that capability, not gender, should determine who serves in the most demanding roles. Today, as the Navy continues to evolve, the contributions of women divers remain a cornerstone of its success.
This anniversary isn’t just a celebration of the past; it’s a reminder of the ongoing work needed to ensure diversity and inclusion in all sectors of the maritime industry. The stories of Tobias, Bonnin, Kohanowich, and countless others challenge us to ask: How far have we come, and what barriers still need breaking? Their legacy is a call to action—to keep pushing, keep adapting, and keep proving that talent knows no gender.