Recently the US Naval Institute put out a call for articles written by women. They got several on diverse subjects, but one in particular by a Coast Guard Academy graduate, Damage Control Assistant, boarding party member, and Diver got my attention, because it seems to indicate that, not only that we are not properly outfitting crew members that are smaller than average, but also that we may be putting their lives in dangers because they are not given gear that fits.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
Stupid – stupid – if they can do the job get them the correct safety equipment – period – end. Also fix the simple thing like getting proper sized ODU’s for the people. Does not take much smarts to have a few of all the sizes of uniforms in stock, help people look sharp, does wonders for their moral .
Been a while and there were a lot of contributing factors, but seems to me that dive equipment that did not fit correctly was a contributing factor for at least one of the divers deaths on the Cutter Healy
As a recreational Master Diver, I would like to point out the the scuba industry has been making smaller size dive gear for about 2 DECADES. That includes BCs specifically tailored for women. And that goes MOST basic scuba gear.
Either the school’s gear procurer is a myopic idiot, OR the school is deliberately trying to force her out?
Not Coast Guard, but this seems related. http://www.stripes.com/news/us/one-female-veteran-s-epic-quest-for-a-foot-that-fits-1.366611
VA cannot provide a female veteran amputee with an appropriately sized prosthetic foot.
—This is shameful.—
Attitudes toward women change slowly, I fought the battle to promote women in nontraditional jobs in private industry and it was always uphill. Sometimes overt bashing, but mostly one of people just did not think or could not envision a woman doing “a man’s job” But the bad equipment is not limited to women. I sent the link to a friend that was a Navy Master Diver for over 20 years, and his response is below, short to the point.
Like underpaid teachers buying supplies for their class rooms.
Sadly I know all about the teachers and their own pockets to buy supplies for their classrooms, My sister and her two daughters are teachers so I hear first hand about the shrinking budgets and pay
Makes me sad every-time I see how professionals are treated today
When I work in admin for a utility company I was asked to order PPE for a graduate who was going to do a study roadside. Said graduate was average to slim twenty something female. I ordered the smallest size of everything and when she tried everything on she looked like five year old playing dress up, They found her something else to do and got a young man to do the study. PPE is useless if it doesn’t fit. It was funny as she hopped out of the makeshift female “locker room” holding on to her trousers with the top half of her head disappearing inside the helmet asking jokingly if backside looked big in these pants…..