Lost my new mask and didn't get to use it once

[UnixMarine]

So I went to Lake Murray up in Oklahoma today for the first time. Took quite a while finding a spot I could park but I finally found a spot at the day fee use area and got in the water. I had my fins in my hand still and was working on my mask as it needed a little tightening, I guess it got a little loose when I was doing the scrub and what not. Anyways, I put my mask on my head (not real tight apparently) and was putting my fins on and a nice big wave from a speed boat hit me and I lost my mask and snorkel. I couldn't find them to save my life. The visibility once you got out from shore was great, but not around there as there was plenty of people stirring up the bottom. I looked quite a while for it. Fortunately my daughter had my old mask and I used that for the dive. Unfortunately, I lost about $140 in my mask and snorkel.

FYI the mask was an Oceanic shadow in black and the snorkel was a blue dry one.

 

[Scott]

Bummer. Hopefully you can make a return trip and try to locate it after the vis improves, if it does improve.

I lost one mask from MOF. I now have it around my neck, on my face or on the back of the head when I have a bungeed reg.

 

[Willy2763]

I feel your pain. I lost an Apollo on my first trip with it, never got to even try it out.

 

[freewillie]

I had just purchased new Atomic frameless. On its first dive I had put it over the tank valve on the way back. I thought I was being smart so it wouldn't get crushed on the boat. When we started packing up I must have put some tension on the strap cause next thing I knew it shot off the tank like a slingshot. I tried desparately to grab it it sank too quickly. All I could think as it slipped below the surface was oh s*#t there goes a $100 just like that.

 

[supergaijin]

Bummer... but a lesson: Don't put your mask on your forehead.

For things as critical as masks, they are often an overlooked part of the gear. The mask (fit, fogged, leaking etc.) will make or break the dive.

Spit, rinse, put it on your face.

 

[Peter69_56]

Rule 1 with new divers, were you told to have the mask around your neck? Perhaps not. When I first started the instructor would fine anyone he found with the mask on their head. Reasons why;

If you are hit by a wave you can lose them!
Only panicked divers put their mask on their head, so a good captain will rush over to you if he sees you in the distance with mask on your head and no OK signal.

Another way to lose them is to try and wash the mask with the boat moving, the (apparent) light spray will rip them out of your hand.

Always, always, always mask around your neck if not on your face.

Sorry for your loss, my wife is still annoyed that a smart looking fish with a new mask is swimming around Sipidan after she tried to wash hers with the boat running at full speed. Join the "I am annoyed" club and a lesson learned.

 

[lindenbruce]

Man that stinks. I was recently diving with SFDH taking a class. The first dive of the day started great until I hit the wreck. As always I did an equipment check and my back-up mask in a brand new mesh pouch was gone. Man was I ticked, especially since I had to do mask drills. How do you do that without a back-up mask? Well, borrow your buddies that's how. But I digress.

Back on the boat I was still ticked. The instructor asked what was wrong and I told him. He said, "The sea taketh and the sea giveth". Boy how prophetic. Well, the DM on the boat must have heard me. Well, I was still sitting there on the boat bench when the DM surfaced and threw my pouch at me still containing my mask. I looked at it in wonder and said WTF? I looked at the DM of the boat and he said he found it about 500 yards down current from the wreck site we had just dove. Man, I could not believe it. The strap on the back of the pouch had torn right off, prolly when I hit the water.

Needless to say, that DM got a BIG tip that day. B.

 

[UnixMarine]

Rule 1 with new divers, were you told to have the mask around your neck? Perhaps not. When I first started the instructor would fine anyone he found with the mask on their head. Reasons why;

If you are hit by a wave you can lose them!
Only panicked divers put their mask on their head, so a good captain will rush over to you if he sees you in the distance with mask on your head and no OK signal.

Another way to lose them is to try and wash the mask with the boat moving, the (apparent) light spray will rip them out of your hand.

Always, always, always mask around your neck if not on your face.

Sorry for your loss, my wife is still annoyed that a smart looking fish with a new mask is swimming around Sipidan after she tried to wash hers with the boat running at full speed. Join the "I am annoyed" club and a lesson learned.

I did have it on backwards so it wasn't showing distress at least.

 

[Griffo]

Who has ever for real seen a panicked diver put their mask on their forehead? Not read about it, but seem it. The whole concept seems ludicrous to me, if they are panicking surely they'd rip it off completely


Replied using Tapatalk. Please forgive my typing.

 

[ajduplessis]

I have seen a couple of new and experienced divers lose masks because it not being around their necks. I really dont understand the value of having the mask on your forehead or the back.