Why don't technical divers use full face masks?

[The Chairman]

Gas sharing could easily be solved by having your regulator already open and ready to got right?

Not if you're the one needing the gas. However, I saw a little gismo when I did my rebreather training. I could actually change tanks mid water if it had this connector in place. I am thinking of the possibilities of using it.

 

[Abdullah]

Not if you're the one needing the gas. However, I saw a little gismo when I did my rebreather training. I could actually change tanks mid water if it had this connector in place. I am thinking of the possibilities of using it.

Who makes it?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

One of the scariest things I've seen recently was in Roatan last October. Relatively inexperienced diver with a full face mask (said he didn't like getting water on his face), with his "backup" regulator a SP Air-2.

What could possibly go wrong

Fortunately he came with his own buddy, so no-one had to team up with him.

Uh ... ran into this on a trip to British Columbia last year. Dude in a FFM. His buddy bailed and he wanted to dive with me and mine. I asked him how he'd handle a gas share emergency. He told me just remove the mask. I asked him if he's ever done it before. He said yeah ... in class ... in a pool. I asked him if he's ever practiced it in open water, on a real dive. He said no. I told him I wouldn't be comfortable having him join our team.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Paulmal]

One of the scariest things I've seen recently was in Roatan last October. Relatively inexperienced diver with a full face mask (said he didn't like getting water on his face), with his "backup" regulator a SP Air-2.

What could possibly go wrong

Fortunately he came with his own buddy, so no-one had to team up with him.

That is scary. I would solo dive before I dive with a CF like that.

 

[PfcAJ]

Rule #1 and #2.

 

[Bombay High]

Indeed they are almost exclusively used by professional(commercial) and technical divers.

Most commercial divers (actually, all that I have worked with) don't use full face masks. We use hats (helmets) such as these :

Kirby Morgan 37SS | Kirby Morgan

 

[kaerius]

Most commercial divers (actually, all that I have worked with) don't use full face masks. We use hats (helmets) such as these :

Kirby Morgan 37SS | Kirby Morgan

I think you misunderstood my meaning: the demographic of divers that use full face masks is mainly commercial divers, few technical divers, and fewer still recreational divers. I was however not saying that most commercial divers are using full face masks. IE: Almost all full face mask users are commercial divers, this does not mean that the reverse is true(that commercial divers in large part use full face masks).

 

[supercritical]

From what I have seen on this thread, the disadvantages of a FFM are:
- Possible difficulty with gas switching
- Difficulty with the AAS in an OOA situation
- Difficulty with inflating the SMB
- Larger dead air space - problematic for rebreather divers
- Flooding in an OOA situation

 

[HowardE]

From what I have seen on this thread, the disadvantages of a FFM are:
- Possible difficulty with gas switching
- Difficulty with the AAS in an OOA situation
- Difficulty with inflating the SMB
- Larger dead air space - problematic for rebreather divers
- Flooding in an OOA situation

There is larger dead air space, which could be problematic for all divers. In any FFM or helmet, there is a resulting increase in anatomical dead space (the helmet or FFM). This causes increased CO2 which could also cause an increase in respiration and RMV for even Open Circuit divers. Increased CO2 is not only a concern for CCR's but for every diver. CO2 is narcotic and also causes a number of issues for both OC and CCR. In a dive helmet, you can turn on the air train, and flush the hat occasionally, but this mechanism isn't available in FFM's, unless you pull the mask away from your face and purge the mask... but it's not the same.

My opinion on flooding in an OOA situation, I'd have to ask, what technical diver is having an OOA situation and why? There's really no excuse for OOA situations at the technical level, even if there's an explosive loss of gas, there should be alternatives and a technical diver should be able to reach the surface without having to do a CESA, as generally a technical diver would have a virtual overhead (decompression stop), and making a CESA would only result in getting (probably) seriously bent or maybe dead.

Difficulty with gas switch can be easily remedied with a switch block. This is no problem.

Inflating an SMB can easily be handled with an "inflator attachment" aka "doggy dick"... this is no problem.

Me personally, the reason I don't use a FFM unless I have to (for communications) is because - unless I'm using the Kirby Morgan M-48 mask, the breathing characteristics of the FFM's aren't as high performance as my Apeks regulators. If I'm diving to 200+ feet, I want my high quality regs, and also I don't want any increased CO2 levels (which are virtually unavoidable in an FFM)

 

[kaerius]

Me personally, the reason I don't use a FFM unless I have to (for communications) is because - unless I'm using the Kirby Morgan M-48 mask, the breathing characteristics of the FFM's aren't as high performance as my Apeks regulators. If I'm diving to 200+ feet, I want my high quality regs, and also I don't want any increased CO2 levels (which are virtually unavoidable in an FFM)

Well, there are full face masks with a mouthpiece, this eliminates the airspace/CO2 problem, mind you it also effectively eliminates the communication advantage. At that point it's just for comfort. I could consider using one of those for cold diving, assuming it also pod type mask, so I can swap to an alternate airsource without removing my mask(such as a Kirby-Morgan KM-48 supermask).