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Crud. This is pretty much the same thing: S.O.R.T.I.E. - Full-face Mask Training
Diving with full facemask
- Thread starter MattWilliams
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Man, I wish they had articles like that back when I was learning about FFM's 12 years ago! LOL 
I've done lots of bail-out drills, including ditches and surfaces with a removable pony bottle from a entangled rig. Heh, those are a lot of fun and once you do a few, you realize that is really the best option if your rig is entangled.
When I've dove with an FFM out here, I tend to do the surface swim with a standard mask/snorkel. As much as the ambient breather is kool, it doesn't work well with the swells of the california shoreline. In the Boston winter dives, I ran doubles with a pony bottle and a home-made Y switch with these fancy brass QD's a buddy built for me, nice stuff. The whole thing was QD, so if you had to ditch part or all of your equipment it was easy. I'd start the dive from hitting the water in winter, it was too cold to get your face wet! But yea, I understand the "shock" which can happen from super cold water coming in. However, the likelihood the AGA freezes up (only real reason to ditch it) is so slim, I know those regs so well, they usually freeflow if they freeze. We had a bleed-off system for 1st stage freezing as well, but my poseidon regs wouldn't freeze, heh
I miss that rig, I'm kinda upset I sold it.
But yea, I agree that safety is an issue for sure. If you believe the buddy system will save you, if you don't have a backup air source, if you dive deep and in over-head environments, yea stuff is gonna happen. Ya gotta be prepared for OOA situations and ditching, if you can do those things with an FFM, there isn't any harm in having one in my view.
I've done lots of bail-out drills, including ditches and surfaces with a removable pony bottle from a entangled rig. Heh, those are a lot of fun and once you do a few, you realize that is really the best option if your rig is entangled.
When I've dove with an FFM out here, I tend to do the surface swim with a standard mask/snorkel. As much as the ambient breather is kool, it doesn't work well with the swells of the california shoreline. In the Boston winter dives, I ran doubles with a pony bottle and a home-made Y switch with these fancy brass QD's a buddy built for me, nice stuff. The whole thing was QD, so if you had to ditch part or all of your equipment it was easy. I'd start the dive from hitting the water in winter, it was too cold to get your face wet! But yea, I understand the "shock" which can happen from super cold water coming in. However, the likelihood the AGA freezes up (only real reason to ditch it) is so slim, I know those regs so well, they usually freeflow if they freeze. We had a bleed-off system for 1st stage freezing as well, but my poseidon regs wouldn't freeze, heh
I miss that rig, I'm kinda upset I sold it.
But yea, I agree that safety is an issue for sure. If you believe the buddy system will save you, if you don't have a backup air source, if you dive deep and in over-head environments, yea stuff is gonna happen. Ya gotta be prepared for OOA situations and ditching, if you can do those things with an FFM, there isn't any harm in having one in my view.
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Agree. Point being, those that see a FFM as a way to sidestep basic mask skills cause me serious concern...
Absolutely agreed!
Thought I'd share my experience. A buddy and I have been using OTS Guardian FFMs for almost a year. I took the SDI solo class a few weeks ago, and my instructor added a segment tailored to the FFM. This included switching to a regular mask, and back again, several times. It also included several full bailouts, since he knows that we're planning several weeks of kelp diving next year. We also configured a very workable connection with my pony bottle and the FFM, using a couple of quick releases and a gas switch block - Page Title - works like a charm. We'll be getting a good deal of practice with this setup with a couple of weeks in the PNW next month.
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I remember grabbing the noseblock in my teeth while trying to get back onto the FFM while pressured. *Instinct from standard mask thinking*
Tasking me with saving someone else at this time would have been completely over the top...
---------- Post Merged at 09:59 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 09:37 PM ----------
My posts have nothing at all to do with MattWilliams, Cindy.
Tasking me with saving someone else at this time would have been completely over the top...
---------- Post Merged at 09:59 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 09:37 PM ----------
My posts have nothing at all to do with MattWilliams, Cindy.
CindyMac
Contributor
I am very comfortable with basic mask skills. During my OW classes, my mask got dislodged by one of my classmates a lot - he didn't mean to, he just didn't seem to be aware of how long his legs were and where others might be. I think I would be doing myself and my husband a huge disservice to not have basic mask skills.
I have a whole, whoppin' 12 dives now - only 4 with the FFM. I generally do dunk my face in the water (was a real shocker on Sunday, 64 degrees!) before putting it on. Don't like it, but felt like I should really get an idea what the water felt like.
The safety of having an airway/air supply if one of us were to lose consciousness was a major factor in our purchase. The no fogging is terrific, too.
Thanks, lowviz!!!!
I have a whole, whoppin' 12 dives now - only 4 with the FFM. I generally do dunk my face in the water (was a real shocker on Sunday, 64 degrees!) before putting it on. Don't like it, but felt like I should really get an idea what the water felt like.
The safety of having an airway/air supply if one of us were to lose consciousness was a major factor in our purchase. The no fogging is terrific, too.
Thanks, lowviz!!!!
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Biggggg exhale!!!
Yeah, the issue revolves around going OOA with your face warm and dry. The important step is to put your face into cold water in an attempt to get air. Nothing in your mouth, gasp reflex has to be overcome. Most counter-intuitive.
Practice bailouts and ENJOY your FFM's!!!
-whew!
Yeah, the issue revolves around going OOA with your face warm and dry. The important step is to put your face into cold water in an attempt to get air. Nothing in your mouth, gasp reflex has to be overcome. Most counter-intuitive.
Practice bailouts and ENJOY your FFM's!!!
-whew!
CindyMac
Contributor
We dove again today using the FFMs and had much better results with communicating. Hubs still needs to slow down, but we are getting there. I'm wearing a 5mm hood. I think this is a bit of problem due to my hearing loss, which is partially a neural problem. The other part was all that loud music when I was younger.
I must admit, I did not wet my face prior to diving today. I went to church prior to diving and was in full "war paint" mode. Makeup looked great - still on! I know this should not be a consideration, but I was surprised! The hair, on the other hand, took a beating.
I must admit, I did not wet my face prior to diving today. I went to church prior to diving and was in full "war paint" mode. Makeup looked great - still on! I know this should not be a consideration, but I was surprised! The hair, on the other hand, took a beating.
LOL... That's cute... there are some things about women that are so foreign to me that they might as well be another species entirely...
That comment reminded me of my daughter. Last winter we were out skating on the frozen canal across the street from where we live and she took a youtube-worthy fall that left her on the ground trying to roll off the pain. When I went over to see if she was ok she said to me, "well at least my hair looks good".
R..
That comment reminded me of my daughter. Last winter we were out skating on the frozen canal across the street from where we live and she took a youtube-worthy fall that left her on the ground trying to roll off the pain. When I went over to see if she was ok she said to me, "well at least my hair looks good".
R..
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