Diving with Mike Nelson

[Bob DBF]

I hadn't heard about the "mask on forehead" and panic thing untill I started on ScubaBoard, but I don't get around much.

The warning I heard about MOF was that it takes little to knock it off so when in doubt keep it on, pull it down, or take it off and keep hold of it unless you want to buy a new one.



Bob
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I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.

 

[TMHeimer]

I hadn't heard about the "mask on forehead" and panic thing untill I started on ScubaBoard, but I don't get around much.

The warning I heard about MOF was that it takes little to knock it off so when in doubt keep it on, pull it down, or take it off and keep hold of it unless you want to buy a new one.

**********

Yes. I always keep the mask on when returning to a boat for that reason. Of course, shore diving and when sitting on a boat or standing in 3 feet of calm (or pool) water is a different matter. It seems that at least a slim majority of SB posters agree it is over done, but all istructors I've been around enforce the rule. I don't think any of them are members of SB.

 

[JamesK]

Another funny tidbit is if you ever watch a Rescue class, the DM/AI/panicking victim always pushes their mask up on their forehead. So even that goes to further push this crap.

I usually take my mask off my head on surface swims and hold on to it. I am not a mouth breather and hate my mask being on my face when I am above water. Some classes this weekend. I think I am going to walk around with my mask on my forehead the entire time.

 

[Zieg]

For many years, if I was floating on the surface waiting for a boat to come pick me up, and the seas were calm, I would slightly inflate my vest and remove my mask completely, and strap it onto my vest. NO one ever thought I was panicky. I've been putting my mask on my forehead as far back as I can remember. NEVER lost it. Of course, I would use some common sense and if the conditions didn't merit, I'd keep the mask on my face. But wait, wasn't this thread originially about putting a tank on over your head?

 

[Thalassamania]

If you want to know where and why it started, I'll try to help. I suspect that on ScubaBoard only Sam Miller and I (maybe a few others) go far enough back, in the right place, to know. First of all, it has a California origin. California diving, since back then there were few, if any, dive boats. Divers either swam out and under the surf, or used surf mats:



You could have your mask in any of three positions: forehead, in place, around your neck. The preferred location was in place, but new divers always seemed to have the urge to push it up (easier) than pull it down (less chance of loss). If your mask was on your forehead and a wave slapped you, or tumbled you ... well, your mask was gone, history, no-more. So the procedure of conditioning students to not push their mask up was begun in class, with beer bets and phrases like, "you don't look like a diver." How exactly that translated, over time, into a sign of distress ... I'm really not sure. Panicked divers at the surface are often observed to push their mask up, but it is usually: "up and off." Perhaps the old style ovals were less likely to go "off." I don't really know, I always preferred either a Lince Cat Eye or a SwimMaster Wide View, both of which are very uncomfortable on your forehead.

 

[NAM001]

Thats the way it was done and the way i was taught,,,,,,, We were using lp72's..... al 80's were just coming to be. It was a piece of cake to do it. the rig had straps and a small back board (16"x6"), no bc, , only one reg hose, maybe a spg. the entire dive gear weighed maybe 50# suit fins knife and all.

i was recently on a boat dive when i saw something that shocked me. We had just arrived at the dive site and everyone started gearing up when i looked across to the other side of the boat in time to see an older gentleman donning his scuba unit a la mike nelson -- right over the head and onto the back. Although, it wasn't all that graceful. He struggled quite a bit and it scared the crap out of me and the dm, who expressed concern for the guy's safety (though no correction or anything like that). He was older and might have been a long-time diver for all i know, and so i guess i am wondering if this was ever considered an acceptable/appropriate way of getting into your scuba. I always thought that mike did it more out of theatrics and, in any event, mike's tanks were made of wood, which probably made it safer than what i witnessed with an aluminum 80. Was i seeing a bit of history or just a misguided mike nelson admirer?

 

[unclejoe11101]

Zeig , Sorry didn't mean to misdirect the train of thought.Thanks all for the replies.

 

[drbill]

I dove in the days of backpacks and only once tried the over the head approach... nearly took mine off.

 

[DaleC]

I posted it before but with a Hawaiian pack this over the head stuff makes no sense:

[video=youtube;qZNBPfBA1rU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZNBPfBA1rU&list=UU5zvhnU0XYpf_cadpYJYkhQ& index=9&feature=plcp[/video]

I also keep my mask on my forehead, but only to keep my hair dry - I don't want to lose my perm.