Mask on forehead = diver in distress?

[lazyturtle]

I don't always assume people with thier masks on thier foreheads are in distress but:
(1) They get water in thier eyes, freak out and then are in distress or
(2) They lose thier mask or
(3) Fog up thier mask making everyone else wait while they clean it or
(4) They're not ready when the pod of dolphins mating with whales swim by and miss it all!

But to be fair lots of people push thier mask up on thier forehead (or off completly) when panicking. If you don't want to be pestered with 'are you ok' on a regular basis I'd wear the mask on my face, around my neck or even backwards.

 

[mislav]

So your saying I should not wear my mask MOF or what?
N

See kids, the diver pictured above shows clear signs of distress. He is getting water in his eyes and is about to freak out. Noticed his eyes? Clear signs of desperate attempts to keep the water away!

Watch out, he is about to lose his mask! In fact, this diver is so panicky that you can see him trying to reach for his regulator with both hands, but he fails. Why? Panic made him forget what his config was!

He is now actively drowning and while doing that is completely unaware of the dolphin pod playfully swimming nearby... Even if he did miraculously recover, he wouldn't be able to see them - the time needed for him to put his mask back on is just too much. Not to mention that when he finally would be able to do it, his mask would be all foggy and he'd be completely blind.

Now, once you see this diver wearing his mask on the back... sleep safe, because, he suddenly gets no water in, doesn't fog up his mask, needs only a split second to don it back and can't lose if he tries! Such a diver is distress free and actually reaching a higher state of consciousness. We should all be like that.

 

[J.R.]

I don't always assume people with thier masks on thier foreheads are in distress but:
(1) They get water in thier eyes, freak out and then are in distress or
(2) They lose thier mask or
(3) Fog up thier mask making everyone else wait while they clean it or
(4) They're not ready when the pod of dolphins mating with whales swim by and miss it all!

Interesting... so, let's look at these points:

1: If someone is going to freak out by getting water in their eyes to the point of distress (I'm assuming 'surface' since MOF while under water would be STUPID... unless its in the appropriate "in use" position)... one would have to ponder how they'er going to react during the dive if somebody nudges their mask and it fills at 60 feet... I'd say that there are other safety issues at play here... and not relating to MOF...

2: They lose their mask... annoying, stupid... not inherently a safety issue.

3: Others wait while they clean fog. Wow... what ever happened to "dives proceed at the pace of the slowest diver"??? I've always felt that this applied to all dive issues... not just the rate of decent...

4: Pod o' whales... uh-huh...

For me the issue is "where is the 'safety' issue'? Perhaps one of the things here is the benefits of NOT being a DM or an Instructor... I get to choose my dive partners (unless, of course, I sign up for a group dive and become a part of the herd)... But then... those most affected by the MOF question are generally the ones getting paid (or so it seems) to dive... so... are they behind this 'rule' because it's a real safety or communications issue... or are they behind it because loosing a mask and other 'speed and comfort' issues can be disruptive when working with a group of people?

As I noted in a previous post... even if the reasoning lies more with the "speed and comfort" issue... I'm good with it IF you're my DM... its YOUR dive... I'm along for the scenery (... and that pod of whales)... but I think that the problem with defining such thing as a 'rule' is that it trivializes 'rules' and... when one rule doesn't make any sense... SOME will start to wonder about the validity of other rules... eventually making the mistake of trivializing a rule that might actually kill them.

Thus we we get back to the inherent differences between "good practice" and "rule"... NMOF is "good practice"... I'll give ya' that much...

J.R.

 

[Walter]

Excellent points, JR, except I resent the implication that MOF underwater is stupid. Underwater is the only place I do it (well, also when vintage in honor of Lloyd).

 

[HowardE]

Excellent points, JR, except I resent the implication that MOF underwater is stupid. Underwater is the only place I do it (well, also when vintage in honor of Lloyd).

Or No Mask at all - right Walter?

BTW - I am a MOFer on the boat, before and/or after a dive... once in the water, I keep my mask on my eyes.

 

[J.R.]

Excellent points, JR, except I resent the implication that MOF underwater is stupid. Underwater is the only place I do it (well, also when vintage in honor of Lloyd).

Well... I *did* make the distinction "unless its in the appropriate "in use" position"... ... but perhaps we should call it MOFH (Mask on Fore Head) v MOF (Mask on Face)

Accronym List:

MOF - (Mask on Face)
NMOF - (No Mask on Face)
MOFH - (Mask on Fore Head)
NMOFH - (NO Mask on Fore Head)
MAT - (Mask around Throat)
MABOH - (Mask at Back of Head)
MOB - (Mask on Bottom)
FME - (Forgot Mask Entirely)
MYUM? - (Masks!!! You use MASKS?) ... a tribute to Howarde

By the way... ever notice how ol' Lloyd almost never took off his weight belt??? Lloyd da' MAN!!!

J.R.

 

[all4scuba05]

This just goes to prove that our instructors were wrong to teach us that fingertips on top of head means I'm ok. Mask on FACE is the true signal that I'm ok. Because if mask is on forehead I'm in distress. Forget the hand signal. Now I'm confused.

 

[Nemrod]

This diatribe is kind of cute:

"See kids, the diver pictured above shows clear signs of distress. He is getting water in his eyes and is about to freak out. Noticed his eyes? Clear signs of desperate attempts to keep the water away!

Watch out, he is about to lose his mask! In fact, this diver is so panicky that you can see him trying to reach for his regulator with both hands, but he fails. Why? Panic made him forget what his config was!

He is now actively drowning and while doing that is completely unaware of the dolphin pod playfully swimming nearby... Even if he did miraculously recover, he wouldn't be able to see them - the time needed for him to put his mask back on is just too much. Not to mention that when he finally would be able to do it, his mask would be all foggy and he'd be completely blind.

Now, once you see this diver wearing his mask on the back... sleep safe, because, he suddenly gets no water in, doesn't fog up his mask, needs only a split second to don it back and can't lose if he tries! Such a diver is distress free and actually reaching a higher state of consciousness. We should all be like that."

thus a response:

But beside being almost second grade like in nature, makes nothing of a point about anything except that in Poodle Diver 101 somebody told them it was so and clearly, they cannot think for themselves, lol.


and then there is:

"(1) They get water in thier eyes, freak out and then are in distress or
(2) They lose thier mask or
(3) Fog up thier mask making everyone else wait while they clean it or
(4) They're not ready when the pod of dolphins mating with whales swim by and miss it all!"

Anyone can fabricate a rational or whatever. I could say the earth is flat, I could say I am from Mars, however, I am not and it is not and likewise the "points" above are inaccurate and fabricated. It is all good, the busy bodies of the diving world have to have something to do.

Howarde, that is a great picture, thread aside, the bubbles, the sun overhead, love it. And look at that, he has water in his eyes and he sure looks solid to me, like a pro. N

 

[lamont]

I don't always assume people with thier masks on thier foreheads are in distress but:
(1) They get water in thier eyes, freak out and then are in distress or

i put my mask on my forehead, my eyes in the water and open them all the time. i'm very comfortable with saltwater in my eyes, or saltwater in my mouth.

the problem here is not the mask on the forehead, but not being comfortable in the water.

(2) They lose thier mask or

a. masks don't slip off my big head
b. i keep my mask on my face in bad surface conditions
c. i have a backup mask in my pocket

(3) Fog up thier mask making everyone else wait while they clean it or

if a diver is having so much difficulty doing this that they're making other people wait *that* is a sign of stress and inexperience.

(4) They're not ready when the pod of dolphins mating with whales swim by and miss it all!

i can get my mask on my face quite fast enough see the dolphins mating with the whales... in fact, it probably drops down from my forehead a little faster than trying to unhook it from around my neck....

But to be fair lots of people push thier mask up on thier forehead (or off completly) when panicking. If you don't want to be pestered with 'are you ok' on a regular basis I'd wear the mask on my face, around my neck or even backwards.

as long as you're okay with getting a big blue middle finger when you ask me if i'm okay, we're all copascetic then...

 

[Walter]

Or No Mask at all - right Walter?

That was a great dive! I love the Eagle!