Mask on forehead = diver in distress?

[J.R.]

I like to wear MOF, but I was diving with a lady who had her mask on her forehead and somehow, in a clam but cloudy lake, the thing came off when she turned over to float on her back and look up at the cliffs. We never found it.

Because I believe that there needs to be a universal sign of distress in order to save lives, and no one seems to have com up with a better one, I bow to the MOF.

OK... look ya'll... I've posted what *I* believe are some darn good reasons NOT to use MOF as any kind of a signal... with absolutely nobody addressing the questions but, rather, continuing to post things like the above.

Does ANYBODY but me see the inhernant irony/problem of the above post? MOF on forehead comes OFF on calm lake... but... MOF should be used as universal distress signal by somebody in DISTRESS and probably in less than "calm lake" ideal environment. What???

... and as far as a universal "come here I need help" signal... waving your arms over your head to attract attention has always worked pretty good and seems to be understood not only by divers... but snorklers, fishermen, passers-by, aliens from the Planet Glub, etc.

What?... so injured so you can't wave your arms??? HOW YA' GONNA' PUT YER MASK ON YOUR FACE??? Then, yell... blow your approved whistle... but DO SOMETHING...

As far as the 'lost mask issue'... SO WHAT???

Sure, if ya' loose your mask it can be disruptive to the business side of diving and yea... if your out with buds it can be annoying to your friends. But if MOF is only a social or business rule then bloody SAY SO and stop hiding behind some imaginary 'technical reason' for it... there are a LOT of reasons why this is a very bad indicator/signal... with the ONLY reason for... as far as I've heard on this list... being that people in distress TEND to put their MOF... (now... I'm bettin' that those who get in the habit of wearing their mask around their throat will... after sufficent reflex patterning... tend, in times of *distress*, to pull their mask DOWN around their throat just like they've been programmed to do by years of doing that... a 'learned reflex'... just as MOF is another 'learned reflex'...


J.R.

 

[labaum]

I think this would all be a lot simpler if everyone agreed that diving is neither a sport nor recreational activity, but rather a list of very strict, inflexible rules and regulations that must be adhered to--without
deviation or personal taste--by all who participate.
Diving will not become truly enjoyable until everyone uses the exact same equipment, goes through the exact same training, and is willing to judge, criticize, insult, and mock fellow divers.
Diving is not a place for comradery and certainly not a place where the more experienced assist the less experienced.
Those among us who are looking to have fun while maintaining mutual respect for one another are ruining diving.
Diving is all about survival of the fittest and we must humorlessly pursue this goal.

 

[J.R.]

I think this would all be a lot simpler if everyone agreed that diving is neither a sport nor recreational activity, but rather a list of very strict, inflexible rules and regulations that must be adhered to--without deviation or personal taste--by all who participate.
Diving will not become truly enjoyable until everyone uses the exact same equipment, goes through the exact same training, and is willing to judge, criticize, insult, and mock fellow divers.
Diving is not a place for comradery and certainly not a place where the more experienced assist the less experienced.
Those among us who are looking to have fun while maintaining mutual respect for one another are ruining diving.
Diving is all about survival of the fittest and we must humorlessly pursue this goal.

Yeppers... one must also remember that diving is also a perfectly safe activity in which nobody ever gets hurt by bad information, poor habits or by bad decision making processes... and all the stingrays keep the safety on... and sharks are big happy vegitarians like in NEMO...

Oh... and tanks never run out of air!



J.R.
299,792,458 metres per second.... it's not just a good idea... its the LAW...

 

[Sasquatch]

Why should there be 124 responses to such a simple question? Why is this such a stimulating issue for us?

And, yes, I'm responding too. Only because I can't help but be amazed by the power of this question. MOF/NMOF? Gimme a frickin' break!

 

[android]

I just want to note a common thread. While many have noted that a distressed diver may or may not push the mask onto the forehead, it has been almost universally observed that a distressed diver will spit out his regulator. Therefore, a better signal to indicate distress would be to look for divers on the surface without regulators in their mouths.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

I have acutally had my mask in my hand on the surface (rinsing defog) and been asked if everything was ok (hollered at actually)...Just something that looks abnormal I guess.

 

[CAPT HOOK]

It means nothing - but too many people have to go on and on to prove they are right.

 

[pupdiver]

Any kind of emergency distress signal needs to be unambiguous more than anything else. From this thread, it is clear that you can't rely on MOF to be interpreted as diver in distress. Isn't that enough to convince people that it isn't a reliable signal? On the other hand, I think waving one's arms is interpreted by the vast majority of divers as someone in trouble.

I think some instructors (and perhaps agencies) teach MOF as a distress signal to discourage students from putting their MOF in the first place. While it may not be a big deal to do it in calm water, it certainly doesn't offer any advantages.

Logic would say to avoid MOF and not rely on it as a distress signal.

 

[Sasquatch]

I wonder if we could get this up to, like, 500 posts? That would be swell.

 

[lamont]

A distressed diver strives to get to a comfortable condition. For non-veteran divers, the conformtable condition means nothing on their face and regulator out of their mouth. So in their efforts they make the natural moment of pushing the mask away from the eyes and nose. Pulling it down is not natural since they want it away from them. So once you push it away it will end up on your forehead or in the water behind you.

On the other hand if the NMOF nazis have beat into a diver never to put their mask on their forehead, even when they are stressed they may pull it down around their neck. The one distressed diver I've seen had his mask placed 'properly' around his neck...

Yes, MOF is a *potential* sign of distress. The distressed divers that I have seen never had their mask squarely on their forehead head, it was always skewed or still covering like one eye. It obviously was pushed out of the way with haste. Otherwise, the distressed diver didn't have a mask on since they got rid of it already. Good thiing I didn't rely soley on the MOF = panic.

Look, it just doesn't work. Start teaching NMOF as a way to not lose your mask in surf and stop teaching it as a "panic sign". Like someone else posted, it originated in an isolated group of divers and worked well there because it was conventional. Now that PADI is trying to force it on the world it doesn't work so hot.