Mask on forehead=panic. Where did this mask signal originate?

[John C. Ratliff]

In the U.S. Naval School for Underwater Swimmers, Key West, Florida in 1967, if one of us was caught with a mask on our forehead, it would cost us at least 20 pushups, in full gear. “Who do you think you are, Mike Nelson? Drop!”

The theory was that a mask on the forehead was easily displaced by a wave, and lost. To this day, I don’t put my mask on my forehead.

SeaRat

 

[jborg]

I tend to have it clipped to my spare double ender while walking to the water, and keep it on after the dive until back on land/boat.

 

[happy-diver]

Oh, and by the way I do a giant stride without my regulator in my mouth and my mask placed on the back of my head.

Is this to equalise your face temperature

 

[TNEngineer]

Mask under the chin restricts head movement. Mask on forehead does not.

Mask on forehead is more easily pulled back into position with a single hand.

Mask on forehead keeps it higher out of the water, reducing the chances of antifog solution being washed out.

All of that said, I generally keep my mask on from tank-on to tank-off because I have (and need) prescription lenses. But I see zero problem pulling it up on my forehead for those rare cases when it needs to be out of the way momentarily.

This "sign of panic" is an old wive's tale that has no basis in reality. Someone in a panic isn't likely to take the time to carefully position their mask. It's either dropping to their neck or getting entirely ripped off. I suspect someone in the past thought it was uncool to mimic Mike Nelson but sold their opinion on a made-up excuse about "panic".

 

[CT-Rich]

View attachment 886843

You do realize he also used dynamite to clear a path to get his boat to the Blue Hole and shot sharks feeding on dead whale, right?

 

[justadyver]

was MOF for distress ever in the new science of skin and scuba diving? the text book for many old divers. I am one

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

In the U.S. Naval School for Underwater Swimmers, Key West, Florida in 1967, if one of us was caught with a mask on our forehead, it would cost us at least 20 pushups, in full gear. “Who do you think you are, Mike Nelson? Drop!”

The theory was that a mask on the forehead was easily displaced by a wave, and lost. To this day, I don’t put my mask on my forehead.

SeaRat

It makes sense now why the two instructors I knew that were most adamant about no MOF were both former Navy divers.
I still automatically pull my mask down around my neck. If I want to do MOF I have to consciously think about doing it, it's not my default mode. Even with a bungeed second stage I still pull the mask down around my neck.
Diving in Norcal with unpredictable surf and big waves probably has something to do with it.

 

[wlecyt40]

Since I never take mine off until I am on the boat or on the shore, not an issue. However, if you are truly having an emergency or the person is freaking out, they are not going shove the mask up on their forehead. They will rip it off and dump it. As for the emergency part, I agree with an earlier reply that blasting your signal horn, blowing your whistle, waving your arms and anything else you can do to get someone's attention is more realistic.

 

[tursiops]

I do not have a copy of any really old scuba textbooks except for:

• "Diver Below: The Complete guide to Skin and Suba Diving" by Hank and Shaney Frey, 1969.
• "The Complete Illustrated Guide to Snorkel and Deep Diving" by Owen Lee, 1963.

Neither makes any mention of mask on forehead as a signal of anything, but both have numerous photographs of a mask on forehead.

The Second Edition of the NOAA Diving Manual from 1979 makes no mention (that I can find) of a mask on forehead, but does have one picture (that I can find) of a surface tender with a mask on forehead.

The oldest PADI manual I have is the Open Water Manual from1990. On page 58, it says:

"Develop the habit of keeping your mask on your face until you exit the water. Propping your mask on your forehead should be avoided because it can result in losing your mask when diving in open water. Also, in many areas, a mask propped on your forehead is recognized as a signal of distress."​

​

I conclude that sometime between 1979 and 1990 is when the myth began.

 

[The Chairman]

A mask on your forehead indicates just as much diver stress as sunglasses on your forehead.