Mask on Forehead reliable distress signal?

[dwhthediver]

This Dog has been Flogged, but one more wack couldn't hurt.

AMEN, Look I mention it to students, but it isn't life and death, and I concentrate on lessons they really need to be safe underwater, just my 2psi, though like I said earlier have had to retrieve students masks who do put them on their forehead

 

[Zieg]

AMEN, Look I mention it to students, but it isn't life and death, and I concentrate on lessons they really need to be safe underwater, just my 2psi, though like I said earlier have had to retrieve students masks who do put them on their forehead

So you retrieve their mask for them. I would think that making them retrieve their own mask would send home the message to be more aware of their equipment.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. "But if they lost their mask how are they going to find it without a mask?" I would think a good instructor/diver would have a spare somewhere.

 

[ScubaSteve]

.........I would think a good instructor/diver would have a spare somewhere.

These are students you are talking about. Were you equipped for redundancy when you certified? I certainly was not and do not know of anybody that was. As for the instructor.....yeah it is possible however I would never rate them any less an instructor because they failed to have their spare mask with them on a training dive.

 

[Aardvark]

I was told, during my OW course, that MOF could be a sign of distress, but is mostly a sign that the shop may get to sell another mask. Beer fines for MOF during course were mentioned. This discussion took several minutes. When I learned how much wasn't covered in my OW course that could have been I was annoyed that it was discussed at all.

Personally, my mask and reg stay in place until I'm seated back on the boat (or ashore). Fins come off and are looped on my arm once I have hold of the ladder (or I am in wading depth).

 

[WozfromOz]

All praise the beer god.... the simple truth is.... we instructors can't be stuffed getting back out of the water to organise a new mask for a student that has accidently lost theirs into the murky depths... we charge beer because we don't get paid enough to buy our own and we use the MOF as one of many excuses to charge said fines....

I have a very lengthy list of fines for my beloved divlings along with opportunities to get them back... (oddly enough this list is much shorter) but it's amazing what someone will do to avoid buying a beer

there will always be an arguement for and against MOF and if your not on a course with me and get swamped by a wave and loose your mask I WILL POINT AT YOU AND LAUGH! but maybe that's an australian thing...

It's probably important to point out that MOF is not a SIGNAL for distress but merely one of the signs one should look for if they suspect a diver on the surface might be in distress, it's not something you should rely on nor is it something that should be ignored.

Woz

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

Well, when you're in no vis and a strong current, good luck at finding goofy's mask... And I am not about to give the guy who just lost his mask one of mine. Duhhhh

"Could be a sign of distress" is different from "Is the sure fire tell that a diver is panicked"

I teach that that mask on your forehead may get splashed off in waves or around clumsy people, so bring a back up, or just don't put it on your forehead...... and that it can be interpreted as a stressed diver, so somebody will ask if you're okay if you are MOF...

 

[Aardvark]

All praise the beer god.... the simple truth is.... we instructors can't be stuffed getting back out of the water to organise a new mask for a student that has accidently lost theirs into the murky depths... we charge beer because we don't get paid enough to buy our own and we use the MOF as one of many excuses to charge said fines....

I have a very lengthy list of fines for my beloved divlings along with opportunities to get them back... (oddly enough this list is much shorter) but it's amazing what someone will do to avoid buying a beer

there will always be an arguement for and against MOF and if your not on a course with me and get swamped by a wave and loose your mask I WILL POINT AT YOU AND LAUGH! but maybe that's an australian thing...

It's probably important to point out that MOF is not a SIGNAL for distress but merely one of the signs one should look for if they suspect a diver on the surface might be in distress, it's not something you should rely on nor is it something that should be ignored.

Woz

I remember the instructor not buying his own drinks during the post course "graduation ceremony" down the pub. From memory (at a distance of ten years) beer penalties were for:

• MOF
• Any mention of flippers or goggles
• Leaving unattended free standing cylinders
• Rinsing regs without dust cap in place
• Failing to notice something wrong during buddy check

I didn't suffer from any of those but this one was invented just for me:

• soaking the (non-diving) boat keeper via a rather "splashy" roll entry

 

[The Kraken]

Has anyone seen a distressed diver actually stop and think "I am in distress, I will put my mask on my forehead".

No, it is not a valid signal of distress.

As has been stated, "When a diver puts his/her mask up on the head, it can be an indication that the diver is in distress.

Although it "can be an indication" doesn't necessarily mean that it is.

Many, many things "can be an indication".

I'll put my mask on my forehead because it suits me to do so, not because I'm in distress.

the K

 

[Nemrod]

MOF is the only way to go.

N

 

[wardric]

I'll put my mask on my forehead because it suits me to do so, not because I'm in distress.

the K

Right on.

I always knew you were a MOFer like us K