Mask on Forehead reliable distress signal?

[Jim Lapenta]

And it makes pesky sharks stay away since they think you are watching them with the eyes in the back of your head. I do not teach mask on forehead as a sign of distress. I teach it as wanting to lose your mask when a wave hits it. I teach mask flying wildly off with loud, high pitched screams of help or gurgling while flailing wildly as a sign of distress.

 

[Tortuga68]

I hadn't thought of the shark repellant advantage, good one

 

[Bob]

And it makes pesky sharks stay away since they think you are watching them with the eyes in the back of your head. I do not teach mask on forehead as a sign of distress. I teach it as wanting to lose your mask when a wave hits it. I teach mask flying wildly off with loud, high pitched screams of help or gurgling while flailing wildly as a sign of distress.

Good post JimLap,
I teach my students to leave the mask on their face until they are safely back on the boat or shore. That eliminates lots of issues. almtree: Bob

 

[sweatfrog]

Putting your mask on your forehead is a habit and whether it's good, bad, or wanting to look like Mike Nelson, it can get expensive.

At the start of night dive's in Cozumel, briefings include leaving your mask on your face when you climb on board after the dive. That's because your $100 mask can easily be knocked off on the ladder and there's no way to find it again.

I've seen many people put their mask on their forehead. They don't understand that once you get in the habit of doing that, on the deck, or in the water, that habit won't be broken easily. That makes it a matter of when, not if you lose your mask. That's not the reason people carry a spare mask during the dive.

Since the editor of Sport Diver (PADI's rag) has his picture with his mask on his forehead, I don't see where this is a PADI thing, but whatever.

 

[Sas]

I was taught in OW not to put my mask on my forehead as it could be interpreted as a sign of distress and doing so incurred a beer fine (I owed a six pack by the end of the course...). On a later course I asked my instructor about it, saying I thought a distressed diver would either leave their mask on or chuck off their mask rather than place it on their forehead and he agreed saying the whole MOF idea is a conspiracy by instructors to get more beer. And also said really the concern with MOF is that it is easier to lose if a wave knocks it off or something, not that people will think you are distressed. In boats and in shallow calm water (where I can duck dive to retrieve it) I put it on my forehead, and in rough and/or deep water it stays on my face.

 

[leapfrog]

I think there is a certain questions of esthetics involved..... the mask on forehead doesn't look very professional. It certainly is the easiest way to lose it as well.

 

[irishsquid]

Like I'm going to take advice from a clown!

That was hilarious!

 

[Brewski]

I was taught in OW not to put my mask on my forehead as it could be interpreted as a sign of distress and doing so incurred a beer fine (I owed a six pack by the end of the course...). On a later course I asked my instructor about it, saying I thought a distressed diver would either leave their mask on or chuck off their mask rather than place it on their forehead and he agreed saying the whole MOF idea is a conspiracy by instructors to get more beer. And also said really the concern with MOF is that it is easier to lose if a wave knocks it off or something, not that people will think you are distressed. In boats and in shallow calm water (where I can duck dive to retrieve it) I put it on my forehead, and in rough and/or deep water it stays on my face.

That instructor should be reviewed by QC for divulging important secrets

When I teach, I mention the possibility that MOF could be interpreted as a sign of panic, but demonstrate how easily the mask can be knocked off the forehead by a wave or a bump from my hand.
Then mention the beer penalty

 

[Zippsy]

I was also told that a mask on a forehead might be a sign of a distressed diver (not it definitely would be) and that it would more easily be lost if there. Rubbish on both counts I said.... until I lost one mask in moderate surf at Tulumben and another in a calm sea when pulled back to the boat on a thrown line. Those losses taught me the lesson finally. I'm really slow but I am not stupid enough to lose another one.

 

[lamont]

And also said really the concern with MOF is that it is easier to lose if a wave knocks it off or something, not that people will think you are distressed. In boats and in shallow calm water (where I can duck dive to retrieve it) I put it on my forehead, and in rough and/or deep water it stays on my face.

In an OW course with completely inexperienced divers, I could see how an anti-MOF rule would lead to smoother courses since newbie divers without backup masks would be likely to lose masks and impact the course.

However, experienced divers can generally judge surface conditions and will leave the mask on the face when conditions are bad enough that mask might be lost (and when the mask will be necessary to deal with the surface conditions).

Also, my own head is freakishly large enough that it has its own gravitational field and if I drop the strap down in back, my mask isn't going to be coming off. I've never had my mask in risk of being knocked off my head while its on my forehead.

And I look goofy anyway... I'm not modelling for the cover of GQ when I go diving...