Mask on top of head - Diver in distress?

[dherbman]

This question is simply out of interest from an international angle. In New Zealand a diver who surfaces and puts his/her mask on top of their head is considered "in distress". Is this the case in other parts of the world.

I'm glad you asked. From what I have seen, MOF begins as an unconcious reaction early on and is embedded into behavior if not corrected. I've heard more than a few instructors teach that MOF is a sign of distress or that it just makes you look like a dork. It doesn't matter to OW students when they get in the water and become task loaded with new skills and physical challenges.

It means nothing in the places I dive, but I'll check a diver if they go MOF. Usually just a look.

 

[Deadweight]

My mask has -8 optical correction in it so the last thing I would do is take it off.
I get some funny looks wearing it when not in the water, until glasses found to replace mask. Sometimes also raise eybrows by putting mask and fins on before BCD as well.
Must add that fins are only put on when all other gear is mustered and within hand reach.
Watch out for me on the dive boats in florida this summer.

 

[Thalassamania]

This is, clear an simple, a piece of diving tradition dating back to the early begining. Why can we not accept that as such, honor it as appropriate, and then move on?

 

[jtivat]

OH NO! I think I might be in trouble I am a Padi Dive Master and I put my MOF all the time when there is no problem, do you think they will fire me?

 

[jwalko]

When we did our training classes, we were told that MOF was a sign of distress.

When I did my open waters in Florida (different dive shop), the instructor put his mask on his forehead after every dive, and so did his students. Not sure what this meant, but he certainly didn't see it as a sign of distress.

john

 

[Thalassamania]

U.S. Diving started in California. Because of the rough surf diver's who put their mask on their foreheads quickly lost their masks. So ... a tradition of not doing so evolved, why they just could not just say, "you'll loose it" is beyond me. In the early days an Instructor would tell an offending student, "You don't look like a diver." I don't really know where the whole distress thing came from.


Other places in the world, with less challenging environments never bought into this, and so was set the stage for an endless waste of internet posts.

The bottom line is, if your diving on the west coast and don't want to look like a foreigner or a newbie, put your mask around your neck. And if you see someone with their mask around their neck in the Caribbean, it's a good bet that somewhere in their training lineage is a left-coaster.

 

[tedtim]

OH NO! I think I might be in trouble I am a Padi Dive Master and I put my MOF all the time when there is no problem, do you think they will fire me?

If they fire you then they will have to fire the editor of Sport Diver Magazine. Just take a look at his photo on the editor's page. Classic hero pose!

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

What a novel idea and I bet that there are some divers on this board that wouldn't have lost their masks if they had kept them on their faces...matter of fact I know at least one SBr who dropped his mask over deep water trying to clip it to his BCD before getting back on the boat! He couldn't remember if it was cool to be a MOF or NonMOF.... =)

HEY!! :lol:

 

[DennisW]

Didn't even get a PM. Sloppy.

 

[Wijbrandus]

I saw a diver in distress with their MOF once.

Of course, the fact that they were thirty feet down might have been a contributing factor...

I think mask retrieval and clearing skills are a bit more important than where you stick your mask, but then I don't take mine off until I'm back on the boat.