PADI Instructors

[Dan Gibson]

The neoprene strap also works great when pulled over your eyes to keep the sun out after a late night out, or so I have been told

I wear mine backwards out of sheer convenience for one as well as to let the neoprene strap serve as a sunscreen on my exposed forehead. It never dawned on me that I might be making an attempt to look cool or that I would embitter someone who thought I was trying to look cool. Maybe my mask strap should read "I am only trying to look cool, inside I am very anal". The funny thing to me are the instructors who find it a ridiculous act to put the mask on the forehead so they punish and "fine" the student with another ridiculous act of having them buy beer for the dive instructor. So are we trying to promote safe behaviors here or aren't we?

 

[gjmmotors]

The use of a 'fine' is to reinforce attention to detail in a non pain inflicting manner. I use it with upper level students, as it was used against me during my idc. Does this method get results, You bet it does. A six pack of beer, soda or cookies, is seen as a light way (by me atleast) to get my point across, whereas pushups or duckwalks would only humiliate and or demoralize the student diver. Would I love to drop my students down for infractions? Sometimes.
Infractions are anythign that may cause harm to oneself or another diver (especially me), along with other things.
I myself had to purchase a case for one of the course directors that was my group leader during my IDC. Did I deserve to buy him a case, I sure did. Did it help me? yes it did. Now I have students that I need to set a good example for, due to my training I will not perpetuate the careless errors passed from instructor to student.

- g mount

The funny thing to me are the instructors who find it a ridiculous act to put the mask on the forehead so they punish and "fine" the student with another ridiculous act of having them buy beer for the dive instructor. So are we trying to promote safe behaviors here or aren't we?

 

[friscuba]

I have to concur with Saip and Dan, in 26 years of diving and 11 of teaching the only time I have not seen a diver having a problem at the surface not push their mask up on their forehead (if not completely removing it) is during resuce class when the pretend victim forget to push it up there for simulation sake. I don't care if it was in open water or confined, the people who were really panicing spit out the reg and pushed up the mask every time.

Same here. The mask on the forehead when divers panic or struggle is very real. I see it in the pool with students, I see it off the boat with intro divers, students and divers who haven't dove recently, all the time. Spit out the reg, mask on the forehead (sometimes off all together) is almost the rule with panicky divers.

 

[freediver]

I myself had to purchase a case for one of the course directors that was my group leader during my IDC. Did I deserve to buy him a case, I sure did. Did it help me? yes it did. Now I have students that I need to set a good example for, due to my training I will not perpetuate the careless errors passed from instructor to student.

- g mount

Interesting. I am curious if this method of learning retention was actually presented and taught to you during the IDC by your course director and if it is/was supported by the certifying agency. I was always beaten down with that positive reinforcement crap.

 

[Rick Inman]

I wear mine backwards out of sheer convenience for one as well as to let the neoprene strap serve as a sunscreen on my exposed forehead. It never dawned on me that I might be making an attempt to look cool or that I would embitter someone who thought I was trying to look cool. Maybe my mask strap should read "I am only trying to look cool, inside I am very anal". The funny thing to me are the instructors who find it a ridiculous act to put the mask on the forehead so they punish and "fine" the student with another ridiculous act of having them buy beer for the dive instructor. So are we trying to promote safe behaviors here or aren't we?

I also find it odd that several people have suggested that divers who wear their masks on the back of their head are doing so just to look "cool". I must dive with different people than they do. Where are all these divers who are more interested in how they look to others than the comfort and safety of their diving? I just don't run into them. If you are someone who does, I would suggest finding some different buddies.

Sometimes I wear mine on my forehead, sometimes on the back. Sometimes I hold it or clip it. But I've never had this happen:

While doing a comfortable surface swim with my buddy out to the buoy, some diver on shore sees my mask on my forehead and shrieks wildly, "Oh my God! Call 911!!"

Where are all these divers that freak out at mask placement and worry about if they look cool or not?

 

[PaulChristenson]

So how does one get their mask around the back of their head when the strap is under their hood??

Popping it onto your forehead is the only place it can go if you don't want it on your face

Paul in VT

 

[gjmmotors]

Well, Its not in the manual. Maybe its up to the instructors interpretation of the rules. I havent heard about complaints from the agency.
-g mount

Interesting. I am curious if this method of learning retention was actually presented and taught to you during the IDC by your course director and if it is/was supported by the certifying agency. I was always beaten down with that positive reinforcement crap.

 

[friscuba]

So here's the thing I don't understand.........

Why the heck do people take their masks off while in the water? If they want water in thier eyes, then it's the thing to do, otherwise it serves no purpose.

later,

 

[D_B]

Why is there a big deal about having your mask on your forehead indicating a sign of distress (slight or otherwise)? People in distress seem to have put there masks up more often then not, as has been mentioned here more than a few times. it is taught that is the signal for distress and we need to agree to keep it as such ... think it doesn't matter ? ... maybe I'll just start using a "thumbs-up" as the "I'm OK signal" ... It's just a signal after all , I don't have to follow it do I ?

I keep mine on till I get out (but I wear contacts, another reason to keep it on)

DB

 

[emtdan]

If it's around the neck you need two hands to lift the strap and place it around your head.
--Matt

Thats not always true... I can easily move my mask from my neck to my eyes with one hand, because I have had to so often.

Over my short diving career so far, I have been under the direct supervision of 7-ish instructors. Only two of them have said anything about mask placment or the fact that it has any connection with distress. This was NOT in my rescue class, but AOW. Of course, this is nothing offical in any course, but a habit of some communicated to many. I think everyone should know that to some having your mask pulled up onto your forehead can be taken as a sign of stress.