Top Six Reasons why one would want to dive with a Full Face Mask

[GameChanger]

How many times have you seen an out of gas diver? I’ve seen a dozen over the last 30 years of diving. What reg does that diver grab (without warning or permission) from you? In every single instance I’ve witnessed, the panicked diver grabs the one out of your mouth. They think they are going to die and they know that reg has gas in it.

It’s just simpler to give them the reg they want… on a nice 5’ or 7’ hose.

On my one experience where my dive buddy ran out of gas at about 100', (another story...), he absolutely ripped my reg from my mouth. We had to buddy breath to the surface...

 

[Akimbo]

It’s just simpler to give them the reg they want… on a nice 5’ or 7’ hose.

If someone takes my spare or the regulator in my mouth, I want them close — like grasping my harness and looking me in the eyes. I definitely don't want some panicked yahoo grabbing a regulator and swimming off with enough hose to get out of reach, or drag me by the hose.

 

[Superlyte27]

Okay, but you are changing the goalposts a bit, aren't you? Your original statement was that the traditional rec setup leads to octos dangling in the sand, silt, and rocks and getting clogged, or that they might be cracked and not working. I asked how do you know your alternate is working if an OOA diver grabs your primary and you need to use your alternate. Presumably, your answer would be that you checked it before your dive and that you have it secured on a bungee under your chin, out of the sand, silt, muck, etc. Well, my octo isn't exactly under my chin, but it is not far from where you keep yours, and I know that it works because I check it before every dive and I keep it secured where it's supposed to be. All divers, regardless of their gear setup, should always keep their gear in proper working order and should check it before each and every dive.

So, once again, I say that you should definitely dive a long hose and use primary donate if you prefer that. If you want to argue that an OOA diver will most likely grab for a buddy's primary, and that means the hose should be longer, that's fine with me too (although I would definitely like to see some actual hard data on this, rather than the usual anecdotal evidence that gets passed around). But that has nothing to do with knowing that an octo in a tech setup magically has to be working because, you know, it's a tech setup! Versus an octo in a rec setup likely not working, because, well, those rec divers don't know what they are doing and are just begging for problems.

Dive how you like, but please spare those who don't dive the way you do the DIR sanctimony.

You’re pretty funny. FYI, I never have been and never will be part of the DIR crowd. Grow up a bit in both life and diving. Read what “DIR” really means. And no offense, but when you’ve got some real experience under your belt, then come back and try to argue with guys like me.

 

[Outbound]

You’re pretty funny. FYI, I never have been and never will be part of the DIR crowd. Grow up a bit in both life and diving. Read what “DIR” really means. And no offense, but when you’ve got some real experience under your belt, then come back and try to argue with guys like me.

Well, I sincerely apologize then. And I mean that. I made some assumptions that I shouldn't have. There are a few guys I know who, despite not having all that much experience, have chugged the DIR kool-aid and waste no opportunity telling everyone in earshot how wrong they are about how they dive, their gear configuration, gear choice, you name it. It gets on my nerves, and I wrongly took some of that out on you. Sorry.

Happy diving.

 

[Superlyte27]

Well, I sincerely apologize then. And I mean that. I made some assumptions that I shouldn't have. There are a few guys I know who, despite not having all that much experience, have chugged the DIR kool-aid and waste no opportunity telling everyone in earshot how wrong they are about how they dive, their gear configuration, gear choice, you name it. It gets on my nerves, and I wrongly took some of that out on you. Sorry.

Happy diving.

Apology accepted. If you find yourself in Florida, reach out. I’ll take ya diving somewhere.

 

[Akimbo]

There are a few guys I know who, despite not having all that much experience, have chugged the DIR kool-aid and waste no opportunity telling everyone in earshot how wrong they are about how they dive, their gear configuration, gear choice, you name it.

Yeah, there is a lot of that. A few zealots are fond of telling impressionable divers that the DIR methods are the ONLY safe way to dive but can't explain the reasons why or the trade-offs that are made. I heard the same nonsense from heavy gear divers in the 1960s that slept with their Mark IV hats and lead boots.