Wearing a mask on forehead a distress signal, now that seems ridiculous!

[Z Gear]

I know that most are taught to wear the mask under the chin when wanting to temporarily remove the mask. But sometimes I tend to place mine over my fore head. I don't understand how this should be regarded as some sort of distress signal. It seems ridiculous.

I could see waving your arms, or using a whistle, yelling help or anything but a mask over your head, or even the fist over the head???
If you can neatly put your mask over your fore head for a brief period, there should be no problem with this. I know there is a chance you will lose your mask, but if that is a concern just tether it, or leash it.

I am curious how many of you flip your mask over on your fore head from time to time. I sometimes like it because I can quickly put it back down on my face. Are there any other down sides to doing this besides losing the mask, or mistaking it for a distress signal?

Would you consider this to be a bad fashion statement.
What do you think when you see others doing this ? Is this more common in other parts of the world?





I will say I do not this when I am entering or exiting a shore dive, unless I have it leashed.

 

[buddhasummer]

Agree there are other more obvious signs of distress exhibited by said diver. Personally I always have mine hanging around my neck when not in use so I don't lose it. Seems using a tether or such is easily made redundant by simply wearing your mask around your neck. I don't see the point of adding something extra when the potential problem can be solved by a better(?) habit.

 

[OtherHalf]

Agree with above. I'm not going to hop in and rescue someone who is happily bobbing there with their mask on their forehead. Still, it'll never get knocked off and float away if its around your neck.

 

[Insta-Gator]

After more than 20 years of diving and occasionally wearing my mask on my forehead, I have never seen anyone attempt to rescue myself or any other diver with MOF. No one has even inquired to determine if we are in distress. Surely they are not still teaching that MOF=emergency stuff in class any longer.

 

[hellhole]

U koe... I never do that ... Reason being... I have seen many mask lost that way... On top of head... Woop... Slip off... And down it goes...

I have made it a habit to pull down my mask to my neck. Never lost a mask that way.

But I do agree that using that as a indicate that it's a sign of distress is kind of strange.

I remember that the good of it is that the mask can reflect the sunlight and be use as a way to attract passing boat ....

 

[RJP]

I know that most are taught to wear the mask under the chin when wanting to temporarily remove the mask. But sometimes I tend to place mine over my fore head. I don't understand how this should be regarded as some sort of distress signal. It seems ridiculous.

I could see waving your arms, or using a whistle, yelling help or anything but a mask over your head, or even the fist over the head???

It's always surprising how many people struggle with this concept.

MOF is not considered a "distress signal" but a potential "sign of a diver in distress."

Many panicked/distressed divers reject their gear at the surface - especially those who feel like they can't breathe - spitting the reg and pushing their mask off their face. As a boat crew member, active DM, and now instructor I've seen it frequently.

Like any "sign" of anything it needs to be taken in context; if you see an MOF diver calmly chatting with his buddy at the surface... they are clearly NOT distressed. However, any time I see a diver surface and immediately spit their reg and push their mask up off their face... I keep an eye on them for an extra two seconds to see if there are other signs. In an activity where it only takes ONE second for someone to slip beneath the surface, it just makes good sense.

It's hard to believe anyone actually thinks that there's been a suggestion that if you're in distress you should put your mask on your forehead to alert others that you need assistance. Do you also believe that choking victims have been instructed to turn blue or someone suffering a heart attack was told to collapse to the floor in order to "signal" that they need assistance?

 

[uncfnp]

There is a pretty good SB thread floating around about this but can't find it.

I was also taught the mask on forehead idea but whoever came up with this didn't have much hair. I got really tired of pulling out hair or not getting the mask positioned correctly so I decided the rule was stupid and did my own thing. Now that I mostly use a hood, it's still easier to position on my face from the forehead.

Yes, an inconvenient wave could remove it but I'm not going to have it off when that's a concern.

 

[Steve_C]

On the boat I wear it on my forehead. More convenient.

In the water the mask never leaves my face. The reg never leaves my mouth unless I need to say something and then it immediately goes back in afterwards. I am always amused by the folks that reach the surface and remove reg and/or mask and then proceed to get mouthfulls or facefulls of water.

 

[RJP]

I am always amused by the folks that reach the surface and remove reg and/or mask and then proceed to get mouthfulls or facefulls of water.

We always tell passengers "Please keep reg in, mask on until you are all the way back on the boat." In six years of crewing in the Northeast - where we consider choppy to be "flat seas" - I can tell you that on every charter there's always someone who refuses to follow this advice. There's also usually someone who falls off the ladder and back into the water. It's often the same person.

I keep my reg in until the boat gets back to the dock.

 

[Octopusprime]

Just to chime in... I agree with everyone mask on forehead is not a reason to send a rescue team. I have seen divers turn the mask sideways or backward so it is not a distress signal. But if a single wave can take it off your forehead it would take it off the back of your head too.

Personally I do not take it off early. If the water is flat I may put it up. If I have long surface swim I prefer to flit on my back unless there is surf. But then I will take it off and put around my arm.