Why carry mask backwards at surface?

[goodive]

We really need another MOF thread?

That is the last thing this board need.

 

[tflaris]

Hi tflaris, my post is not a reaction to what you said. Your post came in as I was typing mine ( my typing skills - OW level). I agree with what you said. I was just generally reacting to MOF being not reliable distress signal. I teach to wave hands to get an attention.

I did not mean to imply that this was a natural action that the diver consciously does but rather a reaction to the stress caused by the environment. Therefore a stressed dived at the surface might react this way by removing gear.

Nothing related to hand signals to notify the boat in case of an emergency.

 

[letterboy]

We really need another MOF thread?

yes

That is the last thing this board need.

At least we don't talk about how dumb you are if you think MOF is bad

 

[BigFame]

for me around the neck is just not at all comfy.

 

[Reg Braithwaite]

Putting your mask on your forehead is suppose to be the universal distress signal for a diver. SSI teached that...does PADI?

Okay, let me get this straight. I surface from a dive, I'm in the water, I am in trouble of some kind, and I take the mask off my eyes to let someone know I'm in trouble? In salt water, I can't imagine ever wanting to do this when a wave of the arm will say teh same thing.

I have surfaced in rough seas and felt queasy, I assure you I wanted to do the simplest possible thing at that point.

I wonder if rather than being a signal, it's a sign? In other words, do distressed divers sometimes remove their mask in a desire to breathe through the nose or because they feel claustrophobic or something? Illogical, but possible. Personally, if I was in such a state and wanted the mask off my face it would probably end up in teh water, not perched on my forehead under my rapidly receding hairline.

 

[muddiver]

If boat diving, the mask comes off when I sit down to get out of my gear. Until then, it's on my face. When shore diving, I push the mask up on my forehead, or turn it around and put it on the back of my head. The former if I'm just marching out of the water, and the latter if we're going to float around and debrief for a while.

But I don't dive where there's surf. People who dive in water that MOVES are strange

People who dive in water that has a low salinity and sometimes low oxygen content where nasty stuff like cryptosperidium can live are strange and often refer to "cookies" at the most inappropreate time.

 

[muddiver]

I you are approaching Father Ocean, it is strongly suggested that you have your mask on correctly. That is what shops teach. Because if Father Ocean reaches out and touches you with a rogue wave, you will need your mask on correctly. And preferably your reg or snorkel in your mouth.

Mother Earth is very forgiving, but Father Ocean beats up on his foolish children.

There is no such thing as a "rogue" wave. Waves are a natural phenomenon and such are subject to non-cyclicle or randum patterns. You never hear about rogue freckles or rogue gusts of wind.

 

[Blackwood]

"Echo Base, this is Rogue Wave. I've found them. Repeat, I've found them."

 

[Doubler]

I always wear my mask on the back of my head, it is more secure there and the foam strap acts as a sweat band on long hikes. Before I enter the water I put it on and take it off when on shore or back on the boat. Have never had it fall off.

 

[mark99]

There is no such thing as a "rogue" wave. Waves are a natural phenomenon and such are subject to non-cyclicle or randum patterns. You never hear about rogue freckles or rogue gusts of wind.

I suppose this MOF discussion has degenerated enough that a minor thread hijack is OK. Actually there are such things as rogue waves. There is a nice writeup in Wikipedia under "rogue wave" and also there was a special on Discovery channel about it in the last year or so.