You're doing it WRONG

[Phish-phood]

I never thought it would happen but I have now got to the stage where I don't even notice my mask anymore and it tends to stay on the front of my face until I exit the water. If I take it off though I usually clip it off somewhere easily accessable, I have heard of one to many masks ending up on the bottom of a dive site because it has gotten knocked off a head, and I *hate* having it around my neck so that's not an option for me

As for the weight belt. I am constantly being told my release is the wrong way round, and yes it is a left hand release *but* I wear a ND weight harness and if I should ever find myself in the situation that I need to dump weight opening the harness buckle does no good whatsoever as the weight is all in quick release pouches, something I make people of aware of when I dive with them for the first time.

 

[zboss]

Reading a post earlier about a diver being told his knife was pointed the WRONG way got me thinking of a DM we had a couple of weeks ago. My wife & I were told we had our weight belts on WRONG because we wear them to open with our left hand.
Now I know that you are taught that all divers should set their gear up so that in an emergency any other diver can strip your weights, but we have our reasons.
1st -we are both left handed so this is easier for us.
2nd- I lost most of my right hand 30 odd yrs ago but that didn't seem to matter.
It was different so it was WRONG.

Sorry, for the rant but it pi**ed me off!

i

Things like this make the difference between a TIP and NO TIP.

 

[Gary D.]

Just checked your profile, Gary... I see that you're a retired Navy diver - how very cool. I also see that you're a deputy sheriff... I take it that you're a diver for the department.

Here, the sheriff's department does not bother having it's own dive team - that's our job. MRS is First Response for both the U.S. Coast Guard and 911 when the issue is water-related.

...So yes, I suspect that we dive in very similar situations.

I started with the department in October 1976 and have been on the dive team all but 2 of those years while I was undercover. Idiot reporter plastered my mug on the front page of the paper after I recovered a WMA from a sewer pipe. Everything was cool for 3 UC years but the department got shook and grounded me for a while until I went back into uniform.

We do all the underwater work, rescue and recovery, and work jointly with the FD's for surface rescue. We have a very good working relationship. They have even set up all the rescue trucks with SS systems if we need it. Having a truck full of 5000# air is sure nice to have around at the end of the hose.

I have been involved in over 200 recoveries from fresh to 30 years old. We are still looking for 17 that we know of that are up to 50 years old just in one of our lakes.

It's full face when the body gunk starts mixing in my water column. hehehe Interesting world, isn't it?

Gary D.

 

[SueMermaid]

I never thought it would happen but I have now got to the stage where I don't even notice my mask anymore and it tends to stay on the front of my face until I exit the water.

But what about all the snot? I think that's my main reason for taking my mask off in the water. Don't the entire contents of your sinuses get deposited in your mask? :11:
Come on, somebody had to say it.

 

[gchapman]

yea, who started that 'mask on the forehead means DISTRESS' BS anyway?

I've *never* heard of that.

Seriously?

 

[Cudabait]

But what about all the snot? I think that's my main reason for taking my mask off in the water. Don't the entire contents of your sinuses get deposited in your mask? :11:
Come on, somebody had to say it.

Hi, SueMermaid....

Whew! I've finally got to the end of this thread. I've read with interest the posts and someof the good ones you've made in particular. Suffuce to say that over the years I have pulled out more distressed divers, swimmers and recoveries than I can now recall. No matter.

About the mask thing. Enough said that some agencies teach that mask on forehead is possible sign of panic. I'm not above putting it on forehead, behind head or around neck, etc. What I have found, over the years is that it truly works best if you place it on your weak forearm. It will not come off and it leaves both hands free to handle other matters. Holding fins, climbling latter, assisting, etc, etc. etc.

The trick is simple...put the mask over the weak hand to a point past watch, compass, etc. then just twist the mask over the hand and wrist once again. The mask ain't coming off until one manually removes it by taking out the extra twist and removing the mask from the arm. This method leaves both hands and arms free and the mask is not going to get knocked off. It has worked for me for years and I've never dropped a mask or had one knocked off for any reason. I didn't see this mentioned elsewhere in this thread so I thought I might mention it. It ain't new and it ain't rocket science.

Regards,

 

[CHUD]

That's one of those "D'oh, why didn't I think of that!" ideas. I'll be using it. Thanks!

 

[SueMermaid]

Well, there, Cudabait, that's a good idea. I'm going to give that one a try on my next dive.

 

[SeaJay]

It's full face when the body gunk starts mixing in my water column. hehehe Interesting world, isn't it?

Gary D.

Heh. No doubt!

Something tells me that you and I - especially you - could swap some stories that would make peoples' skin crawl.

 

[Wreck]

Anytime some DM feels the need to share his half wit opinions, just turn around and ignore him. Most of the things they suggest, they can't even explain the reasoning for.

This has been my experience in the courses.

Regarding mask on forehead, we were only told during OW classes that we might loose it that way. I haven't seen anyone remove their mask after surfacing for boat dives yet. During OW courses when we absentmindedly put our masks on our forheads (we were only in 3 feet of pool water and our masks were fogging up) we were quickly reminded not to do that.

I quickly stopped doing it after I realized that my forehead puts out a lot of heat and fogs my mask.

Regarding weight belt directions, there are many different configurations for gear. Some are not as optimal (in opinion) as others, but it's our responsibility to be safe (to whatever degree) if only for our buddy's sake.

During a recent stress & rescue course, I had to look and figure out how to operate an unfamiliar inflator hose button arrangement on an unconscious diver. Did this unusual (to me) gear setup mean he was doing something wrong? I know it's probably not as strong an illustration as the convention for a weight belt but it crosses into a gray area I think - unless you are DIR.