Mask on forehead = diver in distress?

[MakoSince70]

In the days when I was just a regular diver, I also thought the mask on the forhead issue was just that. An issue that instructors and dive boat crews fabricated to have an item to ridicule divers. It seemed that the forehead was a perfectly logical place to park a mask not in use. How could such action signify distress?

Now that I am the instructor and dive boat captain I get it. The distressed diver becomes distressed upon surfacing. Generally they have failed to make themselves bouyant. The situation may be further compounded in that the diver is out of air. So, no air, not bouyant, leads to stress, resulting in rapid breathing. The diver feels that they are not getting sufficient air and thus remove the mask and regulator to improve the situation. The logical place for a rapid removal of the mask is to shove it up on the forehead. Thus, the symtom of distress or panic can be the mask on forehead. I never really believed this. However over the past 3 years of being a full time dive professional I have witnessed the event no less than 7 times.

At the onset of each panic event, the diver was not flailing around with rapid arm movements. The initial action was movement of the mask to the forhead followed by "minor arm flailing". Most likely extreme arm flailing was not achieved due to rapid rescue action on the part of my dive crew.

Recognition of a diver in distress close by is quite easy. The big eyes betray the panic. However, at a distance of 100 ft the eyes cannot be read. A mask on forhead can. Our dive briefings include instructions that divers surfacing some distance from the boat should signal OK and either continue the dive or surface swim to the boat. Divers are instructed not to place their mask upon their forhead. Such action may induce the captain to place a rescue swimmer in the water. False alarms for the rescue swimmer usually require compensation at happy hour.

Keep your mask on.

 

[Mverick]

In distress, a diver wants to get the mask off and doesn't want it around there throat. Usually, there breathing heavy and don't want anything around there neck. So, they want it on there head. I've seen it. Lady came to the surface breathing heavy, put mask on head. Started yelling "Leave me alone I can't breathe and fighting with people trying to help get air in her BC. She ended up knocking the mask off her head before anyone could even get to her. So, to the bottom it went.

She was fine in the end. It was in about 15ft of water.

Then, her sister looked for her mask and wanted the dive shop to pay for it... LOL


Not the only case I've seen.

To be honest, I've done it too. With a reg around my neck I don't like having a mask there too... But, I also don't want to loose my mask. So, I prefer to leave it on till I'm out of the water. But, I still catch myself doing it. And when I see someone on the surface with the mask on the forehead. It is a reason to keep an eye on them. I've just seen it to many times. It's usually a new diver or renewed diver. Someone with 75 dives or less.

But, I've also seen a girl go ballistic and die that had over 125 dives. And all her gear worked... She was around 26 and had 3 kids. Her husband was there with her.

It's actually helping your instructors and DM's out. They don't have to keep such an eye on you if you don't do it. It attracts more attention to you from them. Because of there experience.

 

[Mverick]

In the days when I was just a regular diver, I also thought the mask on the forhead issue was just that. An issue that instructors and dive boat crews fabricated to have an item to ridicule divers. It seemed that the forehead was a perfectly logical place to park a mask not in use. How could such action signify distress?

Now that I am the instructor and dive boat captain I get it. The distressed diver becomes distressed upon surfacing. Generally they have failed to make themselves bouyant. The situation may be further compounded in that the diver is out of air. So, no air, not bouyant, leads to stress, resulting in rapid breathing. The diver feels that they are not getting sufficient air and thus remove the mask and regulator to improve the situation. The logical place for a rapid removal of the mask is to shove it up on the forehead. Thus, the symtom of distress or panic can be the mask on forehead. I never really believed this. However over the past 3 years of being a full time dive professional I have witnessed the event no less than 7 times.

At the onset of each panic event, the diver was not flailing around with rapid arm movements. The initial action was movement of the mask to the forhead followed by "minor arm flailing". Most likely extreme arm flailing was not achieved due to rapid rescue action on the part of my dive crew.

Recognition of a diver in distress close by is quite easy. The big eyes betray the panic. However, at a distance of 100 ft the eyes cannot be read. A mask on forhead can. Our dive briefings include instructions that divers surfacing some distance from the boat should signal OK and either continue the dive or surface swim to the boat. Divers are instructed not to place their mask upon their forhead. Such action may induce the captain to place a rescue swimmer in the water. False alarms for the rescue swimmer usually require compensation at happy hour.

Keep your mask on.

He said it better then I said it... LOL He was posting it while I was still writing... LOL

 

[Walter]

It's total BS!!!!!!!! I've seen divers panic, I've seen lots of divers panic. I've never see one calmly place their mask on their forehead. They do sometimes push it up, sometimes throw it off, but the mask being on the forehead is never what catches your attention.

Yes, lots of folks teach it, but it's WRONG!!!!!!!!! I agree it's not a good idea to do it, but because it's easier to lose your mask that way. Of course, I've had a wave steal my mask when it was firmly on my face.

 

[mislav]

Your first post and straight you go for MOF/NMOF? Impressive!

Back in the good old days we had a poll on this and us MOFers got massively outnumbered by NMOF types. We had more fun though. All that the NMOFers are really after is scamming you for a round of beer as illustrated in previous post.

Recognition of a diver in distress close by is quite easy. The big eyes betray the panic. However, at a distance of 100 ft the eyes cannot be read. A mask on forhead can.

Are you seriously telling us that the MOF is your first indication that something is wrong with a diver? Could you not have assessed that diver's abilities prior to this?

Don't get this the wrong way, but you'd get no beer from me for catching me with my mask on my forehead. On the other hand, if it was mentioned in the pre-dive briefing, I wouldn't be doing it. I would LMAO during the briefing though.

 

[SwimJim]

I was taught that MOF equals lost mask.

In real life that would be a mask worn on the back of your head where most of the misinformed padi national socialists wear it. I read the recent artical in DIVE TRAINING magazine. I really wonder if the writer actually believed the garbage she was spewing. If these people really believe things like this they are a danger to themselves and should not be diving. Whatever happened to common sense? That is REALLY lacking in todays diving community.

Jim

 

[coach_izzy]

Et tu Brutus? Here we go again! FWIW, do what is more comfortable to you, and make sure your buddies are all in the same page. Keep your eyes open for the Mask Nazis that will always eagerly remind you of what you mentioned... I got # 17!

 

[WyCal]

Frankly, I could care less if you put your mask on your head, however.....

Recently I was working with students on the current line, when a young lady (a certified diver in another group) took the reg out of her mouth, put her mask on her forhead, was kicking furiously to keep her face out of the water, and complaining that she couldn't inflate her BCD. My DM got to her, orally inflated her BCD and determined that her inflator hose had not been connected, and got her to the boat.
About 2 minutes later, another woman spit the reg out of her mouth, placed her mask on her forhead, yelling that her fins were coming off her feet and she could not keep her head out of the water. Again, we were able to establish positive buoyancy and get her on the boat.
A couple of days ago a man surfaced 30 yards from our boat, mask on forehead, out of air, couldn't inflate his BCD, and required a rescue from our DM.

Not everyone with their mask on their forehead needs help, but sometimes people with their mask on their forehead need help. I've seen people under stress put their mask on their forehead, I've seen people flail their arms while panicked, and I've also seen panicked divers hardly move at all.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Dich]

In distress, a diver wants to get the mask off and doesn't want it around there throat. Usually, there breathing heavy and don't want anything around there neck. So, they want it on there head. I've seen it. Lady came to the surface breathing heavy, put mask on head. Started yelling "Leave me alone I can't breathe and fighting with people trying to help get air in her BC. She ended up knocking the mask off her head before anyone could even get to her. So, to the bottom it went.

She was fine in the end. It was in about 15ft of water.

Then, her sister looked for her mask and wanted the dive shop to pay for it... LOL


Not the only case I've seen.

To be honest, I've done it too. With a reg around my neck I don't like having a mask there too... But, I also don't want to loose my mask. So, I prefer to leave it on till I'm out of the water. But, I still catch myself doing it. And when I see someone on the surface with the mask on the forehead. It is a reason to keep an eye on them. I've just seen it to many times. It's usually a new diver or renewed diver. Someone with 75 dives or less.

But, I've also seen a girl go ballistic and die that had over 125 dives. And all her gear worked... She was around 26 and had 3 kids. Her husband was there with her.

It's actually helping your instructors and DM's out. They don't have to keep such an eye on you if you don't do it. It attracts more attention to you from them. Because of there experience.

Good points. But, please:
there
their
they're

are all different, though they sound the same.

 

[terrasmak]

I havnt seen a distressed diver with a mask on the forehead yet. Seen many relaxed divers (including myself ) chillin at the surface with the mask on the forehead. Just another stupid PADI thing .