Mask on forehead?

Fishkiller made me think, now that's scary!

But, is the mask on the forehead indicating stress and panic, an out of date concept?

Yes, I know we were all taught not to put your mask there cause somebody is gonna come over and start giving you mouth to mouth or start towing you to the shore or something like that but......

Seeking knowledge and wisdom from the Board

ID

Don Juan Iguana,

I did not know that anyone could make you think! I tried putting my mask around my neck as taught and found that it damn near choked me. So, I either wear it or slip it up on my forehead. I usually do the latter whilst still aboard the boat and so no one volunteers to do mouth-to-mouth (that may have more to do with Barbara's presence than a lack of desire by willing volunteers..).

So many traditions have been lost to modern times--e.g., having enough air to ascend leisurely--and this may be another one. I will not mourn it, but if you are single and looking for a date, this technique may still come in handy!


Joewr

I was taught that mask on the forehead means distress, just a couple of weeks ago at my OW dives. I find that the mask does the best work when it is on my face, although I am all to often tempted to pull it off.

If it chokes you out, could you could put the strap on your forehead, with the mask on backwards? Or does strap on forehead mean the same as mask on forehead.

I put my mask on my forehead whenever I darn well please. It's the only "storage" location that works for me, and I can't imagine anyone trying to rescue me while I'm walking from the truck towards the beach, or back swimming in after a dive.

I have learned the hard way never to leave it up on my forehead when making that giant stride off the boat...


Aloha,

Jonathan
kalepa@maui.net

I put my mask on my forhead when on the surface , but i turn it back to front whether im wearing the mask with a slap strap or not. Cheers

A very common and often mistaught concept that goes back to the fact so many instructors are incompetent. If you see a mask on someone's forehead it CAN be a sign of distress. It usually is NOT. When it is a sign of distress, it is one of many. It is not a signal of distress. Many people are being taught a mask on a forehead is a conscious signal of distress or that it always means distress. It's simply not so. When a diver is in distress, they will sometimes reject gear, including regulators, and masks. They do not calmly remove their regulator or gently place their masks on their foreheads. A mask will SOMETIMES be knocked up to the forehead when arms are windmilling around in panic mode. You'll notice the panic before you see where the mask might be. I've lost count of the number of rescues I've made, none of them signaled to me with their mask. OTOH, one of my buddies was relaxing on the surface, hands behind her head, stretched out in a supine position, ankles crossed and her mask on her forehead. Frankly, I thought she might fall asleep. The DM started yelling, "ARE YOU IN DISTRESS? ARE YOU IN DISTRESS" He had poor training, no experience and obviously no brain.

WWW™

I agree the mask on the forehead can be a sign of distress and not necessarily always a distress signal. The one time I had to signal distress I pulled off my mask and swung it back and forth over my head to get any attention, I had already inflated my BC and I wasn't panicked, I just wanted help and for someone to see my location.

As far as putting the mask on my forehead, I do that when I want to and if I can I let those around me know I'm not in any distress. I use to worry folks would think I was stupid if I put the mask on my forehead when not in distress, but I too have suffered choking when trying to wear it around my neck. I bet that really looked STUPID!

Laura

Yes, it is commonly taught that mask on the forehead is ONE of the signs of not being in control. But good Leadership level people can pick up on ALL the signs of a distressed diver, not just the putting off of the mask.

One of the real reasons why masks usually don't belong on the forehead is that they get knocked off. A wave, a passing buddy/swimmer... you name it.

And as we all know, masks DO NOT FLOAT. So bye-bye mask!

~SubMariner~

Way back in my OW course (Jan/01), my instructor taught that the mask on the forehead was an indicator of a potential distressed diver. There were the others (Holding Head high above the water, Failing to inflate BCD, not using Reg or snorkle, not responsive to buddies or other conditions, wild, jerky, or uncoordinated motions, not responsive to directions or questions).

The concept was that the diver was distracted by the panic and was not paying attention to the fundementals of diving. This was the common factor across all of the indicators. I was also taught that the mask around the neck was a fundemental of diving for all of the reasons mentioned above (waves, arms, etc.)

Having taught First Aid for a number of years, I would suggest that the potential embarassment of asking what may seem a silly question is significantly more aceptable for a DI or DM that failing to check on a diver who indicates one or more of the stress symptoms. I for one, expect my Dive Leaders to be paying attention; and teaching me through example.

Just my 2 cents....

I think some people miss the point with the mask on the forehead. It is a sigh of distress. I hear people saying I will do what I damn please with it. That is your right to do this, But Ask your self why in you class they say this is a sigh. Because most people in distress put their mask on their forehead. Yes it is not laws that you cant do this if not in distress, but for my self I will put it around my neck or hold it so that it will not be commonplace and the mast on the forehead will be left some one who needs help.