Forgive Me.....I Forgot!!

[QuoVadis]

I have been diving 1 year. Have my open water/advanced cert. My instructor drilled into my head that we cannot put our masks on our forehead. I just cant remember WHY? I have reviewed all of my paperwork and my pretty books that i recieved but I cant find a reason. Its comfortable up there! And if i do want to wear it there, am I breaching some major diving etiquette??? Will know one want to dive with me? Can a DM refuse me entry into the water? Thanks for answering!

[gj62]

It's a signal that you are not OK - you could have DM's jumping in to see how you are doing...

[Paul Evans]

By some it is regarded as a sign of distress??

By some it is seen as easy to lose??

Hope this helps

[QuoVadis]

I surely would have remembered if it was a distress signal!! And if its to prevent from losing it, well that would just be my dumb fault but i should be able to decide where to wear my mask!

[miguel sanz]

check out this threat in this same forum: "Breaking the rules…".
The main reason is because a wave or similar could make you loose it and maybe screw your diving trip. As for the distress signal, it´s kind of true, if you see someone pumping out of the water, and the first things he does is taking out the reg and mask, he may have problems, but this signs have to be interprated with caution.

[Walter]

It is not a distress signal. You do increase your chances of losing it, but I agree with you, "that would just be my dumb fault but i should be able to decide where to wear my mask!"

You will encounter cretins incapable of rational thought who assume you're in trouble.

[ZoCrowes255]

I have been diving 1 year. Have my open water/advanced cert. My instructor drilled into my head that we cannot put our masks on our forehead. I just cant remember WHY? I have reviewed all of my paperwork and my pretty books that i recieved but I cant find a reason. Its comfortable up there! And if i do want to wear it there, am I breaching some major diving etiquette??? Will know one want to dive with me? Can a DM refuse me entry into the water? Thanks for answering!

The only real danger is in losing it (which I have seen happen.) It's an old divers tale that it's a distress signal. I just think it makes you look like a dork to have it on your forehead but that's me.

[Rick Inman]

I just think it makes you look like a dork to have it on your forehead but that's me.

How dare you! Mike Nelson kept his mask on HIS forhead, and he never looked like a dork!

Here's the profile picture of an SB member, Gary D, back when he was Navy Seal in '65. Dork??? You deside...

[gj62]

It is not a distress signal. ... You will encounter cretins incapable of rational thought who assume you're in trouble.

I've seen it recently where a DM has asked if someone was ok - and it is listed as a distress signal in one manual I have (PADI Dive Manual - 1978, pg 34 - no jokes, plz).

I agree that it isn't the wisest distress signal, but, as it was once used that way, I can't blame a DM for being cautious and interpreting it as a possible distress situation.

[nwdiver2]

You will lose it by wave or someone helping you out of the water onto a boat, knocked off by you BC being handed up etc. It is the same as leaving on the swim grid or dive platform for just a second; it will get kicked, swept by wave or knocked off and if you don’t have access to a spare there goes the day.

People with 7mm hoods on can’t fell how secure or precarious the mask is sitting on their forehead so we discourage it. In the North East Pacific you will often see divers surface swimming with the mask on backwards the strap across the forehead. This is more stable.