Yelled at for MOF

[Anthony Jones]

I would have pointed right back at him with my middle finger.

I know. The urge certainly was there. The shop is nice enough to let me go out and dive with them for free when they take students out if the boat isn't full, so I try not to piss them off.

But there's a limit to how much butt I'll kiss for a free boat ride. LOL

 

[Anthony Jones]

+1 - the struggle is real!

Seriously though. Usually I have something else in the other hand like a speargun or fins or GoPro. Last spring I went spearfishing and walked into the surf with mask and fins in one hand and speargun and stringer in the other hand (cause some simpleton might rescue me if I walked in with a MOF). Ended up dropping the mask in about 4 feet of water while trying to put the fins on and didn't realize it. I looked around for in the water it but didn't see it, so I thought I might have accidentally left it in the truck when I was getting me gear ready, so I got back out and took all the gear off and left it on the beach and walked the path back to the truck to see if I left it or if I dropped it along the trail. Didn't find it so I grabbed my spare out of the dive bag. Walked back to the beach and got all my gear back on. I assumed either I dropped it on the trail and someone picked it up, or I lost it in the water. So I spent the next hour looking for it. Current was pretty decent but I found it about 30 feet from where I lost it.

Moral of the story is if I had walked in with MOF I'd have spent the next hour and a half spearing fish instead of doing a search and recovery.

 

[Steve_C]

On a serious note, an argument can be made about the MOF. let's say you were on a drift dive in Cozumel, you get seperated from your group and get left behind. A boat passes by, you are wearing your mask like normal, wave at them, even yell for help. they go by at full speed and wave back at you. if you had the MOF, they might think something was wrong and stop to check.

 

[Steve_C]

Seriously though. Usually I have something else in the other hand like a speargun or fins or GoPro. Last spring I went spearfishing and walked into the surf with mask and fins in one hand and speargun and stringer in the other hand (cause some simpleton might rescue me if I walked in with a MOF). Ended up dropping the mask in about 4 feet of water while trying to put the fins on and didn't realize it. I looked around for in the water it but didn't see it, so I thought I might have accidentally left it in the truck when I was getting me gear ready, so I got back out and took all the gear off and left it on the beach and walked the path back to the truck to see if I left it or if I dropped it along the trail. Didn't find it so I grabbed my spare out of the dive bag. Walked back to the beach and got all my gear back on. I assumed either I dropped it on the trail and someone picked it up, or I lost it in the water. So I spent the next hour looking for it. Current was pretty decent but I found it about 30 feet from where I lost it.

Moral of the story is if I had walked in with MOF I'd have spent the next hour and a half spearing fish instead of doing a search and recovery.

Or if you carried a spare mask in your pocket .......

 

[Anthony Jones]

Or if you carried a spare mask in your pocket .......

Right. According to the Scuba police, I'm supposed to have that SMB and finger reel and spare flashlight and signal mirror and whistle and spare computer. It's a large backpack I need, not a BC pocket.

 

[Anthony Jones]

...let's say you were on a drift dive in Cozumel, you get seperated from your group and get left behind. A boat passes by, you are wearing your mask like normal, wave at them, even yell for help. they go by at full speed and wave back at you. if you had the MOF, they might think something was wrong and stop to check.

Isn't that when I'm suppose to use the whistle and signal mirror and SMB the Scuba police says I have to haul around with me?

If my mask is on my face or around my neck and I'm tooting my whistle and flashing the SOS with my high speed signal mirror and my SMB is sticking up 8 feet over the water are they gonna just wave and drive on by because my mask isn't on my forehead?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Right. According to the Scuba police, I'm supposed to have that SMB and finger reel and spare flashlight and signal mirror and whistle and spare computer. It's a large backpack I need, not a BC pocket.

... that's just what goes in the right pocket ... the left pocket's for your spare mask and wet notes ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Steve_C]

Right. According to the Scuba police, I'm supposed to have that SMB and finger reel and spare flashlight and signal mirror and whistle and spare computer. It's a large backpack I need, not a BC pocket.

Depends on where you dive. In my case it is usually 20-30 miles off shore, there are no other boats within 10 miles. Viz may be 80 it may be 5. Not traveling long distances underwater. We are anchored on ledge or wreck. I avoid diving in strong currents but not low viz.

I ignore the scuba fashion nazis. I have limited mobility in both shoulders and want things where they are easy to get.

-l sling a small pony on the left.
-small knife in holster on outside left of BCD.
-bottom oring on the left has a large, but not giant, SMB (it has been used) and a reel (for either SMB or navigating in low viz used for both.)
-spare mask in left pocket.
-right pocket: small knife, a very long very small marker which floats. My lost at sea help. Maybe a light, maybe not.
-right bottom oring - camera when traveling up or down. Nothing else on right since I want freedom on the camera side.
-two puck computers on the left arm.

Note that the camera has a seadragon light so there is a light available.

 

[Anthony Jones]

My integrated weights interfere. Maybe it's the AquaLung design. If I have very much in the pockets, the weights won't slide all the way in and lock into place. The weights seem to occupy the same "space" but theres a nylon divider separating the cargo pocket from the weight pouch area. I'd never be able to fit a mask into a pocket with my weights in place. Even my AL Teknika is a low-profile mask but I can't zip the pocket closed with it in there with the weights in place.

I got my Shearwater on my wrist but my backup is the ScubaPro Matrix on the console. SMB and reel clipped to stainless loops on my weight belt. My tiny little Princeton Tech AA flashlight just manages to fit in the right pocket and allow it to zip closed. I keep the slate in the left pocket, and it's not thick enough to matter.

The whistle is clipped onto my SMB so it's not a storage factor.

 

[markmud]

I tackled a guy with his sunglasses on his forehead and proceeded to give him CPR because he HAD to be in distress.

I had a captain on a boat tell me I owed him a six pack because my mask was on my forehead. I told him that no, he owed me a case for believing in such a fairy tale. I never dove with that outfit again.

Hello All,

I loved this thread and this post was one my favorites (and I am not sucking up to the boss!).

Now I know why some people ask me if I am OK!!!!!

I always give that befuddled expression, say yeah why do ask, and then check my face for hanging snot or something.

I completely forgot about the MOF thing. I thought it was frowned upon because you could lose your mask easier while in the water. How am I in distress walking on deck with my mask on my forehead?

I do it all of the time.

markm