I used to think a full face mask was overkill for most inspection dives

I was working on a dam inspection in Oregon last year and got paired with a diver named Mike. He always brought his full face mask even for what I saw as simple visual checks. One day, the current picked up hard and I got a face full of silt, which meant surfacing to clear my mask. Mike just kept working, talking to topside the whole time. He said, 'Clear comms and no water in your eyes means you finish the job, not the conditions.' That stuck with me. I bought one the next month and it's changed how I handle murky water jobs. Has anyone else made a gear switch that seemed unnecessary until it saved your day?

3 comments

3 Comments

paigesullivan23d ago

How often do you run into murky conditions now? That story about Mike is a solid point, just being able to see and talk changes everything.

evan_campbell23d ago

Honestly I see the other side too. Clear water is great but sometimes you learn more when you can't just look at each other. That forced focus on just the sound and feel of the line can teach you things you'd miss on a perfect day. Mike's story is good but I've had days where the fog made us listen better and we actually caught more. It's not always a bad thing.

the_dylan21d ago

Mike's story is a perfect example of why that gear matters. I read a whole thread from commercial divers who said the same thing, that clear comms turn a risky situation into a managed one. I get what @evan_campbell is saying about learning from tough conditions, but safety should never be the lesson. If you can't see or talk, you can't tell topside about a problem you DO feel. That mask isn't about comfort, it's about keeping your head in the game when the water tries to take you out of it.

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