The Encyclopedia & Guide to Diving with a Full Face Mask

By Matthew W. Robinson

The Encyclopedia & Guide to Diving With a Full Face Mask is the first of its kind and gives a great deal of need to know information on virtually all the full face masks currently in production as well as those no longer being produced. The guide is packed with pictures and loaded with information presented in a way that can be easily understood by all from novice recreational, to technical, law enforcement, scientific, military and commercial divers. This guide is a must read for all divers that are contemplating using a full face masks, and especially for those currently using full face masks. The guide not only gives information on particular masks but also explains basic full face mask features, attributes, as well as the pros and conns . Matt has done an excellent job!

Mike Ward
President
Dive Lab, Inc.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Oct 22, 2012
• ISBN: 9781466960862

Book preview

The

Encyclopedia

& Guide

to Diving

WITH A FULL FACE MASK

Matthew W. Robinson

Order this book online at www.trafford.com

or email [e-mail]

Most Trafford titles are also available at major online book retailers.

©

Copyright 2012 Matthew W. Robinson.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-4669-6084-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4669-6085-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4669-6086-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012918027

Trafford rev. 10/15/2012

missing image file www.trafford.com

North America & international

toll-free: 1 888 232 4444 (USA & Canada)

phone: [phone] * fax: [phone]

Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Disclaimer

Chapter 1 What is a full face mask?

Features of Full Face Masks

Full Face Masks vs. Half Masks

Full Face Masks vs. Commercial FFMs

Full Face Masks vs. Hard Hats

Chapter 2 Evolution of the modern full face mask

DESCO Jack Browne mask

The Aga mask

Widolf Mask

Scott Aviation Hydro-pak Diving Mask

The Kirby Morgan BandMask

US Divers—Aqua Lung full face mask Cressi-Sub & Technisub full face masks

Kirby Morgan EXO-26

Double Half Masks Kirby Morgan SuperMask M48

Scubapro Full Face Mask

Continued development

Chapter 3 Additional equipment for full face mask divers

Spare mask and alternate second stage/octopus

Bail-out breathing gas supply

Switch/side block or manifold

Full Face Mask Quick Disconnect & Swivel

Diver Harness

Chapter 4 General skills for diving in a full face mask

Pre-dive inspection

Donning a full face mask

Entering the water with a full face mask

Buoyancy characteristics of a full face mask

Clearing your ears with a full face mask

Clearing a flooded mask

Switching to a spare mask and alternate 2nd stage

Mask removal and replacement underwater

Chapter 5 Catastrophic failures & emergency situations

Face port or mask damage and flood

Loss of communications

Out of breathing gas situations

Entanglement

Full face mask induced hood or dry suit inflation

Chapter 6 Communications

Hand signals

Pull Signals

Voice communications underwater

Chapter 7 Rebreather diving with a full face mask

Oxygen and the full face mask

Adapter kits

Switch blocks & bailouts

FFM Rebreather Tips & Chapter 7 summary

Chapter 8 Surface supplied diving in FFM

Equipment & personnel necessities

An introduction to surface supplied

Redundancy

Chapter 9 Contaminated water diving in a FFM

What is contaminated water?

Are full face masks appropriate for contaminated water diving?

Vehicle recovery

Human remains

Switch blocks for contaminated water diving

Decontamination

Chapter 10 Equipment cleaning & maintenance

Appendix A

Further Reading

End Notes

Foreword

The Encyclopedia & Guide to Diving with a Full Face Mask is the first of its kind and gives a great deal of need to know information on virtually all the full face masks currently in production, as well as those no longer being produced. The guide is packed with pictures and loaded with information presented in a way that can be easily understood by all, from novice recreational, to technical, law enforcement, scientific, military and commercial divers. This guide is a must read for all divers that are contemplating using full face masks, and especially for those currently using full face masks. The guide not only gives information on particular masks but also explains basic full face mask features, attributes, as well as the pros and cons. Matt has done an excellent job!

Mike Ward

President

Dive Lab, Inc.

1415 Moylan Road

Panama City Beach, Florida

32407

Acknowledgements

Dedication

I dedicate this book, my first, to my family.

My fiance, Jillian A. Berg, also a diver, has been a great source of inspiration and has consistently pushed me to persevere. Without her support this book would never have been realized. In addition, my son, Tyler M. Robinson; and Jill’s daughter, Camryn H. Correira, are both too young to dive, but are developing quickly into great snorkelers. Both have always helped me to rinse and carry dive gear. I love them all very much.

There are so many people to thank, I will try to include as many as I can. The names are listed in alphabetical order. The following are friends, divers and people who I have met while writing this book. They have given me their time and personal experiences to draw from.

Bill Campbell, is the owner of Ocean Eye, a remote operating vehicle (ROV) company. Bill is a well known shipwreck diver with many experiences diving to the fated ship Andrea Doria. Bill took me under his wing and introduced me to shipwreck diving.

David Cangarl, owner of Ocean Specialties Group in Massachusettes, an instructor, a commercial diver and hyperbaric operator, sat with me at Lucky’s Bar & Grill in East Providence, RI for hours and hours pouring over the data for this book while consuming blueberries. Dave loaned and gave me equipment to use and photograph for this manual while he also read through the material and contributed immensely.

Barry Clifford, underwater explorer and the discoverer of the pirate ship Whydah who invited me to diving from his Vast Explorer off the shores of Cape Cod. It was the first time I was introduced to full face mask diving. Barry was using a full face mask to recover artifacts from the famed shipwreck.

Danny Crowell, a TDI rebreather instructor trainer, and my TDI/SDI instructor trainer and trimix instructor, as well a past owner of the Seeker Dive Boat from New Jersey and owner of Seeker Productions, filled me with advise and education throughout my years of diving to famous shipwrecks such as the Civil War Iron Clad, USS Monitor and the Empress of Ireland.

Ronnie Ferreira, a neighbor from Whitcomb Farm in Riverside, RI, helped me to get started by downloading photographs.

Brad Gemme is a artist whom I grew up with in Whitcomb Farm, Riverside, RI. Brad is a close friend and now resides in Florida. Brad has created artwork/logos for me and has always been a great source of support.

David Lebreaque, owner of East Bay Dive Center in Rhode Island, loaned me many full face masks to photograph and dive with in order to fill these pages with data. Dive has assisted me in every diving endeavor and adventure I have ever taken part in. I first learned to dive in one of his shop’s classes. I can not thank him enough.

Eva Longobardi, owner of Northeast Diving Services in Rhode Island, which is an Association of Diving Contractors (ADC) member company, read through the material, loaned me diving equipment, and helped me in any way that she could. Eva is an accomplished technical diver and even more so as a commercial diver, underwater welder, hyperbaric operator, registered nurse and ships captain. Eva is a dear friend who would sit with me all evening, share a glass of wine, and go over diving material while my son, Tyler, played or watched television at her beach house in Portsmouth, RI.

Rick Marshall is a TDI rebreather instructor and my closest diving buddy. Rick and I met while diving from Pio Moretti’s boat in 2002. Rick and I became fast friends and he has pushed me to accomplish the writing of this book.

Tom McGinn, is an East Bay Dive Center equipment repair technician. Tom is also a boat captain and owns Providence River Boat, a tour company. Tom has many years diving with full face masks. Tom read through my first draft of this book and made many recommendations.

Dave Miller is a working diver from Bristol, RI, and shared his diving experience with me.

Pio Moretti, a dive instructor and boat operator from Jamestown, RI, took me to many of the shipwrecks of RI. He was an inspiration and helped me to become the diver I am today.

Glenn Neto is a Police Lieutenant in Somerset, Massachusetts. Glenn was my Master Diver student who ended up teaching me