Back in the dark ages (1970s) when the US Coast Guard still allowed beards and I was on an icebreaker they came through engineering with the same type of test. There were a few of us with full beards that actually got a better seal on the masks then some of the clean shaven guys. The Navy still made us all shave so we could go through fire-fighting school.

Hate to see you lose your beard though. You can always grown it back after retirement.
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:-):-):-)
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Dave I can see the smoke from here in the States , Might be Fun
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Sorry to hear about the soon to be loss of facial hair Dave.
Maybe some of us can grow a beard in solidarity for ya! :-)

I have not shaved my goatee since late October...No one seems impressed about it but me!
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Dave - go for the handelbar mustache - Al told me there are some .alt forums where they like that:-):-):-)
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Dave with a "soul patch" Oh how I wish I could photo chop!!!
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Funny this should come up... I missed this post yesterday. I was in the Bear Cave with Alex (A2VR6) tonight and we watched a piece on the CBC with Peter Masbridge where he spent some time on a research vessel in the High Arctic. The Captain of the Amundsen has a full beard as did many of the good men who worked on it. I actually asked Alex if he remembered you mentioning that you might have to shave.
Different rules for up there I guess? :-)
Link to the sory (the piece starts in the 12th minute) http://www.cbc.ca/ondemand/news/thenational.asx (note the link will probably only be good until 10 pm on the 27th)
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once they get around to all the ships, even the Capt will be tested. Will have to ask if this is Canada wide though.:-):-):-)
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:-) I heard somewhere that you are SHORT ON CIGARS!!:-):-):-)
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what? Mark is short on cigars?
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The worst part about this is it means you have to spend more time shaving. My inherent laziness is the only reason I keep my goatee.
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