At what point would it be recommended to carry a back up mask?

[Daniel M. Thomas]

Title says it all

Planning to do progress from AOW to deep and so on to do my divemaster and im wondering if i should purchase a backup mask or save my hard earned dough

 

[Jaan]

We have prescription masks, and primarily for that reason keep a spare on the boat or in the car to save a dive. We updated our prescription so just kept the old ones, not sure I would have bought two to begin with for the type of fun dives we do off the beach or with a dive operator,

 

[Marie13]

If you’re a hard fit with regards to masks, it’s always sensible to have a spare to keep in your bag. If you can wear any old mask, your choice. Many people I know have spares.

 

[CuzzA]

Long deco would be the only situation I would consider carrying a backup mask on me while diving.

No stop diving? It would be non essential gear. Not necessary.

 

[CT-Rich]

I have spares because I have extras. I toss one in my bag just in case someone needs it. I wouldn’t spend $100 on an intentional spare, but if you upgrade your mask or find a nice one at a good price, it may save someone’s day.

If you have any type of over head, real or virtual (like cave or deco), you may want to have one in the water.

 

[rick00001967]

obviously cave divers would carry one with them on dives. ow diving does not require it. there is just no need. bringing a spare to the site can make sense though. i never do to be honest. i probably should. maybe my luck is running out. haha

 

[Silver diver]

If your fit is awkward or prescription then yes, carry a spare set. Lose your mask, lose your day of diving.
If you're a pretty much standard fit, then someone else might lend you their spare so can continue diving.
Personally I'd just keep a spare set rather than being " the one that relies on others goodwill and common sense".
Not being snooty here, just the victim of lending stuff out and never seeing it again in the past.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Title says it all

Planning to do progress from AOW to deep and so on to do my divemaster and im wondering if i should purchase a backup mask or save my hard earned dough

If you mean carry a back-up mask while on a dive, the answer is to carry one on any dive in which you cannot resolve a broken or lost mask problem by simply calling the dive and ascending normally. You can probably see well enough to read your depth and see your buddy without a mask, so for typical open-water dives a back-up mask is superfluous. I don’t carry anything I can be certain I won’t NEED on a dive—it’s just extra baggage. So who might NEED a back-up mask during a dive? Technical divers who have deco obligations, for example. Cave/wreck divers, too. Possibly an open-water dive in which you NEED to return to some point and can’t just surface anywhere, such as an open-water dive under a busy shipping lane. What CuzzA said.

 

[OTF]

I carry a backup mask, a bad cheap one, in my right pocket. I've never had to use it in an "emergency", but have lent it to buddies who broke or forgot their mask. Masks are delicate, easy to lose, and the dive day is over without it. So it's really worth having a spare.

Mask swap drill underwater is a great skill to practice task loading, buoyancy control, working with gloves, etc. Practice doing it in trim, then doing it without changing depth.

I'd very strongly recommend carrying one (and being proficient about doing the swap under stress) for solo dives or dives where there is a hard or deco ceiling over your head.

 

[Micheal]

Title says it all

Planning to do progress from AOW to deep and so on to do my divemaster and im wondering if i should purchase a backup mask or save my hard earned dough

Mask Rule #1 - if find the perfect buy 2.

Do you need in the water every dive.... that's debatable. Mine is always on site for every dive, and in my pocket on every Tech or Instructional dive.

As a DM, I always carried a cheap backup, as a professional cursorily incase a dive looses theirs.