Do you dive with a spare mask?

[Crush]

If your wetsuit does not have thigh pockets for a spare mask you can buy some shorts like these: Highland by XS-Scuba 2mm Super Stretch Neoprene Pocket Shorts to wear over your wetsuit.

 

[HowardE]

I don't carry a spare mask.

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[tbone1004]

I don't, don't see the need for one. In a cave you train to come out in 0 vis, so what good does a mask do you in a brown or black out? I have never seen a mask truly fail, and if the strap breaks, it still works fine. If you lose it fine, but you can still make safe ascents by cupping your hand around one eye and getting a small air pocket in there. It isn't the best, but it works well enough to make an ascent and hit any deco stuff. You should be 100% comfortable diving without a mask anyway...

 

[Aqua-Andy]

In open water I never carry a spare, in overhead tech diving I always carry one. Yes part of training is doing an exit and ascent with deco stops with no mask but it is alot more comfortable with one.

 

[2 Big 2 Fail]

Nope. But I suppose I might if I contemplated some lengthy deco or something else that would make it desirable of vital that I stayed down. But I wouldn't consider it such a requirement that I would refuse the dive if I didn't have it. And I don't go into caves, wrecks, etc. I do carry a spare along for each trip, just because I use Rx masks, and it would be somewhat uncomfortable to use an non-Rx mask.

Has anyone ever considered some sort of tether to prevent complete loss of a mask that was knocked off or otherwise came loose?

 

[robertarak]

Yep! Every dive. Often times I am the only "team" member with this spare resource.
My pocket contents are the same on every dive, and I wear pockets on every dive.
Even on those nice, warm, tropical vacation dives I wear my X-Shorts so I can have my pockets.

 

[String]

It isn't the best, but it works well enough to make an ascent and hit any deco stuff. You should be 100% comfortable diving without a mask anyway...

The "air bubble" trick is a cute swimming pool trick but unworkable in open water or in any form of current or when you need the hands for something else.

Quite simply without a mask you're going to struggle to hit your ascent rates, stop depths and times with an acceptable degree of accuracy especially if its too deep to send a bag up.

 

[compton384]

My pocket contents are the same on every dive, and I wear pockets on every dive.

Maybe this should be a new thread, but since you mentioned it, what are your pocket contents? What are some other things people bring with for convenience, emergency, etc?

 

[drdaddy]

When I am diving in water at 20C (70F) I can read my gauges well enough without a mask so a spare is not necessary. When I am in water at 4C (40F) then it really hurts to keep my eyes open underwater, complicating a mask-less safe ascent.

I always carry one in my pocket (I just leave it there, cleaning it periodically when washing gear) that I can get to with some trouble.

However, believe it or not, when I solo and am in water around 50f degrees or less I grab a mask from my stuff and hang it on my suit. So, in essence, I have 3 masks - face, BCD/hanging, and BCD pocket.

 

[Ramsy]

Yes, I always dive with a spare mask.