Do you dive with a spare mask?

[James R]

I take one on all technical & some solo dives.

Tip: don't forget (or neglect) to clean and prep that mask...someone may decide taking your mask would be funny, and if your backup mask is filthy and foggy, it isn't very funny.

 

[tracydr]

Have you ever tried to ascend at 30 feet per minute without really seeing anything?

You should.

Let your mask fill with water, then try to read your computer.

I had a mask failure on my fifth dive at around 30 feet, and the resulting ~blind ascent wasn't precisely pretty. I was inexperienced and I lost depth display. At times I went too fast up, at times I went down. After some bouncing I reached the surface, but as my ears didn't clear as fast as I was bouncing, some ear pain resulted. It lasted an hour or two. After that incident I have always carried a spare mask.

I did have a mask failure once. I was talked into a purge mask when in Hawaii and a newbie diver, around 1999. I was on a small wreck in Oahu, with a bit of current and the purge valve fell out. That was real fun being led virtually mask less up the line, after making my way from the other end of the wreck with my buddy.
I recently decided to stick a mask in my drysuit pocket. I was having a problem clearing my mask in Catalina, not sure what it was. I think my hood was slightly under the skirt, even though I kept checking the hood and couldn't find a place where it seemed to be under the skirt. I had a total flood that was just taking me forever to clear. Anyway, got me to thinking, if it was a mask failure, it would really be nice to have a mask in my pocket to switch out.
Not sure if I really want to bother yet on warm, OW dives without deco but on cold water dives, why not? I have a huge pocket and it's easy enough. Might save a dive and I really hate opening my eyes in frigid water.

 

[Searcaigh]

It is a recommended part of the required equipment for PADI's self reliant diver course

 

[ADeadlierSnake]

Always. GUE-F made me realize just how uncomfortable with no mask swims I was. I had not done a no mask drill since my OW, which was A) in Hawaii, and B) was done kneeling on the sand with no regard to buoyancy whatsoever. At the time being I am uncomfortable due to the massive ice cream headache one will get from diving in 44-50 degree water, and I have some work yet to do on mantaining buoyancy with no mask. Even once I get completely comfortable doing so, I will still carry a spare in order to read my gauges though, as I cant see jack #%$@ on my bottom timer without my mask.

 

[Mike2Fst]

If I stay within NDLs and rec limits, no. If I'm racking up deco time and/or tec diving, yes.