Maskless ascents

[Rick Inman]

You guys spend way too much time worrying about, and practicing stuff, that will never happen to you.

Well, let's hope so.

Talk about never happening, in my (iantd) class, training for open water tech, I had to remove my mask, spit out my reg and swim 50 feet blind to the donor (I swear it was more than 50 feet) and share gas. What is this? In case I loose my buddy, lose my mask and run out of gas, but manage to find the buddy in a desperate vertical swim?

Okay, I admit, it was fun to do. And I enjoy the eyes-closed ascent. There is a real zen-like state I get into when I'm totally in the dark, the most relaxed I feel underwater.

I once did use my backup mask when a buddy broke his strap and I had to give him my backup.

 

[lamont]

I once did use my backup mask when a buddy broke his strap and I had to give him my backup.

That's probably the best reason for a backup mask in the pocket -- wave knocks the mask off or it comes off hopping in the water and you can pull out the backup and go dive...

 

[TSandM]

Yeah, I've used my backup mask once, to save a dive at Laguna Beach, when I got rolled in the surf and lost the primary mask. I was sure happy I had a backup!