Preventing mask loss vs a spare

[boulderjohn]

Huh?

I've seen quite a few hoods in my time (and I have three myself), but none at all with a zipper at the back. It seems as a pretty lousy idea if the point of wearing a hood is to keep your head warm.

I had a hood with a zipper in the back--a Whites Heat. It was an excellent hood. It had pleated material underneath it, similar to zippers on sleeves and legs of wet suits, so all it did was make it a little easier to put it on. It was very warm.

That material would not allow you to adjust a mask strap if you unzipped it, though.

 

[Storker]

similar to zippers on sleeves and legs of wet suits

I might have been unlucky with the wetsuits I've rented, but I've never used a WS where the zipper didn't leak a little and function as a thermal bridge.

 

[Akimbo]

I might have been unlucky with the wetsuits I've rented, but I've never used a WS where the zipper didn't leak a little and function as a thermal bridge.

The zipper does leak on the Whites hood, but there is a layer of 2-3mm Neoprene under it. The thin neoprene is folded before zipping so no water leakage from the zipper gets to the skin. You can see the zipper if you look carefully at the images on post 27.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ad...reventing-mask-loss-vs-spare.html#post6084537

The design is a compromise between a really good fit around the neck and jaw and not having to strain your neck to get the hood on and off. I was actually surprised how well it works (one came with my drysuit).

 

[Doc Harry]

Once I was "shore" diving from a small rock pinnacle out in the ocean - a small fishing boat dropped us off with a bunch of tanks and food, and we spent the day diving there. During a snack break during surface, a set of rouge wave came in, sweeping a fair amount of our loose gear into the sea - including my prescription mask. Thankfully I had a spare mask in my pocket, and we were able to recover everything from the bottom 80 feet down.

There are foreseen - and unforeseen - events that can cause you to lose a mask. I always carry a spare, because I cannot prevent all possible events.

 

[scubadada]

Once I was "shore" diving from a small rock pinnacle out in the ocean - a small fishing boat dropped us off with a bunch of tanks and food, and we spent the day diving there. During a snack break during surface, a set of rouge wave came in, sweeping a fair amount of our loose gear into the sea - including my prescription mask. Thankfully I had a spare mask in my pocket, and we were able to recover everything from the bottom 80 feet down.

There are foreseen - and unforeseen - events that can cause you to lose a mask. I always carry a spare, because I cannot prevent all possible events.

Your mask may be struck by lightning. 1070 dives, never a need for a spare mask. I suppose if I went totally off the map, I may consider an extra mask

 

[boulderjohn]

Your mask may be struck by lightning. 1070 dives, never a need for a spare mask. I suppose if I went totally off the map, I may consider an extra mask

I was once given a very expensive mask by the company as a marketing move. I tried it for the first time on the first day of pool instruction, and it was great. I loved it. On the second day of pool instruction, I sat on it. (Don't ask how, please.) Luckily I had my 15-year old mask with its strap held on by a paperclip in my bag so I could go on with the class.

 

[FloridaMan1974]

I'll add my two cents, I find absolutely no difficulty carrying an extra mask.

I own a few just thru my previous experiences and you can purchase a nice secondary for 20 dollars.

The reason I carry an extra mask is because the extra cost of doing so is negligible. It sits in my thigh pocket and is no hassle to me at all.

About securing a mask, no matter what you do you can never be 100% sure that you won't have a problem with a mask. I once had a mask break on me while diving, the lens separated from the frame. Albeit it was a rental, I'm glad I had a secondary with me when it happened.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I lost a mask once, on a dive off the Oregon Coast at Otter Crest. We were rolled by about a 20 foot wave, and it took my mask out from under a white water kayak helmet I was wearing (see the photo below that our girl friends took just before the called the Coast Guard--we ultimately spent over 3 hours awaiting pickup). But that's the only time since I began diving. We were on the surface, and so got along well without our masks, and very appreciative of the Coast Guard's efforts. They were also happy, as they got "two live ones" instead of body recoveries.

When I was in the USAF, we used to jump parascuba, and when we did that our mask was around our neck and on the back side (see the photo below of Rick Harder, a Pararescueman from a while back). I made many jumps in this configuration, and never even came close to loosing a mask.

I have a few times worn a spare low-volume mask on my left upper arm. I would have the strap secured so that it would hold fast there, and there was almost no drag.

SeaRat

 

[markmud]

I agree with Max.

I have had a couple of incidents where divers smacked me on the mask (I think it was accidental). I did not lose my mask in either case. In one incident I took a tank bottom to my mask--it did not break. Both incidents occurred on the same trip and it was a husband and wife tag team. The husband kicked me with his fin, and later, the wife dropped in on me while I was in a hole looking at critters. I looked up at the wrong time and noticed the tank bottom zeroed-in on my face.

Later, they both publicly chastised me for my being "dropped-in" on. They are both from Minnesota.

If you feel more comfortable having a spare--go for it. I do. I have a pocket that is not used for anything else. No sense having it empty.

If you don't need a mask, don't bring a spare. It is your business, not mine.

markm

 

[REVAN]

...OK, securing the mask would be a good thing if it were fast, convenient, and didn’t compromise how we are accustomed to using it. It has to allow pulling the mask down below the jaw, and yes, putting the mask on the forehead Mike Nelson style. It also has to work with the vast majority, if not all, of the masks on the market.

Before I reinvent the wheel and make the requisite prototype errors, has anyone developed a solution? I am thinking of a strip of thin wetsuit material sewn to the back of the hood about crown-level and secured to the bottom with (ugh) Velcro.

I use one of these clever DIY "Loop Snorkels". It sits like a necklace around your neck when it's not in your mouth. It's very comfortable for scuba diving and also serves as a secondary restraint that you cannot actually lose your mask if it is knocked loose. It is a really nice alternative to the floppy standard snorkel and cheap to make.

This shows the snorkel in standby mode on a scuba diver:

This shows how to make the snorkel using inexpensive parts from the hardware store.