Who travels with a spare mask and why?

[-JD-]

Spare frameless, folding mask in a pocket ...

I did it before, but it really hit home due to my own boneheadedness on my first dive in Cozumel last month. Descending, paying more attention to my son who was on his first dive in a long while, my mask was a little tight so I figured I'd loosen it a notch on both sides ... again, helocoptering my son, I reached up and grabed the buckles and 'click' ... hit the quick release strap connectors, both, at the same time ... and away goes my mask ... now, somehow, I was able to grab my strap and mask and clip it back together without major disruption, but even if I couldn't, all I needed to do was grab my backup instead of trying to get everyones attention and thumbing the dive or S&Ring my mask from the bottom.

 

[Aviyes]

I have not bothered carrying a spare mask yet. I always have a spare strap. Part of that is just haven't had the need to buy a 2nd one yet, also don't have to worry about a prescription mask. I will buy a new one in a few months as my current mask started a very slow leak on me and I have to clear it far too often during dive. Time to find a mask for a narrower face.

 

[Streydog]

I have seen a guy lose one over the side once. I have a clear silicone mask that fits well but I found I like a low profile black mask better. I bring my old mask with me just in case I do something stupid while rinsing my mask. So far I have not had to use it but have loaned it out once.

 

[Darnold9999]

Always. Have loaned it out to someone who’s luggage didn't make it. Have had two break over the years and have lost one doing a backroll. Someone did recover that one but it was at 200+ feet so beyond my ability to recover. (They were in doubles). Have also left one behind moving from one destination to another.

Don’t want to be in the middle of an expensive dive trip to the back end of nowhere and not be able to comfortably dive for the lack of something so easy to carry.

 

[TMHeimer]

I also carry a spare strap, and once leant it to someone to save their day. Then I used it once when my strap broke gearing up. Too much of a bother when you're fully kitted up. Now I just switch to the spare mask and replace the strap at my convenience.

 

[Wingy]

Always because I have prescription lenses - my eyesight is quite bad. I've taken my glasses off to hand them to the boatman and not been able to see my mask type bad so if I were to lose a mask no more diving.

 

[Ayisha]

I always carry a spare identical mask, as well as an extra mask strap, and not just when travelling, because I need a pretty small mask and the ones I have fit perfectly.

 

[MargaritaMike]

I carry two identical masks. They are the ones I bought in 1986. I'm thinking about getting a new one but I'm not sure which one to get. I've been thinking about the foldable ones so I can put it in a pocket. I also carry spare straps (mask and fin). I use to travel with spare fins, but I had to start cutting the weight I travel with. I've only used my spare mask once when I left my primary in the dive shop. The spare was in my Save-a-dive bag which goes on every dive. That's why it's called a Save-A-Dive bag!

Cheers -

 

[Centrals]

Mask is difficult to replace because it does not fit every face! It is also pretty easy to be crushed or damaged.
My main mask is in my hand carry.

 

[divinh]

I poorly left my first mask in a gear bag, without putting it into a hardcase, at the recommendation of a dive op, since I was doing multiple days of dives with them. Well, the gear got tossed around and broke the frame and upon entry on one dive, a lens popped out. I had to resort to a rental, that luckily had a partial prescription that worked for me, but it wasn't perfect.

Now, I carry two prescription masks, one black and one translucent, with the idea that I would use the black for daytime dives and translucent for nighttime. For liveaboards, I will obviously have both. For boat trips, I will probably carry both onto the boat, but still not carry the spare with me on the dives. The spare is for the next dive.