Anyone ever needed their spare mask underwater?

[chrpai]

In water, no. But it has been used twice in the last year. One when a buddy did a giant stride off the boat and promptly loss his mask and the second at the spring lake when someone's mask fell apart. In both cases not only did neither diver miss their dive, they barely lost more then a minute of time.

[Jax]

I usually don't use a spare mask since I don't see how you could break it underwater. I am fine diving without the strap, if that should rip off somehow. So, the only concern is the glass. Has anyone experienced this or heard of a story?
I know that people argue that you might turn your head and jam your face into a rock, but that sound a little far fetched to me.

I've had current snatch my mask right off my face.

[skip]

My mask imploded on a dive. full frame and the whole piece left the frameless part and hit me in the face. It was extra leaky the first part of the dive....I thought it odd. Then, "Wham!" Surprising, but no big deal, cause I had my backup in my drysuit pocket. It was a Scubapro frameless I had used for many years and never kept it in a box - it was well-smashed with other gear for at least a decade. I bought another one and have been diving it for even longer.

skip

[PfcAJ]

Not personally on a dive, but seen a few instances where the strap or lens broke pre-dive. Pocket mask saved the hassle of getting out of the water.

I think its a must have if you've got Rx lenses, are scootering, or incurring a longer deco obligation.

[ARY]

Years back at Manatee 7500' in my team mates in a hurry out due to one scooter failure ran over me and ripped my mask off. They were already doing their piggi back "drill" and did not even notice my hesitation. I had to look for my mask and lucky to catch it drifting downstream. Since then I carry a spare in my pocket.

[tstormdiver]

During the beginning of my Full Cave training, my group was doing the traverse from P1 to Olsen sink. My mask had been leaking considerably & my instructor noticed that I was doing a lot of clearing the whole way. We popped up in Olsen & then dropped back down. Just as soon as we got back inside the cave, the spring mechanism that holds the strap (Scubapro mask) secure, broke & would not hold tension on the strap. The mask flooded immediately & I got off to the side to swap masks. My instructor saw the unusual light patterns from me changing out & got me back up into the sink. I finished the swap out with no problems & got a bit of a butt chewing for not having a well- fitting mask.

[JCGoodwin]

Just last year on a wreck dive in Lake Huron as I back rolled in SM my mask came off while I was tending tanks etc.
Unfortunately the surface current was opposite the bottom so any mans money where it landed.
It had been with me for a very long time and I am a sentimental type of fellow so I considered it a appropriate resting place for a treasured piece of gear.
I had dove that mask for all of my training from the beginning of my Tech training.
I grabbed its twin from my right pocket and completed the planned dive!
Drank a beer or two that night in its memory!

JCG

[patpicos]

Not personally on a dive, but seen a few instances where the strap or lens broke pre-dive. Pocket mask saved the hassle of getting out of the water.

I think its a must have if you've got Rx lenses, are scootering, or incurring a longer deco obligation.

I would add if diving in salt. I would hate trying to see in salt water without a mask. Burnnssssss

[MORGAN]

Tracy and I carry one spare mask between us on cave dives and on OW dives with deco obligations. Haven't had to use it yet in just over 300 cave dives and almost as many OW tech dives.

We have always used the heavy duty mask straps with nylon webbing and buckles instead of velcro, and we tape over the buckles with duct tape so that they can't slip and would hold even if the buckle broke. (Being dirt road Vermonters as well as cavers, we have an inordinate fondness for duct tape.)

I always thought of the strap and the strap attachment points as the most likely points of failure on a mask. It's interesting to read here about some of the other ways masks can fail. Guess we'll keep carrying the spare.

Mike

[bent]

I actually always have a spare in the car or on the boat and I use a SP frameless mask so there is no frame that could break. For scootering I can see why you would bring one, as it probably really stinks to scooter without a mask, if you should really lose your mask.

When your mask fits properly, it should stay on even without the strap. Mine does.

I've had current snatch my mask right off my face.

I didn't expect that to be even possible.