Texasguy
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Is a spare mask an absolute requirement when diving solo?
Is a spare mask an absolute requirement when diving solo?
- Thread starter Texasguy
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For less bulk, I sometimes put a pair of swim goggles in a pocket. With a bit of practice it's easy to partly clear them of water. Hold the bottoms a bit away from your face, exhale from the nose and capture some bubbles. It should be enough to see, read gauges, and make a safe easy ascent, or even continue the dive for a bit if you prefer.
ScubaInChicago
Contributor
Are you worried the scuba police are going to get you if you don't?
Aqua-Andy
Contributor
Do you feel confident in your abilities to finish your dive or end it early with out the being able to see what is going on? Have you tried making a controlled ascent from depth with your eyes closed? It is much harder than it sounds. For me it all depends on the dive weather or not I carry a spare mask, full redundancy or nothing but my standard kit. Nothing is written in stone and no there are no scuba police, there are however suggestions to make your diver safer.
drrich2
Contributor
Do you dive anywhere near NDLs, or make substantial deep dives, such that nitrogen loading is apt to be considerable and a 3 min. safety stop around 15 feet deep well-advised? How capable to you feel of handling all that if you get mask-loss fairly late in a dive at 70 feet deep?
Do you dive anywhere that over-head boats make ascents potentially dangerous, such that you need to look and listen as you go up? Perish forbid you need to send up an SMB first.
Have you tried to function underwater without a mask and roughly hold your depth, such as you might try in the SDI Solo Diver course, switching to another mask?
I carry the 2'nd mask.
Richard.
Do you dive anywhere that over-head boats make ascents potentially dangerous, such that you need to look and listen as you go up? Perish forbid you need to send up an SMB first.
Have you tried to function underwater without a mask and roughly hold your depth, such as you might try in the SDI Solo Diver course, switching to another mask?
I carry the 2'nd mask.
Richard.
Dsix36
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My view on this:
If you are diving strictly within recreational limits and not getting close to NDL. then a spare mask is not a big deal if you choose to dive without it.
If you are diving anywhere near NDL, then a spare mask will become a much more important item.
If you will be doing any technical diving, then you already know that the spare mask is not a necessity until you need it. If you don't carry it, you are being foolish. I consider anything with a ceiling, including deco, caves, and wrecks to be technical dives.
If you are solo, then that is a complete new story. You no longer have a buddy to offer assistance and thus need to have redundancy in much of your gear. In my narrow little mind, I actually consider solo diving to be another form of technical diving and thus makes the spare mask a necessity.
i solo dive often and always carry a spare mask.
If you are diving strictly within recreational limits and not getting close to NDL. then a spare mask is not a big deal if you choose to dive without it.
If you are diving anywhere near NDL, then a spare mask will become a much more important item.
If you will be doing any technical diving, then you already know that the spare mask is not a necessity until you need it. If you don't carry it, you are being foolish. I consider anything with a ceiling, including deco, caves, and wrecks to be technical dives.
If you are solo, then that is a complete new story. You no longer have a buddy to offer assistance and thus need to have redundancy in much of your gear. In my narrow little mind, I actually consider solo diving to be another form of technical diving and thus makes the spare mask a necessity.
i solo dive often and always carry a spare mask.
Stoo
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I watched a Giant Pacific Octopus steal a friend's mask once. He carried a spare after that. I never have. Never even considered it. I'm trying to understand how I would lose a mask in the water. If I'm solo diving, it ain't like someone is going to kick it off... 
If you are diving solo, you are already carrying redundant air, such as doubles or a stage bottle, and other equipment that needs to be stowed or contributes to drag... I would think that at this point, adding a backup mask in a pocket incurs little damage in terms of streamlining, but perhaps I am wrong. I would not plan a solo dive without a backup mask, I carry mine in my right X shorts pocket. Even if one can surface without a mask, it just sounds like an unnecessary source of anxiety and risk that can be so easily prevented.
A strap could break while adjusting it, clearing, or re-donning the mask underwater, or it could slip out of one's hands. It probably depends on one's habits, too... I like to "defog" a fogged-up mask during a dive by taking it off and rubbing it with my fingers. Works wonders, and in addition, it serves as a useful exercise in buoyancy.
Some would argue that every dive with an insta-buddy is a solo dive... I have been kicked in the face more than once.
Hatul
Contributor
I've gone to using a bungie leash from the mask to a D ring, which makes it almost impossible to lose a mask.
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