We were talking about spare masks.....
Not back upthread, when you said you wouldn't dive with me if I didn't give you mine...
Your comment came after VA Diver made his comment about backup masks, so I suspect there was some confusion. I know that I would have a reaction like Peter's if someone had a spare mask, and didn't at least temporarily loan it to me during a dive if I lost mine. And I also wouldn't expect someone to give up the mask they were wearing if it was their only one.
Given the following: In my diving world, nobody carries a spare mask on their person while diving (any spare would be in the boat or the dive bag), and in your diving world, everyone carries a spare mask while doing the dive, perhaps that is in fact the conflict and confusion between our answers... I do not recall ever seeing anyone with a spare diving mask hidden on them while on a dive ever. So of course, my view (from my diving world) would be that any spare mask would not be immediately available, and that you (plural) were suggesting that the primary mask be donated.
On the other hand, so that you don't think that I would withhold a piece of equipment when I had a spare handy, I am often a donor for folks that have not brought the right wetsuit or torch on a dive, for example. But my backup (Rx) dive mask is always on the boat or in my room or dive bag, depending upon where I'm diving. FWIW, I like pretty coral reefs, mucky spots and am entirely a recreational diver. Even in tropical waters, I NEVER go inside a wreck, and unless it's covered in marine growth, don't even like them so much. I do not venture into caves or openings whatsoever, and don't even like swimthroughs, unless I can see light at the other end and I have to go that way with a group. Not like there's anything much to see inside most of the ones I been in anyway. I respect that folks that do venture and love wrecks and cave diving require different setups and may have personal reasons for carrying extra equipment such as a backup mask on them when on a dive. I suspect that the vast majority of recreational divers (and they are the majority of divers on this site) have their backup mask (if they even have a backup mask), either on the boat or in their dive bag at the shop or in their room.
And so as a parting comment,
IF I were to have a spare whatever on a dive that any diver in the same water as I needed, I would immediately provide it to them. Sorry if my comments regarding donating were misunderstood.
