Do you need a spare anchor if you SCUBA dive?

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by CapnBazza

It was a dark and stormy night when you wake up to the sound of a roaring surf. Out there, somewhere in the lagoon, lies the anchor which is no longer attached to your chain.

Unless you had crap shackles and or wasted away rusty chain surely you'd be missing the bow of your boat as well.

[David B]

Originally Posted by Jammer

If you are skilled and equipped to dive your anchor in the waters you intend to frequent, is a spare still necessary?


I scuba dive and always find myself in possession of a surfeit of anchors.

Nice anchorage remote from help. Storm comes in after midnight (as they do).
Anchorage becomes untenable. Raise anchor to move off lee shore, anchor becomes wedged under rock, and you have to buoy it and leave.

Unless you are planning to motor or sail 'out there' for the next several days waiting to return to collect your anchor (and what do you do with the boat while you are down trying to get the anchor up?), then the answer is yes, you need at least one decent spare.

A Fortress is a good option as they stow collapsed in a Fortress bag, out of the way until/if needed.

[Ratty1978]

I'm typically a racer, not a cruiser, so rarely carry a spare on the race boat for buoy racing. On the backup boat, while cruising, discovered that if you're aground and the engine doesn't start, kedging with a single anchor is difficult. The wind kept blowing her back to the shallows when resetting the single anchor.

[Bargain Bill]

A spare anchor is cheap insurance! Don't keave home without it.

[aqfishing]

Originally Posted by guyrj33

Yes you need a spare anchor.
A scuba tank isn't heavy enough to hold a boat in place.

That has to be the best response!!!!

[aqfishing]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

Unless you had crap shackles and or wasted away rusty chain surely you'd be missing the bow of your boat as well.

Even new or well maintained gear fails! Always carry a spare. Its usually the law or highly recommended...and for good reason.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by Jammer

If you are skilled and equipped to dive your anchor in the waters you intend to frequent, is a spare still necessary?


I scuba dive and always find myself in possession of a surfeit of anchors.

I dont know where you sail or your diving depth limit but here in the Northwest it is not unheard-of to anchor in 100+ depths of very cold water and strong currents. I have never lost an anchor but do carry a second anchor.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[Hasbeen]

I broke an anchor chain anchoring beside the home island at an atoll north of the Solomon islands, in the dark one night.


I got out the spare, anchored on it, & next day used my scuba gear to fetch my main anchor, & the 120 Ft of chain from the bottom 70Ft down. If I hadn't had a spare I would have been sailing around in dangerous waters for about 8 hours waiting for daylight.

[Gerrycooper56]

If you’re cruising and have used the one scuba tank you carry, with refill miles away, possibly on another island then a spare anchor is looking like a good option.

[David Mathis]

Does a diver need a spare anchor, naw, save the cash. You can tie a line around your waist, dive down, and hold onto a rock. That should hold the boat until you run out of air. Take a two tank set up and you can hold on twice as long. With a hookah you could hold on for hours.

Seriously, a decent size Danforth is cheap insurance against drifting out of the Chesapeake and needing to speak French to get directions to the closest marina a couple months after losing your only ground tackle. Cruising without a spare anchor? Maybe on a small pond with a rowboat. Otherwise, get a spare. You own a boat but don't want to spend the money for a spare anchor? To expand your question, why waste the money on life jackets? Just be careful and don't fall overboard.

[David Mathis]

No, you don’t need an anchor if you dive. Just tie a line around your waist, dive down, then hold onto a rock. That should hold the boat. A double tank will allow twice as long for those aboard to have lunch. If they decide to take the dingy To shore for a little shopping, you can use a hookah.

[Heg]

Originally Posted by guyrj33

Yes you need a spare anchor.
A scuba tank isn't heavy enough to hold a boat in place.

😂😂best answer on the thread .
Yes you need a spare . Agree with pretty much everything that’s already been said.

[Lasivian]

In my opinion,

"Do I need a spare anchor..."

is always answered with,

"Yes"

Does it have to be as awesome as your primary? No, especially if you feel you can probably recover your primary.

Imagine if somehow you completely lost your primary and couldn't find it. Then what? How would you even secure your boat while you searched for it?

Yeah

[waynetmazan]

Good seamanship dictates Always have at least one spare anchor...