Contacts or Prescription Mask?

[dreamr]

As I'm sure you can tell from the thread title, I wear glasses... and I am planning to snorkel during my upcoming cruise. I obviously want to see the fish, so I have been thinking about purchasing a prescription snorkel mask. At Snorkel Mart, it'd be around $65. However, since I don't expect to use it much (considering this cruise is pretty much the only time I intend to snorkel in the foreseeable future lol), a lot of my friends have told me to go ahead and get contacts instead.

 

I've never worn contacts. Ever. So I would have to do the entire eye exam, fitting, getting used to wearing them, etc... between now and the cruise. On top of that, this will likely be a good bit more expensive than buying the $65 mask. However, it balances out because I can use the contacts for more than just a couple of days snorkeling in the Caribbean. :P

 

So... is there any advice my fellow CC'ers could give me about this? Should I just get the prescription mask or go through all of the hassle of trying out contacts?

 

Thanks in advance. :)

[Kryssa]

What is your Rx?

 

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[Zubsin]

My DH tried to snorkel with his contacts our first trip... then bought a RX mask....no hassles. He also bought a eye glass waterproof snorkel box on a lanyard he can wear around his neck (tucked into his rash guard) so when he gets out of the water he can put his eye glasses on to see normal. His RX mask is mid/long distance. He has HORRIBLE eye site. the little snorkel box I think we got on line at snorkel mart or some web site like that. If you plan on snorkeling often in your future I think mask

[geekybiker]

Contacts are worthwhile if you do other sports/activities where wearing glasses is less than ideal. I'm not sure I would get them exclusively for snorkeling, especially since its a one time thing and will be more expensive. However I do wear them to snorkel and scuba. Works great. If you don't use them often and your prescription permits I highly highly recommend that you look into the disposable soft lenses. You can ignore the annoying cleaning part and you don't have to worry about a stored lens being clean or not. Plus nothing feels quite as good as a fresh lens.

[w&k]

Remember, everything is larger underwater - you may find that you don't really 'need' correction in your mask after all. I wear trifocals on land, but I'm fine underwater as my dive computer has decently large numbers. ;)

 

If you want to go the contacts route, you may be able to get a trial pair or two of disposable contacts, but that is a fair amount of hassle.

 

What is your prescription? If you have a fairly common prescription, you will be able to get a decent mask with swappable lenses. (TUSA is one brand where you can do this)

 

If you decide to go with a prescription mask, do yourself a favor and go to a REAL dive shop for a mask fitting. Even better, ask them to install the lenses for you.

 

Have a great time!

 

Wendy

[Middleager]

Remember, everything is larger underwater - you may find that you don't really 'need' correction in your mask after all. I wear trifocals on land, but I'm fine underwater as my dive computer has decently large numbers. ;)

 

If you want to go the contacts route, you may be able to get a trial pair or two of disposable contacts, but that is a fair amount of hassle.

 

What is your prescription? If you have a fairly common prescription, you will be able to get a decent mask with swappable lenses. (TUSA is one brand where you can do this)

 

If you decide to go with a prescription mask, do yourself a favor and go to a REAL dive shop for a mask fitting. Even better, ask them to install the lenses for you.

 

Have a great time!

 

Wendy

That's good advise.

 

Very often contact lense manufacturere have trial lenses they provide free. If you can use contact lenses for other things (sports), then certainly go thru the trouble to get fitting for it.

 

I have light prescription. I wear contacts for sports. I had use contact lense for scuba diving. Then also used prescription lenses on mask. I like the prescription mask better. When I go on vacation, I don't do sports. So if I don't use contacts for scuba diving, it's one less thing to bring, one less thing to worry about.

[Colorado Kat]

I have a prescription mask, and like it very much.

 

If you choose contacts, get the cheaper, disposable, wear for just a month & change out. Bring extras with you. You would be surprised how easy it is to get your mask knocked, and have a contact lens wash out of your eye.

[blutfort]

If you go with contacts. Remember that the sterilizing solution will not kill some waterborne pathogens. So if you normally get a few weeks out of a pair of lenses you need to throw them away after being in water with them.

[dreamr]

Sorry for not replying to this thread sooner. I think I have decided to either go with the mask or go without anything (but I'm worried that everything wouldn't be as clear as I'd like it to be... and you only have your first cruise once, right?).

 

My prescription is:

 

Right Eye:

SPH: -5.50

CYL: -1.25

AXIS: 075

 

Left Eye:

SPH: -5.25

CYL: -0.75

AXIS: 085

 

Yeah, so it's pretty bad. XD

 

The dude from Snorkel-Mart said I would be fine with their "Spirit II" mask, so I guess it's not that bad, but still. Bad enough that the fish wouldn't be that clear, even with the water's magnification, I don't think?

[coevan]

You can also buy biopters which stick in your mask. These are more for reading your computer then distance.

[The Flying Pirate]

I use disposable daily soft contacts for diving. They work great. I started with a couple of samples from my eye doctor and then found some I liked and ordered a box. I like them better than a prescription mask, when you get out of the water and back on the boat you aren't "blind" again until you find your glasses. Also I don't have to worry about my glasses getting crushed if something tips over on the dive bag while the dive boat is rocking.