Contacts While Scuba-ing

[SantaAna,CA]

I'm at the point where I had to actually buy a dive mask with little reading lenses in the bottom so I can see my gauges underwater. I'm thinking of even getting contacts before my April cruise, which is coming up real soon. Anyone have any experience diving with contact lenses? I don't relish the thought of having to put on a pair of reading glasses on the dive boat to see things that are right in front of me (my distance vision is fine). I have never worn contacts before, and I'm wondering if it's a good idea to (1) get them before the trip so I can (2) wear them while diving.

 

Jane :)

[scubaran]

I'm at the point where I had to actually buy a dive mask with little reading lenses in the bottom so I can see my gauges underwater. I'm thinking of even getting contacts before my April cruise, which is coming up real soon. Anyone have any experience diving with contact lenses? I don't relish the thought of having to put on a pair of reading glasses on the dive boat to see things that are right in front of me (my distance vision is fine). I have never worn contacts before, and I'm wondering if it's a good idea to (1) get them before the trip so I can (2) wear them while diving.

 

Jane :)

 

Hi,

 

If you're looking for contacts to read up close you're looking at bi-focal contacts. These can be a bit pricy. If you haven't worn contacts before I also don't recommend getting this close to a trip (especially bi-focal contacts since getting used to tipping your eyes instead of your head can take some getting used to). Probably a better alternative is to get a mask that allows a split vision lens where the top half is normal and the bottom is your magnified version (better than those little lenses in the bottom of your mask (never had much luck with them)). Another alternative, which I haven't experimented yet was a recommendation from the author of one of my underwater photography books. He suggested getting one lens in your mask with a fully magnified lens and the other one with the normal glass. He swears that while it's a bit different the first time you use this configuration that your brain will sort things out very quickly and you'll see both close and far after a bit (like I said, I haven't tried this yet myself).

 

Randall

[SantaAna,CA]

I appreciate your thorough answer. I agree, starting out with new contacts for this trip probably isn't a good idea; I will wait until I get home to investigate that!

 

Jane :)

[KaC-Cruiser]

Another contact option - although I agree with Randall about waiting till after your trip - is to check into mono vision contacts. In your case, sounds like you would only need one. Mono vision contacts correct one eye for reading the other for distance. In my case my left eye is primary for reading, my right - primary for distance. Here's a bit of on-line info .....

Monovision has been used for many, many years to help people over 40 see both far away and up close with their contact lenses. Basically, what happens is that the central, clear vision of each eye sort of alternates between far and near, while the peripheral vision of both eyes stays locked together, allowing a person to see both far and near. In other words, one eye predominates at distance, and the other eye predominates at near, but both eyes continue to work as a team.

It doesn't work for a small percent of people -it can make them dizzy, but I adapted easily within a day or two and have been wearing them for several years now. I do also dive & swim with my contact in, and have never had a problem yet. My DH went for the corrected lens in his mask, so it can be a bit of a problem on the dive boat switching between glasses & his mask ....

[JMikeC]

I dive with contacts all the time. Piece of cake until you get an eyelash under your contact at depth, then you're just going to have to deal with some pain until you surface.

[scubaran]

I dive with contacts all the time. Piece of cake until you get an eyelash under your contact at depth, then you're just going to have to deal with some pain until you surface.

 

Hi,

 

The one time this happened, I flooded my mask 3/4 with water, swooshed my head side to side, then exhaled out the water. Caught the eyelash on the first round. :)

 

Randall

 

P.S. What I hate is when my contact obsorbs saltwater (from a constantly flooding mask for example). Seems it takes a hour or two for my eye to flush it out (stings until then).

[cal2632]

You can also buy some stick in reading lenses for your mask. My husband uses them and likes them. They're called DiveOptx.

 

Also, in case this hasn't been mentioned, you need soft or gas permeable contact lenses to dive - not regular hard lenses.

 

I have soft lenses. I always take an old pair to dive in and a good pair to switch into later. Works great.