snorkeling with glasses

[suying]

I am new to the world of snorkeling. It may be a stupid question.:D

I wear glasses so can I snorkel with my glassess on my face or I need to order the specially made gear to adjust my eye sight?

[Arubalisa]

There are no stupid questions except for the ones that are not asked.

 

Some people dive or snorkel with contact lens but glasses are impossible. There is no way to fit a mask over them. Sure if you had a huge mask, maybe, but then it would leak like a sieve.

 

I had stopped diving because I too wear glasses and needed a prescription mask. A couple of hundred dollars was a lot of money for something I would not be using that often. Someone in another forum recommended

http://www.wintechsnorkeling.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=32&products_id=72 Mask with optical lenses (near sighted)

http://www.wintechsnorkeling.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=32&products_id=73 Mask with optical lenses (bi-focal)

 

A near sighted mask cost me about $70 and included free shipping. Delivery was in about a week's time. By the end of the year I will have used the mask once diving and twice snorkeling so in my mind, with the enjoyment I get from the sport, it will be the best money I spent all year!

[coevan]

The dive shops sell biopters for goggles for about $30. Contact lenses and salt water are not a good combination. Yes, you can buy prescription Goggles.

[crusinhokie]

A few other ideas. Depending on how bad your vision is you might be ok with no glasses. The water magnifies what you are seeing. I wasn't that lucky so contact were my route.

 

My dad took lenses out of an old pair of glasses and glued them to the inside of a mask. Worked perfectly for him. If you are taking up diving then I recommend spending the money to properly resolve this problem but for a couple of hours on a cruise ~ it was a economical solution.

 

Or you could get LASIK :) Oh so worth it!!!!

[Scuba Laura]

I scuba dive and snorkel with my contacts and have never had a problem. We teach diving and always ask who wears contacts and remind them to keep their eyes closed when they have to do the skill of flooding and clearing their masks.

 

Prescription lenses are another option, but what do if you are like me and don't like wearing glasses period and get out of the water?

 

I have seen people (like someone else posted) glue lenses in their mask, and it did work. I've also seen a man who was farsighted take the side pieces off a cheap reading glasses and layed the glasses inside his mask, and that worked too.

 

If you do get water in your mask it is easily remedied... hold your head back, place your fingers on the top of the mask and blow out your nose forcing the water out the bottom of the mask.

[mercuryfan]

Iam very near sighted and decided this time (we are going on Freedom of the Seas in January) that I would get prescription googles.. I bought the mask last summer for $40 and with the prescription filled will be $95..

[sea-jay]

I am both near and far signed, (can't see anything:D ) so have progressive lens glasses so I can read as well as drive the car. This in lieu of trifocals. Since I scuba dive, I went to the expense of getting prescription lenses installed in my mask. What a world of difference.

 

My suggestion, consider that water naturally magnifies about 25%. Check out you vision under water with that situation, then if you need further magnification, check with your local dive shop and you may find some magnifier lens masks to wear which would compensate.

 

Good Luck and happy bubbles.