Backup corrective mask options

[galvanni]

In 2003 I got a mask and sent them off (forgot the vendor) to get prescription lenses put in them (was snorkeling at the time). I love these and even though I have limited experience with them I can see perfect with them. In fact, I lost my glasses in St. John that year while snorkeling on a beach and had to drive my jeep back to the rental condo wearing them - and getting lots of funny looks around town. I'm now considering carrying a pocket mask or another full backup mask in case the glass breaks on these or goes to Neptune's locker. My original pair when all said and done was a $300 investment. While I love them - I don't want to spend that much for my backup. I was considering those stick on corrective optics - I think called dioptics or something like that. Looking for some suggestions. I've worn contacts for over a decade and I guess I could wear a backup with them on but that doesn't help me if I'm at depth. I believe I'm nearsighted since when I take my contacts out at night I can read a newspaper or magazine held at normal distance with little or no strain, but when looking across the bed at the alarm clock things start to get blurry. I have a pretty good astigmatism in one eye.

Looking for some suggestions.

 

[idocsteve]

I believe I'm nearsighted since when I take my contacts out at night I can read a newspaper or magazine held at normal distance with little or no strain, but when looking across the bed at the alarm clock things start to get blurry. I have a pretty good astigmatism in one eye.

Looking for some suggestions.

I don't know much about Rx dive masks aside from what I've read on ScubaBoard but I do know a thing or two about nearsightedness and yes, it is defined as having "sight for near".

Astigmatism can blur distant and near objects but usually affects distance more.

 

[Downing]

It's been seven years since you got a prescription mask and your prescription hasn't changed?

I'm so jealous.

Every time I get a new prescription, which is every two years under my health plan, I just bite the bullet, buy a new prescription mask and use the old one as my back up. I wear bi-focals so the only place I save a few bucks is to not put bi-focals in my prescription sunglasses.

As much as I dislike spending the money, I dislike not being able to see well even more.

 

[Hawkwood]

Mares Vison X mask plus the corrective lenses of the correct diopter should be less than $150 USD. A number of brands have the individual corrective lenses and masks that accept them.

 

[Marek K]

I recently bought an Edge Vision mask with corrective lenses for myself as a backup (I'm extremely nearsighted, and the loss of my mask would mean a ruined dive vacation). I also ordered one for my daughter and another for my wife as primary masks, all with corrective lenses:

Edge Vision Mask with Optical Lens @ Divers-Supply.com

The quality's fine, they're comfortable, and you can't beat the price at $79.95 with the corrective lenses.

As with all off-the-shelf corrective lenses, they're available in half-diopter increments. You'd round down from your actual prescription to the nearest available increment -- if your prescription in one of your eyes is -2.75, you'd get -2.5 here.

The other, still cheaper option, as you say, would be to use your contacts for subsequent dives, with a non-corrective mask. But yes, that would mean aborting the current dive. However, I think the greatest risk to your mask is on the surface or on the boat.

 

[Tigerman]

I just recently bit the bullet and went to an optician just to find that I was nearsighted and had a fairly bad astigmatism myself and Ive been considering what to do when it comes to diving. The optician actually recommended me to use contact lenses for diving, but Ive also considered getting a prescription mask. Problem is of course as mentioned the trouble with backup masks..
Currently Im leaning towards trying the contact lense approach and "regular" masks to begin with, but Im not sure where Ill land on that one..
The mask is probably going to be a lot cheaper than my glasses though, since Im quite picky when it comes to glasses and sunglasses, but dive masks looks silly regardless

 

[galvanni]

Some good options here - thanks. And yes - thankfully my vision has only changed slightly in the past seven years. I unfortunately have a very difficult left eye to fit a traditional contact in. When I finally found one that worked (which took many months and dozens of trials to fit) I found that the company was being bought by another company and they were eliminating my line because of redundancy and their new model I was told by my optician would not work. So I took a chance and ordered over a very large sum of lenses from them before they terminated the model - think 4 significant digits. My bet was that my vision would not change and they did not. Now fast-forward 7 years and I have maybe 1 year of lenses left at which point my contact days are over (already went through the most recent lenses available for a few months of fitting and nothing comes close to right) or I manage with hard lenses which I've tried in the past and hated - I would rather break glass and stick it in my eye than use them again - pretty much the same thing. So most likely if I go with a plain mask I will need to choose one that can accept scripts or bonded inserts for the future - meaning flat two-window models. The eagle vision mentioned looks like a reasonable option - though I know it's not going be anything like my custom script bonded inserts right now.

 

[idocsteve]

So I took a chance and ordered over a very large sum of lenses from them before they terminated the model - think 4 significant digits. My bet was that my vision would not change and they did not. Now fast-forward 7 years and I have maybe 1 year of lenses left at which point my contact days are over

I highly doubt that there are no other lenses that would fit you. Especially with new technological advancements during the time you've gone through that supply of stockpiled contact lenses.

What's the brand and type of contact lens you've been wearing and what's the Rx?

I bet I can come up with something that has a really good chance of working for you.

 

[galvanni]

The Sunsoft Multiples are out of production - the Frequency are still available. I just went back last Sept and they tried to fit me over several brands and none worked. I went to another guy and he said they now have some kind of semi hard lens that might work - not sure what's going on with that.


Left Eye:

Sunsoft Multiples Toric
SPH -1.00
CYL -4.25
AXIS 170
BC 8.5
DIA 15.0

Right Eye:
Frequency Toric
8.4/14.4 -1.75 -1.25 x020