Contact lenses and Diving?

[buttermanr]

I've been diving with soft contact lenses for 15 years. The only "problem" is doing some of the UW exercises during training that require you to take your mask off.

RB

 

[iscott]

I am taking the SSI Equipment Techniques class tonight. The manual states: "Should you chose to wear contact lenses while diving, be aware that the lenses must be gas permeable so that changes in pressure will not cause bubbles to form between the contact lens and your eye (Page 5: Corrective Lenses)"

Has anyone had a personal medical complication from diving with any type of contact lenses or after refractive surgery (RK, LASEK, LASIK, IntraLASIK). I would be interested in knowing.

I work in refractive surgery and have several of my patients ask me SCUBA related questions. I agree with the ophthalmologist's statements posted above.

 

[Sea Biscuit]

iscott once bubbled...
I am taking the SSI Equipment Techniques class tonight. The manual states: "Should you chose to wear contact lenses while diving, be aware that the lenses must be gas permeable so that changes in pressure will not cause bubbles to form between the contact lens and your eye (Page 5: Corrective Lenses)"

Something in that quote doesn't quite sit right. I don't understand why soft lenses would cause bubbles to form. It seems that plently of people dive in soft lenses without problems. But then, maybe the SSI manual regards soft lenses as gas permeable. They are, in reality, but most of us ITB think of rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses when we hear "gas permeable."

I don't recommend the old, gas-impermeable polymethymethacrylate (PMMA) lenses for anyone, but am wondering why even they would be a risk for bubble formation.