contact lenses

[tphelps]

I use Acuve Oyasis (Hyrdraclear Plus) and I love them! I can see your argument for safety but you can even make the same case for a prescription mask. For me I prefer contacts because they are so much more comfortable. The reason why we have a mask is to for the air space which allows our eyes to see clearly. The only way that I can imagine loosing a contact while diving, is having your mask off and opening your eyes. The end result is the same if you have a prescription mask. For me at least, if I need to clear my mask I always close my eyes. But you can get away with squinting your eyes so the contact doesn't float out.
If you are really concerned with safety then there is a trick what we, as tec divers do and that is to carry a back-up mask in a thigh pocket. You also can get prescription frames that you can attach to any mask. They are a cheaper solution as opposed to full prescription lenses. For me, I dont bother carrying a back-up mask when I do "normal" diving because I know that I will probably never be in a situation when I cant see because I lost a contact. And even though I have really terrible eyes (-6.5) I still can rely on my dive computer (sounds, alarms for ascent rate) and the blurr of my exhaling bubbles to get to the surface safely.
I hope that helps!

 

[Tigerman]

Ive had my eyes open under water while wearing contacts on many occasions, and never had a problem with the contacts coming out. Only time Ive lost one while diving was because I rubbed my eye too much on the dive deck, drying off.

 

[Scott L]

In any scenario, a back-up prescription mask is highly, highly advisable. Especially, tech diving...

 

[NAM001]

I GET MINE FROM LENS.COM Fax the script with the order and you are good to go. If you keep loosing them it makes it much cheaper than getting from the eye doctor.

i haven't been diving nor posted for a while, but i'm heading to Hawaii next week. Did a refresher session in the local pool a couple of weeks ago and decided i needed new contacts before my trip, when i had trouble reading my gauge (ah, middle age...). (I don't wear contact all the time, only for sports and especially water sports and diving.) When i went to my optician to order new contacts, i was told that they no longer stocked my regular brand and it would be a special order unless i wanted to switch to the brand they are now stocking. I figured it didn't matter. BIG MISTAKE! :shocked2: The trial pair were so thin and flimsy i had trouble taking them in and out, and they tended to flip inside out easily. I wondered if they would stay in my eyes in the water, so i headed back to the pool for a swim to try them out. Good plan - on the second lap i lost a lens.
I headed back to the optician and ordered the ones i was used to.
Thought i would mention this on this forum because when i first started diving i was worried about wearing contacts and losing them in the water, and i researched the topic on this forum without getting a definitive answer. Now i know why - it depends on the brand and maybe other factors. When i was taking my basic lessons, i had a great deal of trouble with the mask removal skill (to put it mildly) and i needed many sessions and much practice to master it. Since then it is a skill i always practice before heading out on a dive trip. And I have NEVER ever lost a contact lens, no matter how much i swam with my eyes open under water. Until now.
BTW, if it matters, the contacts that i use are B &L PureVision. Can't remember the name of the trial pair.
So, if you are unsure about wearing contacts while diving, my advice before spending $ is to go for a swim at the local pool just to see if they stay in when your eyes are opened under water.

 

[Dive the World]

like kendall, I use dailies, and alway have a few in my bag.

Plus, it is easy to loose lenses in the pool, for some reason ocean water holds them in - guess because of density

 

[Big_Nose]

I have worn Gas Permable Hards for years and while I've worried about losing them in water,
I have (knock on wood) never lost them. Part of my success is the form of my eyes...small opening...
moving along...About your middle age issue, not being able to read guages, for the past 18 years I've
worn a long distance corrective lens in my right eye and a short distance (for reading) in my left eye.
Doing so works fine, especially for the age induced need for bi or tri-focals (short arm syndrome-Ha!)

 

[jscott099]

I've been diving with contacts since the 90's. I now use the ones you can put in and out for about a month then toss. I always bring an extra set on dives trips since I have lost one (or both) over the years. That is the exception though. The biggest pain has been as I get older I am now loosing my near vision (all the more laughable since I have horrific distance vision). For a while I was using some of the mask inserts that are like reading glasses (they stick on the bottom part of the mask). They were OK but expensive to accidentally lose one. Ultimately I ended up with near/far (one lens near, the other far). It takes some time to get used to but it is good for my job at computer, flying airplanes, driving etc.

 

[freewillie]

Well, technically the only time you need to worry about swimming with your contacts is if you lose your mask. I've been wearing contacts for years and generally avoid opening my eyes under water like the plague. Just don't like to swim without goggles or other eye protection. I did all of my dive skills without the mask with my eyes closed.

I don't carry a spare mask when diving, but have been in the habit of keeping a spare mask when boat diving. I always carry a spare set of contact lenses in the dive bag and even keep the back up glasses in the car just in case.

 

[RTee]

I think there is a big difference between using contacts for swimming or scuba diving. When I went diving in Key largo this past summer, my son accompanied me and used contact lenses. He did not tried them in the pool nor did we go through mask removal/flooding exercises. It did not really matter what brand he was using as he always had his mask on when he was in the water scuba diving. When we went to relax in the pool, he just wore his glasses and removed them before entering the water.

Therefore, I would say that for most rec diving instances and when using your own mask, it should not really be a concern. Put the mask on before entering the water and remove it when coming out. As long as you stay away from the herd where you could get kicked or inadvertendly punched your mask should remain on and with a good seal. However, if you happen to be a student or teaching staff who needs to go through those exercises, then it is a different story.

 

[Tigerman]

I use them when swimming as well with no problem, as long as I dont rub my eyes wrong to get water away from them..