Contact Lenses

[rossjc]

Is diving with gas permeable (hard) contacts okay? My contacts sit off of my cornea slightly as they are correcting kerataconus (a raised section on my cornea) so I wonder what is going to happen to that air space. Any comments would be appreciated.
Josh

 

[baitedstorm]

Heya Josh, I'm certainly no doctor but I've worked as a ParaOptometric for 12 years. If this was my eyes I would tell you to talk to DAN 1-800-446-2671. I'm a little concerned with the pressure at depth and what effects it might have on the lenses, not to mention your cornea. Have you discussed this with your MD? I'll give a few calls out myself and see if anyone's had diving patients with kerataconus using RGP's for correction. Best Luck to you, please update us if you find an answer. I'll also let you know what I find out as well.

Cheers,
Vickie

 

[OrcaBlue]

Is diving with gas permeable (hard) contacts okay? My contacts sit off of my cornea slightly as they are correcting kerataconus (a raised section on my cornea) so I wonder what is going to happen to that air space. Any comments would be appreciated.
Josh

I've used RGP lenses on a couple of dives before, and I've had no problems with them. In fact, they felt even more comfortable underwater than on land (for me), since I have very sensitive eyes.

One important note though.. They've popped out of my eyes before during a dive. But then again, they've popped out of my eyes on land also..

 

[sharkdiver00]

I've been diving with RGP's for over 25 yrs and have not had any problems. It is important to take them off between dives though. And yes, a couple of times they have popped out into the mask.....

Important: you will HAVE to ascend a LOT slower than 60ft/min, more like 35 or 40, or your corneas will 'fog'. DAN had an article on this problem several years ago on their Dive Alert mag.

I would also recommend to call DAN and check with them as they have done extensive research on the subject matter. And also check with your ophtalmologist. Is your astigmatism too bad to try prescription lenses on a mask? that would be the easiest way.

good luck...

 

[Lloyd]

As long as your lenses fit well there should be minimal air bubbles under the lens if any. You might need to ascend slower but compression is not an issue. Generally they are safe to dive in.
Lloyd

 

[rossjc]

Thanks to everyone who helped out...DAN says it shouldn't be an issue. The may distort vision slightly from normal at depth though.

 

[yakivet]

I wear RGP for my topside life, but I dive with the disposable ones. I guess I'd rather flush a cheap one into the water than an expensive one. It takes a little time to get adjusted to the different fit and focus, but once they are in, they're great. No problems in 100+ dives. If I'm on a weeks vacation, I'll sometime wear them all week and then toss them at the end.