Contacts or prescription mask?

[Hoyden]

I also use Air Optics Multifolcals so I have good vision, up close and at a distance underwater as well as on the surface. I have no problem removing and replacing my mask underwater. I generally just close my eyes for this. When going through tech training years ago, I had to do several long no mask swims and a long portion of a dive after I "lost" my mask, my back-up and my buddy's back-up. I discovered that squinting protects my contacts well enough that they stayed in place even for long periods of time with no problem, both in salt and fresh water. I am not sure why I have problems with lap swimming, but over the years I have lost 3 or 4 contacts during that activity.

Jackie

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

• Contacts can wash out of you flood your mask.

If you get contacts, make sure you get one-day disposables and toss them when the dive is over. Sea/lake water contain things that can cause serious infections and that can't be killed with normal lens cleaning solution, and that you don't want trapped between the lens and your eye for any longer than necessary.


flots.

There's a slight possibility contacts could wash out but I have never had that happen in 15 years.

The contacts I wear only have to be removed once a week. I have never had any eye infection, and I have dove in the fresh water of the Great Lakes, quarry's, salt water, and cenotes. I guess there could be a very slight possibility but highly unlikely.

 

[flots am]

As for bacteria infection, I would remove and disinfect them after diving which sometimes could be in a few hrs or coming back after a whole day (12 hrs).

Contact lens solution is ineffective. Not sure about heat, if you happen to have the old-style plug-in lens sterilizer unit.

An article on what you don't want to get: CDC - Acanthamoeba Infection - General Information - Acanthamoeba Infection FAQs

A note on how contact lens solution won't kill it: Acanthamoeba and disinfecting contact lens solutions

When you're done in the water toss, your lenses. Your sight and life are worth adding an extra couple of bucks to the cost of a dive.

flots.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Contact lens solution is ineffective. Not sure about heat, if you happen to have the old-style plug0in lens sterilizer unit.

An article on what you don't want to get: CDC - Acanthamoeba Infection - General Information - Acanthamoeba Infection FAQs

A note on how contact lens solution won't kill it: Acanthamoeba and disinfecting contact lens solutions

When you're done in the water toss, your lenses. Your sight and life are worth adding an extra couple of bucks to the cost of a dive.

flots.

Wow. That's news to me. In fact, the CDC page you linked to recommends not wearing contacts AT ALL when you are exposed to water: "Remove contact lenses before any activity involving contact with water, including showering, using a hot tub, or swimming." If I were to follow CDC guidelines, I would have to get a prescription dive mask to wear in the shower and hot tub. I am blind as a bat without corrective lenses.

Well, one more thing to worry about.

 

[boulderjohn]

I wore contact lenses for years without any problem at all. I had pretty good correction with them, and I was happy with the results.

Then, nearly 10 years ago, I had LASIK surgery. I timed the surgery so that I would be able to dive again when I went to Cozumel, a place I had dived often. I was very pleasantly surprised at the results. I easily could tell the difference in how much better I was seeing under water. My vision is today still about 20/15 in both eyes. It is one of the best decisions I have ever made regarding my health.

If LASIK is possible for you, I would certainly consider it.

 

[flots am]

Wow. That's news to me. In fact, the CDC page you linked to recommends not wearing contacts AT ALL when you are exposed to water: "Remove contact lenses before any activity involving contact with water, including showering, using a hot tub, or swimming." If I were to follow CDC guidelines, I would have to get a prescription dive mask to wear in the shower and hot tub. I am blind as a bat without corrective lenses.

Well, one more thing to worry about.

It's one of those low-probability high-cost events.

The chances are really slim you'll have a problem, but if you do, you're in trouble.

 

[Hoyden]

There's a slight possibility contacts could wash out but I have never had that happen in 15 years.

The contacts I wear only have to be removed once a week. I have never had any eye infection, and I have dove in the fresh water of the Great Lakes, quarry's, salt water, and cenotes. I guess there could be a very slight possibility but highly unlikely.

I fall into this group as well. I have been wearing contacts for 36 years and have never had any real problems. I started with hard lenses since that was the only thing available at that time. By the time I started diving in contacts I was wearing soft lenses. At first I was really worried about infection and discarded any lens that was exposed to water while diving. Eventually, I got over that and haven't really worried about it in years. I dive every day at work and have easily over a thousand dives in contacts (probably about 200 hours diving this year) with no problems. YMMV,

Jackie

 

[uncfnp]

It's one of those low-probability high-cost events.

The chances are really slim you'll have a problem, but if you do, you're in trouble.

Obviously everything we do in life entails risk to some degree. Its up to each individual to decide what risk is acceptable. If I worry about contacts and water then yes, I need to remove the contacts prior to any water exposure. If I worry about Acanthamoeba Infection, well no swimming/diving with a cut and OMG I got some water up my nose so I guess that means no diving period!

Where do you draw the line for risk? For me, daily disposables are not a good option, but I am comfortable with the negligible risk with soft contacts and common sense precautions. But that might not be the right answer for others.

 

[Tigerman]

I routinely remove my mask (it's kinda new) to rub the inside to reduce fogging. While doing so I squint so I can still see where I am in the water and what I'm doing. This does not bother my eyes. Would this be a problem with contacts?

(BTW, I've tried all the rubs and strubs to clean the mask to reduce fogging. I've taken to just leaving a small amount of water in the mask to act as a wash to reduce the number of times I remove it and then waste air to clear. Topic for another thread.)

Not a problem with contacts. I do it at times myself and I also swim with contacts without much issue...

I wear glasses normally, but I use dailies for diving (and sunny days)

 

[divin'dog]

From the link provided:

Acanthamoeba keratitis and contact lens wear: the patient is at fault.
Moore MB.

[h=3]Source[/h]Department of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Health Center, Southwestern Medical School, Dallas.

[h=3]Abstract[/h]The avoidance of nonsterile solutions is important to curtailing Acanthamoeba keratitis, a serious infection that has been found to occur with all types of contact lens (CL) wear. Increased patient education, revised recommendations regarding the use of tap and distilled water, and improved disinfecting systems are vital to preventing infection. These precautions are particularly important since it appears that Acanthamoeba, unlike Pseudomonas, may not require an epithelial defect to establish corneal infection and, once in the cornea, may not respond to drug therapy or surgical extirpation. Unfortunately, many patients receive poor lens care instructions or cannot be relied on to follow appropriate routines. Finding a foolproof means of lens disinfection for them is critical. Recently, several disinfection systems were tested against Acanthamoeba castellanii and Acanthamoeba polyphaga cysts and trophozoites to see which might prove most effective. Effective systems included heat disinfection at 70 to 80 degrees C for 10 min, 3% hydrogen peroxide for 2-3 h, 0.001% thimerosal with edetate for 4 h, 0.005% benzalkonium chloride with edetate and reagent for 4 h, and either 0.001% chlorhexidine for 4 h or 0.004% chlorhexidine for 1 h. Thus, for patients who are careless or persist in using nonsterile rinsing solutions, it appears that at least some methods of disinfection will help prevent Acanthamoeba infection.




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If correct, there is a way to sterilize but I don't think any of the ingredients are included in multi-purpose sterilizing solutions. I will still wear my contacts as I have before but if there is a way to reduce the infection probablity closer to 0% I would consider it.

Had a friend who served in Vietnam... He said he was the only one to wear his flak jacket 100% of the time even while taking a shower and going to the bathroom. He played the odds and he made it out just fine.