Contacts vs Prescription lens?

[Darnold9999]

Have been wearing contacts for years. Have only lost a contact once in 700 + dives. On the swim grid after a dive. I wear disposables and carry several pairs on a trip. I do use a different prescription under water as I need reading glasses so one eye gets the reading glass strength to read gauges and look in the camera viewfinder. The other -1 from the normal strength. Don’t need to see far underwater.

 

[Mike1967]

I wear disposables and carry several pairs on a trip.

Are they the monthly ones?

one eye gets the reading glass strength to read gauges and look in the camera viewfinder. The other -1 from the normal strength.

Is that instead of multifocals?

 

[gqllc007]

I just got her the Seavision and this way at least she has choices between that and contacts...

 

[mcohen1021]

Have been wearing contacts for years. Have only lost a contact once in 700 + dives.

Hope i an not jinxing myself, but I have never lost one over a longer period of time lol

 

[Darnold9999]

Are they the monthly ones?

Is that instead of multifocals?

Yes to both. Partner wears multi focals and I find they are a compromise and she can’t see as well both near and far. Does not have to carry reading glasses though!

I carry multiple pairs only because they come six to a box. Have just the one time needed a spare. Just brushed one out of my eye just after removing my mask. Really only think about it when doing mask drills. Just keep my eyes closed.

 

[Nicklebon]

Here's the thing with prescription masks and high correction. Please note everything I am saying applies to being farsighted/hyperopia at >+6.5. Maybe this is another area where nearsighted folks get an advantage over us hyperotics.


At scuba mask size the lenses are THICK. If someone will make your prescription in high index, last I checked SV was still using cr39, it is thinner, not thin, but now it's heavy. Dead center the vision is great. Off center the distortion is horrible, nausea inducing, gets worse the further off center you get. Your peripheral vision becomes non-existent. This problem is magnified 10X when night diving. Using contacts resolves all of this.

 

[lowwall]

At scuba mask size the lenses are THICK. If someone will make your prescription in high index, last I checked SV was still using cr39, it is thinner, not thin, but now it's heavy. Dead center the vision is great. Off center the distortion is horrible, nausea inducing, gets worse the further off center you get. Your peripheral vision becomes non-existent. This problem is magnified 10X when night diving. Using contacts resolves all of this.

Prescriptiondivemasks.com makes lenses and bonds them to the mask glass. They do offer high index lenses and the lenses do not have to cover the entire glass, so you have some control over the thickness. I've been using their lenses since 2006 with no delamination issues.

Here's the last prescription they made for me. This was 2 years ago:

OD +10.75 -1.25x087
OS +10.75 -1.25x083

ADD +2.25
1[prism] BU 08

It was around $400 (plus the cost of a new mask which I sent to them), but that's for high index bifocals with an upcharge for > +10 and the prism. This is about what I pay for my regular glasses lenses.

Peripheral vision is acceptable. If you are a high prescription glasses wearer, you are used to the world ending at your glasses frames anyway. And I love night dives with them, you can't see much beyond your light beam so peripheral vision isn't an issue at all.

 

[Blues Runner]

Very happy with my Prescription Dive Masks lenses as well. My lenses are Bifocal 35MM Wide in an Atomic Frameless mask that I sent to them with my order. Three full years of use on my current prescription with no delamination issues. Solid customer service.

I would call them to discuss your particular needs.

Custom Prescription Dive Masks

 

[CanadaDan]

Another SeaVision user here... I've had a few masks converted by them (my eyes shift every couple of years). Great solution and service.

 

[cleomagic]

I used to dive with a prescription mask, but hated that I could not see very well when I took it off, and as my vision started changing, the mask, tho had a great fit, was getting harder to see out of. I switched to contacts - for both land and sea a few years ago. I do need "bifocals", and did the mono-vision solution where one eye is near and one eye is far. It took about a week for the brain to process what is going on, but now that it has figured it out, I love it!

Both of my eyes have a pretty severe astigmatism (not as bad as some have posted here), so the multi-focal contact lenses were not an option, and I could not find a daily that would fit my eyeball shape

After many trials, I ended up with Cooper Vision XR Torics - I change them every month and I always bring an extra pair with me, just in case. You might be able to work it out with your eye Dr to order an extra set of "trial lenses" to use as your backup.

I do underwater photography, and since the camera is normally at a closer point than my near vision lens, he did order me a special near vision lens that pulled the focal point in a little closer so I can see the clarity on the camera better.

Based on comparing the glasses/prescription mask vs. the contacts, I won't go back to the prescription mask. The freedom to not have to deal with taking your glasses off and finding some place to put them - shore diving, on a small boat... As well as not dealing with all of the spots on the lenses when there is ocean spray. Definitely recommend the contacts route.