Diving with contact lenses
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DianeKim
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I wore my soft dailies for years when diving and was certified with them as well. I just kept my eyes closed when doing my mask removal, etc. I never experienced any issues other than a couple times trying to remove my lenses later on they became a little glued to my eye surface. Most likely due to drying out a bit because of some contact with the salty water. What I did from there on was to squirt saline in both eyes and shut my eyes for a minute or so to allow the saline to permeate the lens before removing. This helped. Soft daily contacts were never an issue for me when diving.
Until I had laser surgery, I did most of my diving with the daily disposable soft contact lenses. I never lost one, and if I did, I was going to throw it away that day anyways, so not a big deal. I find that the biggest advantage of using lenses (or Lasik 
) is that I can see things on the surface, where using a mask is often cumbersome. I spend a lot of time looking for some remarkably small marker buoys a long ways away, as well as trying to identify whether a disturbance on the surface of the water is from one of my diver teams. Prescription masks don't really cut it for that...
-Craig
) is that I can see things on the surface, where using a mask is often cumbersome. I spend a lot of time looking for some remarkably small marker buoys a long ways away, as well as trying to identify whether a disturbance on the surface of the water is from one of my diver teams. Prescription masks don't really cut it for that...-Craig
I wear contacts, and my instructor just has contact lens-wearing students keep their eyes closed. He taps them on the shoulder to let them know when the mask is half full for that part of the mask skill exercises.
Besides, not everyone loves the feeling of chlorine or salt in the eyes. I'd rather keep my eyes shut unless it's an emergency situation. And if that's the case, I'll have a lot more to worry about than losing a contact lens or minor stinging. I'll be fine with that.
When I go on dive trips, I make sure I have spare lenses, backup glasses, and contact cleaner supplies handy in my luggage (the cleaning supplies go in my checked luggage so I can avoid the hassle of pulling it out while going through security)
Once, a number of years ago, I dove into a swimming pool and rinsed a lens out and spent a weekend without one lens. I'm not eager to repeat that.
Besides, not everyone loves the feeling of chlorine or salt in the eyes. I'd rather keep my eyes shut unless it's an emergency situation. And if that's the case, I'll have a lot more to worry about than losing a contact lens or minor stinging. I'll be fine with that.
When I go on dive trips, I make sure I have spare lenses, backup glasses, and contact cleaner supplies handy in my luggage (the cleaning supplies go in my checked luggage so I can avoid the hassle of pulling it out while going through security)
Once, a number of years ago, I dove into a swimming pool and rinsed a lens out and spent a weekend without one lens. I'm not eager to repeat that.
Montana Diver
Contributor
I wore hard gas-perm lenses for years since I liked the better correction/vision they provided. Four years ago I started doing mono-vision, wearing one contact only. I also changed to daily disposable soft lenses. The mon-vision was so I would not need to use reading glasses to see my computer screen. Now I have one eye that sees close and one eye that sees distance. I love it! There are only a few times that I wish I had both contacts in, however for diving I can close one eye for mask skills and as an added bonus I can see my dive computer display perfectly!
Scott L
Contributor
Anybody have experience with bi-focal contact lenses? The chicas are not digging my permanently installed gauge readers...
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We used to have an instructor here who is also an Ophthalmic professional. Her boss at the time (one of the guys who invented Lazer Refractive Surgery at UCLA) used to caution us that while EXTREMELY rare there is a remote chance of a bacteria getting between the contact lens and the eye that could potentially do permanant damage in a very short period of time.
I am not an eye professional, so I cannot honestly say more but his comments and advice were enough for me that I only wear disposables if I'm going to wear contacts while diving and make a strong point of stressing that to my students as well when teaching.
I generally recommend an optical mask if possible for my students but am aware for various reasons that's not always a convenient way to go for some people. If they do wind up wearing their contacts, I make a point of stressing the importance of sanitizing them or replacing them after diving when at all possible.
It might be an incredibly remote chance of having something bad occur, but it IS my eyesight after all. Not something I'm willing to take lightly.
I am not an eye professional, so I cannot honestly say more but his comments and advice were enough for me that I only wear disposables if I'm going to wear contacts while diving and make a strong point of stressing that to my students as well when teaching.
I generally recommend an optical mask if possible for my students but am aware for various reasons that's not always a convenient way to go for some people. If they do wind up wearing their contacts, I make a point of stressing the importance of sanitizing them or replacing them after diving when at all possible.
It might be an incredibly remote chance of having something bad occur, but it IS my eyesight after all. Not something I'm willing to take lightly.
In my experience, the first thing that's done is the shop or instructor will advise on prescription lenses for contact lens wearers.
If not, step two is to let them wear their lenses (as I am not a lens wearer, I can't comment on what it's like to have to wear lenses while diving), instruct them to keep their eyes closed. I demonstrate mask flood and removal skills with my eyes closed.
It's usually worked with very little problems.
If not, step two is to let them wear their lenses (as I am not a lens wearer, I can't comment on what it's like to have to wear lenses while diving), instruct them to keep their eyes closed. I demonstrate mask flood and removal skills with my eyes closed.
It's usually worked with very little problems.
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