diving with contacts
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Sylvain
Contributor
I am not an eye doctor but I have been diving with my contacts for lots of years why not because I need them under water but because when I need to surface and locate bubbles I can see them. So far no problem with my mask flooding and I am not afraid of loosing them as I now wear daily's. if you are afraid to loose them just get yourself a box of daily's and voila no fear of loosing them.
My wife and I just went to get our eyes check and told the doctor that she wanted contact for diving and he told her no problems
.
My wife and I just went to get our eyes check and told the doctor that she wanted contact for diving and he told her no problems
.
I've been diving incident-free with contacts for years and have only ever lost one. Ironically, that was fairly recently and I was snorkeling when a little water got in the mask and a small splash dislodged the contact. It was gone before I knew it.
I wear disposable soft contacts and make sure I carry spares in my gear bag.
I simply close my eyes when removing or clearing my mask. I let my dive buddy know I'm wearing contacts so if I'm acting strange with my mask off they'll know I can't see.
I wear disposable soft contacts and make sure I carry spares in my gear bag.
I simply close my eyes when removing or clearing my mask. I let my dive buddy know I'm wearing contacts so if I'm acting strange with my mask off they'll know I can't see.
captain
Contributor
Same here ,I have been diving with contact over 20 years, never lost one.
Me too-- don't really like contacts so use them only for diving. I have the monthly disposable kind, but since I'm not wearing them all day long I can get 2-3 months out of them. Haven't had any trouble, just close my eyes if I need to clear mask. You probably want to stay away from hard contacts, but other than that you'll be fine.
mike_s
Contributor
Me too. Been diving with contacts for years with no problem.
I've never lost one diving or in the water and that includes working as a lifeguard for 5 years in school. (you just can't open your eyes more than a squint underwater when swiming w/o a mask, and then only for brief seconds without the risk of loosing one).
As for diving and clearing your mask, I've done that several times with contacts. When I get a full mask flood, I clear it normally like anyone else would. I just wait a few seconds to open my eyes and do it slowly as there will be a few drop of water on the eyelids. Just be cautious and you'll be fine. I wear the disposable ones and keep a spare pair in my save a dive kit (well sometimes I do).
The only drawback is that your eyes might dry out a little more because of less side to side movement or water in your mask. So after swimming or diving in your lens, exercise caution when removing them as they might be a little dry on your cornias. A few drops of saline will take care of this problem.
I've never lost one diving or in the water and that includes working as a lifeguard for 5 years in school. (you just can't open your eyes more than a squint underwater when swiming w/o a mask, and then only for brief seconds without the risk of loosing one).
As for diving and clearing your mask, I've done that several times with contacts. When I get a full mask flood, I clear it normally like anyone else would. I just wait a few seconds to open my eyes and do it slowly as there will be a few drop of water on the eyelids. Just be cautious and you'll be fine. I wear the disposable ones and keep a spare pair in my save a dive kit (well sometimes I do).
The only drawback is that your eyes might dry out a little more because of less side to side movement or water in your mask. So after swimming or diving in your lens, exercise caution when removing them as they might be a little dry on your cornias. A few drops of saline will take care of this problem.
MoonWrasse
Contributor
Wear them. I'd worry more about contamination than losing one in the sea.emodiver:
I've never lost one, but pack some spares just in case.
Kwbyron
Contributor
Yeah, I actually forgot to bring them on a dive this week, I just took off my glasses on the surface and left them in my car right before heading into the water. It's wierd, but my vision isn't as bad with the mask(It's a non-Rx), probably from the light refracting... I always worried about that, but now I know that I can loose them on a dive and it's no big loss.
mrjimboalaska
Contributor
Ever considered Lasik? I love the freedom.....Jimbo
Same here. I wear the disposable kind. I like this route so much better than the prescription mask route becasue when I take my mask off I can still see. Also if you go with the prescription mask, you also need to take prescription glasses, and the way tanks get thrown around on dive boats some times I don't care if the cheapo masks and shades get smashed.
I pack several pairs of contacts as back ups, but have seldom lost any. Most of the times I've lost contacts has been when I've dove back in the water for a swim during a surface interval, or if I rub my eyes after I get out.
I pack several pairs of contacts as back ups, but have seldom lost any. Most of the times I've lost contacts has been when I've dove back in the water for a swim during a surface interval, or if I rub my eyes after I get out.
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