Diving with contacts

[Doc]

I've been diving with contacts for years in about every kind of condition. Never lost one or had any trouble. I agree, you take spares to keep Murhpy happy.

To any readers looking here for "newbie" advice, I would suggest trying your mask u/w first with :seen: and then without :eyemouth: corrective lenses.

I am roughly a -3.0 and I find that my u/w vision is pretty darned good uncorrected. I mostly dive in viz up to 85', so maybe if the Great White Whale cruised by at 100' I might miss it, but I don't think so.

Try it at home in the pool :cyborg: before you commit to any particular method for a trip. Myopia or close-up vision is also a critical factor, not only for reading your SPG tank guage, but for also spotting the little :martian: critters, as well.

 

[EricDive]

I dive with contacts all the time and don't have any trouble, however I usually swim with them in too. I've never lost one ... just don't open your eyes really wide.

Eric

 

[String]

Diving with gas permeable (soft) contact lenses is perfectly OK. Its recommended you dont wear heard lenses though (for obvious reasons).

Issues with mask flooding/infection are there but these days you can get 24hr disposable lenses which are probably a good idea if wearing them diving.

Although i wear lenses i only wear one lense in one eye and eyesight nowhere near poor enough for me to need to wear underwater although i know several people that do wear them without problem.

 

[BuoyantC]

I used to dive with gas permeable hard lenses, and lost one while getting spashed without my mask on. I switched to soft lenses several years ago and never had a problem. I can even squint without a mask while underwater and not lose one.

Sure seems better than prescription masks.
---------------------
Dennis

 

[mania]

I use contact lenses - very soft ones - the one day ones. The major reseaon is that I can throw them after diving and minimalize the risk of infection - there are some bacterias that can cause an infection and standard fluids used for washing lenses don't kill them.
But on the other hand I only have -2 so even if I loose a lense I still can see. My friend has -7 and for him loosing the lense means not seeing at all. So he doesn't use contact lenses - he has a mask with glasses.
Mania

 

[NOVIZWHIZ]

Diving with gas permeable (soft) contact lenses is perfectly OK. Its recommended you dont wear heard lenses though (for obvious reasons).

QUOTE]

uh......I've been wearing hard lenses while diving for almost 30 years....exactly what are the reasons...only problem I have with them is if my eyes get really dry, I've had them literally pop out when I blink, but it's never happened under water....course where I dive, I keep my eyes closed most of the time anyway.....

 

[diveh3]

I dive with them in, Last night lost the right contact during a mask purge.
Drove home with with my hand over my right eye like a pirate patch, :icosm07: a real PIA.
Next time I'll be better prepared with back ups and mabey even my glasses.

 

[String]

Diving with gas permeable (soft) contact lenses is perfectly OK. Its recommended you dont wear heard lenses though (for obvious reasons).

QUOTE]

uh......I've been wearing hard lenses while diving for almost 30 years....exactly what are the reasons...only problem I have with them is if my eyes get really dry, I've had them literally pop out when I blink, but it's never happened under water....course where I dive, I keep my eyes closed most of the time anyway.....

From the medical literature i received and asking qualified people when i had my lenses all gave the following:

Although diving with hard lenses isnt impossible its discouraged.

As well as the fact hard lenses tend not to be disposable and therefore any flooding causes a theoretically increased infection rate the main reason is they are not gas permeable.

The eye surface is involved in gaseous exchange processes and air/gasses do form under the lense surface. There have been some reports of divers particulary those on dives deeper than 30m experiencing fogged vision as a result of trapped gas and also report of them falling off or turning (if astigmatic, turning can render a lense utterly worthless for seeing through) as a result of expanding gas loosening its grip on the eye itself. The fogging issue is partly related to pressure gradients being caused and partly due to proteins under pressure.

There is a theoretical chance of increased risk of damage to the eye surface caused by trapped gas between the eyeball and the lense but afaik no proof this has actually happened.

Soft lenses (gas permeable) prevent a pressure buildup so arent vulnerable to any of these potential problems.

 

[chantana]

I wear Focus Dailies. I have lost a few contacts into my mask but that was when I was wearing Acuvues and my eyes were having a dry reaction to them. You can still make it to the surface with one eye open. I've tried opening my eyes in the pool with contacts too and they do stay in but it stings a bit.

 

[murphdivers286]

I'm Murphy, and the Law applies to me I think more so than anyone else. I wear contacts when I dive, and (KNOCK) on wood I have not lost one. Like other members who believe in Murphy's Law, I carry a spare set. Good Luck!