Diving with contacts

[RIHappyDiver]

Soft contacts are fine for diving. +1 @Storker about the dryness and @taimen on risk for infection. I'd recommend re-wetting drops vs sterile saline post-dive, and discarding the contacts if your eyes are exposed to water - dailies would of course lend themselves better to that. I always carry a spare pair when traveling. If you plan on doing mask removal drills, just leave the contacts out. FWIW I dove for the Navy for 20 years with soft contacts and never had an issue.

Best regards,
DDM

Sorry to high jack this thread more than it already has been, but when you say “soft contacts are fine for diving” are you saying rigid gas permeable (rpg) contacts aren’t? Or, are you reassuring the OP that it’s OK to dive with soft contacts? Just want to make sure that there isn’t something about diving with RPG’s that I should be aware of.
Thanks,
Erik

 

[caruso]

Just want to make sure that there isn’t something about diving with RPG’s that I should be aware of.

Bring spares. Equalize your mask. Frequently.

 

[drk5036]

Sorry to high jack this thread more than it already has been, but when you say “soft contacts are fine for diving” are you saying rigid gas permeable (rpg) contacts aren’t? Or, are you reassuring the OP that it’s OK to dive with soft contacts? Just want to make sure that there isn’t something about diving with RPG’s that I should be aware of.
Thanks,
Erik

I think the issue with RGP lenses is if you lose one it’s gonna cost a lot more to replace.

 

[RIHappyDiver]

I think the issue with RGP lenses is if you lose one it’s gonna cost a lot more to replace.

And this is what I always thought, as well. At the same time, it was always worth the risk to me since the cost of a mask with an astigmatism rx would be about the same as a new pair. Plus, having to wear glasses to the dive sight, especially on a boat dive, is not my idea of fun.

Bring spares. Equalize your mask. Frequently.

Ok, I’m going to show my ignorance here, but if my contacts are gas permeable shouldn’t they equalize on their own? As for spares, I always bring my glasses as backup. At the cost of RGP lenses, you don’t just keep spares around. Besides, knowing me, I’d forget to refill the cases with saline and they would dry out.

 

[caruso]

Ok, I’m going to show my ignorance here, but if my contacts are gas permeable shouldn’t they equalize on their own?

No, they will not equalize on their own, they are mostly a rigid material that has some degree of permeability but not nearly enough to prevent suction from occuring between the posterior surface of the lens and the anterior surface of the cornea. RGP lens wearers need to break the suction when they remove their lenses at the end of the day, typically using the tips of their fingers against their eyelids to lift one edge of the lens. That's under normal atmospheric conditions. Add a bit of pressure from a mask that is not completely equalized at depth and you're going to get a situation where that lens is going to really suck onto the cornea.

Besides, knowing me, I’d forget to refill the cases with saline and they would dry out.

RGP lenses should not be stored in saline.

 

[RIHappyDiver]

@caruso, Ok, that actually makes a lot of sense. While I’ve never gotten a lens suctioned onto my cornea, I have definitely had it happen to my sclera. I do equalize my mask often, which is probably why I have never had a problem.

As far as storage, yes, saline is not the correct storage solution. I used the word because it is basically the catch-all for storage products. I have never known anyone who calls it “storage solution”, though I do call it Simplus on occasion.

 

[diverrex]

@caruso, Ok, that actually makes a lot of sense. While I’ve never gotten a lens suctioned onto my cornea, I have definitely had it happen to my sclera. I do equalize my mask often, which is probably why I have never had a problem.

As far as storage, yes, saline is not the correct storage solution. I used the word because it is basically the catch-all for storage products. I have never known anyone who calls it “storage solution”, though I do call it Simplus on occasion.

RGP spare lens are supposed to be stored dry, not in any solution.

I wear RGP normally but have found they tend to come out diving or get washed out by a flooded mask much easier than daily soft lens. I think I lost three before I got smart and switched to soft lens just for diving. So I get a box of daily use soft lens I only wear for dive days. I can buy a lot of daily soft lens for the cost of a single lost RGP lens.

 

[RIHappyDiver]

@diverrex, that’s interesting, I never would have thought that they would be stored dry. I’ve never kept a spare set so never looked into it. I assumed they were stored in solution since Any new ones I’ve gotten came that way. Fortunately, in sixty + dives, I’ve never lost a pair. Even the first set that I got in the mid 80’s were great for diving.

I’ve asked about soft lenses, as rumor has it that astigmatism patients can now wear them, but mine are bitoric, so I would be better off with an rx mask. Thanks for the suggestion though.

 

[Tool Belt]

@diverrex, that’s interesting, I never would have thought that they would be stored dry. I’ve never kept a spare set so never looked into it. I assumed they were stored in solution since Any new ones I’ve gotten came that way. Fortunately, in sixty + dives, I’ve never lost a pair. Even the first set that I got in the mid 80’s were great for diving.

I’ve asked about soft lenses, as rumor has it that astigmatism patients can now wear them, but mine are bitoric, so I would be better off with an rx mask. Thanks for the suggestion though.

I have been wearing an astigmatic soft lens for years with no problem.

 

[Storker]

I have been wearing an astigmatic soft lens for years with no problem.

So have I.

I've tried progressive soft lenses as well (yes, they exist!), but they didn't work very well for me. So I'm wearing one contact for close vision and one for distance vision.