diveprof
Contributor
Sea Vision makes masks per prescription. They are low vol. and fit most faces. Of course, if it works the disposable contacts work great.
Maskless and disappointed.. for now
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OP
my lds supposedly (according to their website) sells Sea Vision masks, though when I was there, the girl didn't even mention them and at the time, i didn't think to ask. seems a bit odd, but maybe they don't have too many people coming needing custom lenses.
diveprof
Contributor
Check their website:
Sea Vision - Your Single Source for Prescription Dive Masks
This is their specialty. They can also retro fit other masks. I like the look of the new Oceanic mask and might consider it in my prescription.
ba_hiker
Contributor
I have gotten good service from
Scuba Vision - Custom Prescription Scuba Masks
An optometrist who free dives, in Ukiah, CA
Scuba Vision - Custom Prescription Scuba Masks
An optometrist who free dives, in Ukiah, CA
Many manufacturers of masks with two lenses can supply replacement lenses to any prescription. Otherwise, in England at any rate, any of the larger opticians (which I think you call optometrists) can get prescription lenses glued to the inside of your existing lenses. This of course also works with a single-lensed mask.
If you really do have a strong axis then I would recommend you go the optometrist route. They will understand the significance of even small errors in a high axis - you are probably quite intolerant of errors which people with weaker prescriptions could cope with.
Do bear in mind that prescription lenses generally only deal with short sight (near vision) and can't be used for long sight (distance vision). For that you may just need a magnifier insert glued to one corner of one of your lenses to enable you to read instruments. It is ESSENTIAL that you first choose a mask that fits you properly. I'd buy the one you think will work (and for which you can get prescription lenses) and try it in a swimming pool before you commit to VERY expensive special lenses.
An option you should investigate is the curved mask made by someone I can't remember! - a big manufacturer. Should be easy to find. You'll need to try it on land for fit and underwater for its corrective effect. Many people with quite poor vision love them.
DO NOT plan on using contact lenses. Even if you could wear them, and it sounds as if you can't, they can be quite problematical underwater and should only ever be regarded as a short-term fix. There is a significant risk of physical eye damage from particles of salt or sand.
If you really do have a strong axis then I would recommend you go the optometrist route. They will understand the significance of even small errors in a high axis - you are probably quite intolerant of errors which people with weaker prescriptions could cope with.
Do bear in mind that prescription lenses generally only deal with short sight (near vision) and can't be used for long sight (distance vision). For that you may just need a magnifier insert glued to one corner of one of your lenses to enable you to read instruments. It is ESSENTIAL that you first choose a mask that fits you properly. I'd buy the one you think will work (and for which you can get prescription lenses) and try it in a swimming pool before you commit to VERY expensive special lenses.
An option you should investigate is the curved mask made by someone I can't remember! - a big manufacturer. Should be easy to find. You'll need to try it on land for fit and underwater for its corrective effect. Many people with quite poor vision love them.
DO NOT plan on using contact lenses. Even if you could wear them, and it sounds as if you can't, they can be quite problematical underwater and should only ever be regarded as a short-term fix. There is a significant risk of physical eye damage from particles of salt or sand.
OP
I've done a little bit of poking around online and realised that if the place the lds was going to send us to couldn't handle the axis required, I likely would have ended up with pretty much the same lenses as what the lds would have gotten, but for much more money. A video I found on scubatoys.com suggested that cylinder values of 1 or less could sometimes just be ignored, but checking my Rx, I'm definitely going to have to get custom lenses done. At this point, I may have to get the mask and use it as is for the first class (July 21) and make sure it's the right one (and that may be best, as you suggested, anyway), then send it out and hopefully get it back before the next lesson. A magnifier insert for reading instruments wouldn't really be an issue for me, as the lenses themselves would be magnifiers, but is probably a good point for anybody finding this thread in a search.
Hey, I have really rotten vision. I got a perscription mask because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to see a buddy that was having an issue, find the boat, etc. I found that I didn't really need to have perfect vision underwater (very few street signs to read) I could stick with pre-made lenses for my mask.
You won't be reading Chaucer down there, you just want to be able to see your buddy, navigate and see the pretty coral. Don't think too hard about the lenses for your mask, just go with an approximate fit.
Hope this helps!
Matt
You won't be reading Chaucer down there, you just want to be able to see your buddy, navigate and see the pretty coral. Don't think too hard about the lenses for your mask, just go with an approximate fit.
Hope this helps!
Matt
Most unlikely. I'd be surprised if they come back in less than 6 weeks.
If you have distance vision the lenses will magnify, but as I said above that's a time when you wouldn't go this route. If you have near vision the lenses will NOT magnify.
Just what is your vision, for each eye separately? Don't give the actual prescription as that won't mean anything to me (and in any case it's denoted differently in the US from other countries), but "strong" or "weak", "short" or "long", and whether astigmised. I also have a weak eye, which doesn't affect the prescription but does affect my vision - means I have to use the other eye for anything which involves focussing (eg. reading instruments).
OP
I'll try to describe it as best I can, as I'm having trouble finding some kind of guideline on what constitutes weak or strong. I'm farsighted in both eyes, with I guess, a midrange kind of prescription, not weak but not extremely strong either, with a fair amount of astigmatism, too much to ignore, but not enough for one of the websites mentioned in this thread to charge an extra lab fee for strong astigmatism. My right eye has a bit stronger Rx for both regular lens power and astigmatism, and generally leaves all the important seeing to my left eye.
Since I wear glasses basically all the time, I figure that same prescription would fit needs in seeing close and far in the water as well, including reading instruments.
(I have only one Rx, not one for near and one for far)
As for waiting 6 weeks to get the mask back, that time frame doesn't really surprise me, though I've seen rush service advertised, with 3-4 day turn-around.. then including shipping, maybe about 2 weeks. One way or another, looks like I'm going to have to take a blurry, educated guess at whether I've got 2200, 2300 or 2400psi in my tank (eg) or ask my buddy to read it for me for at least a couple of lessons. I don't really look forward to that, but I guess I'll be able to enjoy it more when I actually can see.
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