newbie question

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Location
Arizona
Hey, my name is mike. Im planning on getting my open water at my Lds, saguaro sports, but I was wondering...what if I have contacts and get a flooded mask and need to purge? thanks for your help. And does anyone know what lakes are semi-clear enough to go diving in Arizona? A buddy of mine and I are planning a San Carlos trip but I want to dive alot before I go. Thanks
Mike
 
teen_scuba1988:
...what if I have contacts and get a flooded mask and need to purge?

Can't help you on the Arizona diving part, but as for the contacts in a flooded mask part...

I wear contacts while diving too. I just close my eyes when I had to flood my mask. It's a little strange opening them again, and not being able to wipe my eyes. But those with perfect vision probably experience the same strange feeling. I've worn my contacts in a pool and opened my eyes, with no troubles. Contacts didn't pop off, but I can't guarantee this won't happen the next time. Eyes closed seems to do the trick.

Mike
 
teen_scuba1988:
Hey, my name is mike. Im planning on getting my open water at my Lds, saguaro sports, but I was wondering...what if I have contacts and get a flooded mask and need to purge? thanks for your help. And does anyone know what lakes are semi-clear enough to go diving in Arizona? A buddy of mine and I are planning a San Carlos trip but I want to dive alot before I go. Thanks
Mike

If I don't have a great seal on my mask (often with my stache) when I need to clear, I just clear like anyone else, pull the bottom of the mask from the face, and blow.

If I need to do drills where I must remove the mask, or flood it fully I just close my eyes. Not really much of an issue other than the fact one can not see.

I carry a couple extra pairs of contacts when I dive so If I do loose one, and can replace it.

Diving with contacts is not a big deal, but there are other options like getting perscription mask lens inserts. These are often available in standard powers generally from -1 thru -8 or higher.
 
teen_scuba1988:
Hey, my name is mike. Im planning on getting my open water at my Lds, saguaro sports, but I was wondering...what if I have contacts and get a flooded mask and need to purge? thanks for your help. And does anyone know what lakes are semi-clear enough to go diving in Arizona? A buddy of mine and I are planning a San Carlos trip but I want to dive alot before I go. Thanks
Mike
Mike, I wear disposable contacts (wear for one day and throw them away) in the water, and have yet to lose one, even while deliberately flooding or removing and replacing my mask in the water. I tend to keep my eyes half shut - sort of squinting - just to reduce the risk of one of them floating away, but even when I keep my eyes wide open I haven't lost one yet. The disposable kind cost about $1/day for a pair - a 90 day supply is almost exactly $90 - and that way I don't have to worry about them getting funky from stuff in the water and infecting my eyes, either. (A minor risk, I think, but what the hey - your eyes are your eyes.)

I'm in Scottsdale, but I don't dive the lakes around here, so I'm really not much help on that score - I don't dive them because from my limited experience the visibility was never very good, and there isn't much to see, anyway. But they are accessible, and there are people who dive them regularly, including some who schedule cleanup dives to haul the trash that other people throw into the water (a worthwhile cause, and a reason to go diving and meet other divers). If you look down the page on the forums you'll see a place for "Regional Travel & Dive Clubs" and then subfolders for "North America" and so on until you get to the Arizona Dive Club forum. There are a lot of posts there from people who have been diving in the lakes around Phoenix, including Lake Saguaro and Lake Pleasant.
 
Teen Scuba,

You should be fine. I always wear my contacts and have never had a problem. Whenever I need to clear my mask I just keep my eyes closed. During training, when I had to have my eyes open, I was just careful not to move my eyes a lot. Lenses stayed in.
 
teen_scuba1988:
Hey, my name is mike. Im planning on getting my open water at my Lds, saguaro sports, but I was wondering...what if I have contacts and get a flooded mask and need to purge?
Mike

Welcome. Close your eyes and purge it.

Joe
 

Back
Top Bottom