Optometrist ordered prescription dive mask vs. LDS/Online lenses

[pfriedel]

I'm considering getting a normal prescription dive mask for travelling (I love my HydroOptix mask but it's the bar-none largest accessory in my dive bag), but I'm wondering whether it's worthwhile to go to a specialist dive optometrist versus just getting the scrip from what the LDS/online sites have on offer.

I mean, hopefully the optometrist would have available a wider variety of lenses to correct for astigmatism and finer than half-diopter granularity, but do they fit for IPD and lens distance and all that jazz too when they do the mask, or do they just custom grind the lens and pop 'em in and figure it's close enough for underwater work?

I know contacts are an option, but I can't find myself getting comfortable with modern disposable lenses - I don't blink enough and they end up sticking to my eyelids when I _do_ blink, so that's right out. I do alright with regular wear soft contacts, but I don't like wearing contacts on a daily basis so I'm caught in the middle there.

 

[Quarrior]

When I was looking at prescription masks I found the optomatrists had a very limited choice and were more expensive as well. Also they didn't specialize in dive gear.

I settled for the black skirted SeaVision. love it

 

[Peter_C]

Maybe this will help?
http://www.scubatoys.com/store/sear...fromSearch&txtsearchParamTxt=prescriptionmask

 

[7millimeter]

I got mine through the LDS. I asked which mask could have the lenses put in, they said any one of them, pick the one that fits the best. I did, I gave them a copy of the prescription, got the mask a few weeks later. I couldn't be happier with it!

 

[Charlie99]

I mean, hopefully the optometrist would have available a wider variety of lenses to correct for astigmatism and finer than half-diopter granularity, but do they fit for IPD and lens distance and all that jazz too when they do the mask, or do they just custom grind the lens and pop 'em in and figure it's close enough for underwater work?

Try www.prescriptiondivemasks.com in San Diego. They do indeed grind for your IPD, and since I was sending in a mask to have lenses put in, they had me mark both the pupil center points and the line where I wanted the distance prescription to stop (I have "see-unders, which are distance prescription on the top, and no correction on the bottom). During a discussion with them about why varifocals /graduated bifocals / no-line bifocals aren't feasible, they mentioned that part of the reason is the larger than normal pupil to lens distance, and said that they do correct the prescriptions for the increased distance.

 

[scubatoys]

What's funny, is I have several optometrists call me to get lenses for their patients. Go figure!?

 

[herman]

Welcome to the board.
Give Linda a call at prescription dive mask (link above). If you need anything more than simple gauge readers they are the way to go.