Prescription mask advice

[CassieNYC]

I wear contacts to see at distance and a Sea Vision mask with +2.0 magnification in the inside corners (like bifocals) for gauge reading

 

[dmaziuk]

You have 3 choices:
- buy a random set of stick on cheaters from your LDS
- buy a random set of +- diopter lens from your LDS
- buy a mask that fits your head and send it to a service that will install lens matched to your prescription
...
I have done both option #1 & #2 with poor results. My divebuddy has had excellent results with option #3 via http://prescriptiondivemasks.com/

Option 4 is you buy a mask with prescription lenses and it happens to fit. After the 1st OW pool dive my better half ordered about the cheapest prescription mask we found online (Deep Blue Gear), it arrived in time for the 2nd pool day, and she's been using it ever since.

 

[birdman27]

I wear contacts to see at distance and a Sea Vision mask with +2.0 magnification in the inside corners (like bifocals) for gauge reading

This. Your son might be a touch young to consider contact lenses (though I started in 7th grade), but if he is at all interested it would be worth talking to the eye doctor about. Until I just got my LASIK, I used contacts for all my dives. Beside having to be careful opening my eyes with my mask off, it worked great. If he is at all involved in any other sports moving forward contacts will be invaluable.

 

[dorsal]

I wear contacts diving too, and used to teach lifegaurding wearing them. But think the average 10 year old might not remember to squint it the mask gets wet and not loose them. Hopefully at 10 he has an easy prescription to fill.

 

[Rred]

A lot depends on what your son's rx is and whether it is changing slowly or quickly.
I had a local optician, who specialized in custom mask lenses, make up my rx and bond them into my existing mask, years ago. He needed the interpupilary distance (your ophthalmologist can tell you this but it should also be written on your son's rx) to make sure the lenses are centered properly. An off-the-rack mask doesn't accommodate for this at all. And he compensated for the fact that the lenses would be "out there" against the glass, not fitted up on the bridge of my nose. So, there's some skill involved that "off-the-rack" won't get you. If you do this, I'd strongly suggest getting a set of blank lenses for the mask, to make SURE you can replace them when his rx changes.

I love the mask but over the years that rx became useless, and no one could UNBOND the prescription lenses, and replacements were no longer available for the glass in the mask. Except...those wonderful prescription mask folks in Cali! They had no problem actually cutting and tempering two new lenses for the mask, and I now dive either with contacts or with fuzzy distance vision. GREAT FOLKS and timely service, another voice from the choir!

Now, if your son's vision can be expected to change every year or two and you don't want to keep replacing the mask as he grows...by all means try off-the-rack and whatever comes close to his rx. The vision won't be perfect, but for diving, you can get away with that. Like reading glasses from the grocery store...it still beats all heck out of nothing, and can really impact the cost.

 

[Tom Winters]

Get him some monovision contacts. When he's older, then he can get LASIK. It worked great for me.

 

[tep]

Another vote for prescriptiondivemasks.com

My wife had a terrible time finding a mask that fit. Once she finally did, we gave them the mask and her prescription, and they did the rest.

For my son, I seem to recall that he went into their shop (we live in San Diego) and picked a mask from their selection, they put in lenses, done.

For myself, I had already found a mask that I liked but I discovered that my arms are no longer long enough to be able to read gauges. They put readers in my existing mask (which was only 3-4 months old). I'm about to move to a full prescription mask instead of just the gauge readers, and I know where I'll go.

 

[Kharon]

These are the guys I used. Prescription Dive Masks You send them the mask you want the lenses in (so you know it won't leak and fits perfectly) along with your prescription and the distance between pupils (optometrist can give you the last). They install the lenses and send it back. I had very quick turnaround.

I have a very specific mask that I refuse to change from. It fits perfectly and is deep enough for my large nose. THey did a fantastic job using my exact prescription - both eyes a bit different with astigmatism. I can now see perfectly underwater. I even got a reading section in the left eye for my computer and guages. Well worth the price.

 

[frndrfoe]

I also used Prescription Dive Masks and been very happy

"Leonard Maggiore invented the prescription dive mask in 1959"

 

[Rred]

Contacts can be a bad idea for kids, depending on how old they are and how meticulous they can be. There's no problem IF the child (or anyone using them) uses them with proper care. But if they get casual, don't clean them properly, how problems sticking their fingers in their eyes (some folks do) then contacts aren't the right way to go. That needs to be discussed with the child and the ophthalmologist. And these days, for diving, they will probably advise the single-use daily lenses (use once and throw out) because of the perceived dangers of contamination by the seawater.

LASIK is also a different animal. Basically it can only be done once, and no reputable doctor will do it until the eye has finished growing and the rx has been stable. Otherwise it is a waste, and the risk of complications more significant than many consumers are told. It is easily screwed up, resulting in permanent dry eye problems and increased glare and loss of contrast, for a permanent damage to the quality of vision. Works well for many people--mature people with mature eyes. But not without risk, and not for kids.

Prescription lenses still have a place.