Prescription Mask Experience

[Mike126]

I have come to the realization that it is time to get some sort of vision correction for my mask. I have tried wearing contacts in the past but my eyes get too dry and they just don't work out. I'm looking at bonded prescription lenses because I have an astigmatism in both eyes. The concern I have is with the bonded lenses do you get a Coke bottle/tunneling effect where you can really only have your eyes pointed forward? Or is it more like glasses? My nromal prescription is not that strong...

I am also looking at getting half lenses (upper half for distance). While I sometime wear readers/bifocals, my presbyopia is not that bad where I can't see my watch without glasses on.

If you have the bonded prescrition mask can you share your experience with your actual vision?

Thanks!

 

[Phil_C]

I wear bonded lenses in a dive mask which I had made by an optician. I have about -1/-1.5 across the mask, so again not a big prescription. It is just like wearing glasses, and with the advantage I was able to get them to 'grind' the bottom portion of the bonded lens off so that when I look down I am looking through just the glass of the mask for reading gauges. (so they act like bi-focals).

Works fine for me, they are brilliant. My optician put the lenses into an Atomic Sub-Frame mask, but he offered a number of options. Guess there isn't much point me passing the company details on as they are UK based, but if you draw a blank elsewhere let me know and you can contact him, he makes them up from your own optician prescription, so it can all be done over the internet, and he was very responsive to phone calls when I wanted to talk through the bi-focal option.

I'm sure you must be able to find a similar service in the US. Best wishes - Phil.

 

[tc]

I normally wear progressive bifocals, I had a mask done with my prescription and wish I had done it years ago. Works out just like my glasses and much better near vision with the bifocal in the mask lens.

 

[Romera]

I also have bonded prescription lenses put into an Atomic Sub-Frame Mask. To me they are like wearing glasses. If I have my eyeballs at the far right or left of my vision, I might notice some distortion in my vision - but it is nothing that I normally notice when wearing the mask.

I have had two masks done at Welcome to Prescription Dive Masks 1-800-538-2878.. Other than being a customer - I have no connection with them. Both of my experiences have been great.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I tried bonded lenses from (from Prescription Dive Masks in San Diego) after having worn contacts with a regular dive mask for a long time. As you surmise, it was like looking through a COKE BOTTLE compared with the freedom and unobtrusiveness afforded by contacts. Those lenses were really thick (my contacts are -7.5). If you enjoy contacts, you might be disappointed by a prescription mask. Maybe ask your doctor about trying different contacts that do not tend to dry out, etc.? My contacts sometimes dry out, but it tends to happen only when I am dehydrated; drinking a lot of water seems to prevent it.

 

[CamC]

Guess there isn't much point me passing the company details on as they are UK based

Actually, that would be a big help. I'm getting an updated prescription in the next couple of weeks and will be in the market for a mask - or two.

 

[Reelman1]

I wear progressives too... I have two masks w/ lenses from Prescription dive masks, I couldn't be happier!

 

[Mike126]

Thanks for the feedback. I have an eye doctor appointment next week and will look at ordering prescription lenses later this month. My LDS uses Scuba Optics in IL. I purchased a new mask last weekend - Aqualung Impression. So before I send it off I need to do a couple of pool dives to make sure it fits my face with no leaks etc.

 

[NAM001]

There is a place in ILL that is very cheap comparitivly. I got the name from the aries site in hte data mask area.

 

[raftingtigger]

I just updated my mask from Prescripion Dive Masks. Picked out the mask I wanted, marked my bifocal height and sent it in. Originally I was going to get a bifocal mask - after several somewhat successful attempts to put reader lenses on my older single vision mask. What I ended up doing was "See unders" They are single vision prices with the prescription lenses above and no prescription underneath. Perfect for me. I have a fairly high prescription and astigmatism (-3 and -3) and find them just like wearing glasses.

If you can see your gauges well without a prescription (while in the water) then See Unders should work. If not then you may need real bifocals.