Prescription masks

[The Kraken]

Kidspot,
Go with the Sea Visions.
You can send them your prescription and order them on-line. Their delivery time after receipt of order is something like 7 working days.

 

[damsel]

Hmmm. I just recently decided to break down and go with a prescription mask (I teach, and trust me, it's GOT to be cheaper than constantly replacing contacts in the long run ^_^) and I have the choice between going with Seavision or having the lenses popped into any given Mares mask I like. Seems like quite a few people are fans of the Seavision route - any Mares advocates out there?

 

[Lemonade]

Hmmm. I just recently decided to break down and go with a prescription mask (I teach, and trust me, it's GOT to be cheaper than constantly replacing contacts in the long run ^_^) and I have the choice between going with Seavision or having the lenses popped into any given Mares mask I like. Seems like quite a few people are fans of the Seavision route - any Mares advocates out there?

Sounds like if you have a complex prescription, SeaVision is the way to go. If not - Mares Pop-in's will do the trick just as well for 1/3 of the cost.

 

[miesemer]

any Mares advocates out there?

I am in the same situation and need to see my "stuff" while at the surface. I use the X-Vision with Mares lenses. However, I can say that not everybody has a Mares face. So I'd recommend finding a mask that fits first.

 

[califdiver1]

As a guy with both eyes in the -10 range, plus astigmatism, I'm "clearly" in the custom prescription range. My current mask is a Seavision which I am very happy with. Its very comfortable, has a good strap, and the black silicone skirt cuts down on stray light from the sides. The benefit of a having the prescription is -- well I wouldn't dive or snorkel without it.

I just bought a Tusa Splendive for my 11 year old daughter. $50 for the mask plus $38 each for pop in lenses (-2.5 and -3.0). It adds up to about half (not 1/3) the cost of the Seavision. Going with stock corrective lenses does have the advantage that if you ever get your eye's fixed (LASIK) or decide to wear contacts you can put the original flat lenses back into the mask. It's not hard to pop them in and out. Also if you can use stock lenses from a local shop you can be "out the door" and in the water right away, without the delay involved with a custom presription.

 

[DI_Guy]

I have the Mares ESA mask ( has six lenses ) two in front, two at the side and two in the bottom.

I am going to put "reading lenses" in the two bottom locations as I can't always see my gauges clearly ( over 40 eyes) . Its a great mask, a tad expensive and it takes 2 blows to clear a full flood ...

 

[ba_hiker]

I dove with extended wear soft contacts for years without any real problems. This was prior to the disposables and required good cleaning and sterilization after use. I never lost my lenses in mask off situations or even surfing! Still dealing with these for several days on a boat was troublesome. and oveer the years my eyes got worse, and i developed a small bit of astigmitism.

Now i use a perscription mask. I went and bought a new mask that fit and i liked, and sent it to scuba vision (link below) along with my perscriptiion. I talked with the doc, and a week later had my perscription mask. works really well.

http://www.zapcom.net/~scubavsn/zap_page/html/intro.htm

I suspect that any company that makes perscription masks, is run by optiticans or eye doctors, who dive themselves will do a great job.

 

[Marek K]

Tim--

I know exactly what you mean. I've got on the order of -10.5 with moderate astigmatism... used to use soft contacts, but just got off-the-shelf -10.5 lenses that work great underwater. (The astigmatism doesn't appear to be a problem for me underwater... how is it for you?)

I just got back from a two-week vacation at the Red Sea in Egypt (Makadi Bay, south of Hurghada). Did quite a few shore dives, and I know what you mean... the reefs there came right up to the shore, and you just had to be able to see where you're walking... and keeping the mask on was hot, uncomfortable, and the correction wasn't quite right in air. That might be the depth vision problem that you referred to.

What I did was I had gotten a Marsoops leash... a kind of neoprene Croakie-type thing. Cool thing is, you can turn it inside out and it becomes a soft neoprene pouch for your glasses. I'd just wear my glasses until waist depth, put on fins, and "deploy" the Marsoops just before putting my mask on. The glasses with the Marsoops around them just went into a BC pocket; there's a clip that attached to a BC D-ring so I wouldn't lose the amazingly expensive glasses underwater.

And I'd have the glasses right there again when getting out.

I was afraid at first that this wasn't a rigid case; but never had any problem even with inflated BC.

Side benefit to the Marsoops thing is it works like a slightly bulky Croakie to keep my glasses on during boat trips (I'm paranoid about losing my glasses overboard!!!), and it also floats with glasses!

--Marek

I wear -8.5 corrective lenses, while I really need a custom job (for astigmatism) they are wonderful in the water compared to what I used to use (nothing - just big blurs under the water) the problem is that on land I have NO depth perception with them and stumble and trip over the rocks all the way back to my glasses. Of course I could take my mask off, but then I can't see the rocks at all and still trip over them - lol.

Tim

 

[kidspot]

I am actually trying to get my prescription from my dr. this week - so I can have custom lenses made for my mask - I think they run about $69 or so, but that's a whole lot less than glasses - I used to wear my hard contacts in my mask, but got a bit paranoid about losing them (at $100 per lens - ouch) Plus they tend to "pop" out at the most innoportune moments - so I gave up on contacts and went back to my glasses. I came to this decision after a night snorkel trip looking for "dinner" this past monday - got slammed into an urchin while trying to get out - sorta got distracted (my fault - lesson learned) and sorta lost depth perception making it tough to see where to grab - the two combined made a bad exit

Tim

P.S. if I do get them I'll try to remember and post my impression of the difference here.

 

[rdunncpa]

I've got a seavision 2000 bi-focal with rose tint and black skirt. Absolutely wonderful.. I can see Clearly now, Lorraine is gone.