Contact lenses...info please!

[Nessie]

Hi,
I did about 600 dives with contact lenses and never lost one. I do the demonstration of mask removal with open eyes.
I think the risk of loosing both contact lenses is lesser than the risk of damaging a prescription mask.
I hate wearing prescription mask, because I am quite blind and at surface I either would have to keep my mask on when talking to students/buddy or would not be able to see their faces so contact lenses are the best option for me (by the way, now I have disposable soft lenses, until 2 years I had hard ones. No problems with both kinds.)

 

[Goeduck]

Irishdiver once bubbled...
Obviously, in either situation carrying a spare mask with prescription lenses would resolve the difficulties associated with losing contacts/mask. Prescription lenses for masks are expensive, but the alternative is to incur serious risks.
ut:

That is a great idea, but...... what are the chances that BOTH contacts come out at the same time? In most cases, only one contact comes out or gets washed out. Then what do you do? Haul out the mask with prescription lenses on both sides? Now you are "over" compensated on the side with the lens still in. In my mind, that would just as bad as losing only one lens.

It would depend a lot on what type of dive you are doing. If it is "just" a recreational dive and not too deep, let the "good" eye compensate for the "bad" eye, let your buddy know of your problem and then it would be up to you as to whether or not you want to call the dive.

Most people have a dominate eye. For some, it is the left and for the others, obviously, it is the right. (anyone here with three eyes?) That alone would help determine whether to call a dive or not. If you lose the contact in the non-dominate eye and conditions aren't too bad, I would say continue the dive after letting your buddy know that you are slightly handicapped for the rest of the dive.

That is why I carry spares. Then, if I do lose one, I can replace it between dives.

 

[PnL]

As if you didn't need any more testimony ....

My wife and I both dive with contacts and have experienced no problems. My wife, when swimming, will open her eyes slightly without losing her contacts - I always thought she would end up losing them but several posters, apparently, do the same thing w/o losing them so I guess I'm wrong .... I'm sure she'd love to hear that!

We both wear disposable lenses and carry extras. If we do lose our mask and contacts, our plan is to abort and surface. Put on the new pair of contacts and get ready for the next dive. As someone already mentioned, have a contingency plan in the even something may occur and let your buddy and DM/instructor know you're (or your friend) wearing contacts.

HTH

 

[Lloyd]

During my traing in the 80's, we had to leave all our equipment at 12'(even mask). Then dive down and put it all on. I never lost a lens. Just squint and it is very unlikely you will lose one.

To reduce the risk of infection(which is small to start with), use disposable lenses.

 

[Wildbill]

My eyesight is not that bad and I took my pool lessons with out my contacts. But when I was underwater with the natual magnification that takes place I found that I could see quite well. I could see my instructor's hand signals and everything. I have been diving with my contacts and have had no problems, but I feel confident enough that if I was ever to lose one or both contacts I could safely either continue my dive or abort and start over with no problems.

Wildbill

 

[Irishdiver]

Hi all, and thanks for the feedback.

It's clear that you can dive with contacts and the chances of losing both underwater are small. As I said, I'm not a contacts wearer but I AM a glasses wearer...I have no problem under the water because of the magnification, same as Wild Bill, but I sometimes have difficulties when I resurface locating the dive boat (it's a 5-metre Zodiac inflatable club boat) if it is some way away and the seas any way high. Similarly, I have to bring my glasses when coxing the boat because otherwise I would be a liability in spotting divers on the surface after the dive. I now plan to get contacts AND dive with them (I did not have the slightest intention of this when I posted this thread, so some good has come of it!)
Thanks again.

ut: