Eye glasses inside mask

[MartianBeerPig]

I just carry a magnifying glass in my pocket. Mind you, my eyesight is only a problem when I get real close. The only real problem is everyone else in the group wants to borrow it to look at something or other.

A photo of you with the mask on will make a very good avatar - I noticed that you haven't got one yet.

 

[High Plains Diver]

I tried out my glasses yesterday, and was surprised how well it worked. There was was some fogging, but I did not treat my eyeglasses with anything. The water was cold, surface around 60 degrees.

 

[Narko]

This isn't my area of expertise but I wouldn't think eye glasses or a magnifying glass would work outside the mask (in the water column). Doesn't refraction rely on AIR? I'm almost certain I tried this 25+ years ago without success.

 

[mpez0]

I happen to have a corrective lens frame left over from my Navy days. It is designed to fit under a gas mask or fire-fighting breathing apparatus, but turns out it also allowed for a good seal under a SCUBA mask.

Unfortunately, the lenses fogged a lot easier than the mask. They also didn't shed water as well, so I'd have fog or drops interfering with vision most of the time. For my eyes, it was easier to just skip the correction underwater. The U/W magnification is probably 2/3 of my correction anyway.

mpez0

 

[Ed Palma]

This isn't my area of expertise but I wouldn't think eye glasses or a magnifying glass would work outside the mask (in the water column). Doesn't refraction rely on AIR? I'm almost certain I tried this 25+ years ago without success.

To a certain degree, yes and no. Refraction depends on the change in the speed of light as it passes through different media. Take the eye for example: the lens of the eye is surrounded by fluid (aqueous humor in front, and vitreous humor behind) however, it is still able to refract light. However, the greatest refractive power comes from the cornea - when light transitions from air to the cornea itself.

That said, I'd like to announce that I am graduating from this thread, as I have finally purchased my mask with corrective lenses today - 71 dollars for a TUSA Liberator Plus with lenses . I would, however, still want to see a photo of a mask with glasses lenses inside - still a viable project for the old Visualator that I have.

 

[Warthaug]

I can't believe there's any way lenses on the OUTSIDE of a mask would work. I'm no optometrist, but I think the refraction would be all wrong with water on both sides of the lens.

Dennis

Maybe they were just magnification lenses like you find in most drugstores, and not true prescription lenses. While the magnification would be changed by the water, they would still magnify.

Bryan

 

[Warthaug]

Doesn't refraction rely on AIR?

No, it relies on different refractive indexes. So long as there is a difference in the refractive indices's of the lens and the material it is submerged in, it will bend light.

What will change is how much the light bends. Which is why prescription glasses probably wouldn't work outside of the mask - they'd bend light, but not as they would in air, and as such would no longer match your prescription. However, if they were just magnifying glasses they would still work, although the magnification would change.

Bryan

 

[weaponeer]

I happen to have a corrective lens frame left over from my Navy days. It is designed to fit under a gas mask or fire-fighting breathing apparatus, but turns out it also allowed for a good seal under a SCUBA mask.

Unfortunately, the lenses fogged a lot easier than the mask. They also didn't shed water as well, so I'd have fog or drops interfering with vision most of the time. For my eyes, it was easier to just skip the correction underwater. The U/W magnification is probably 2/3 of my correction anyway.

mpez0

I'm retired Navy and am doing the same thing. I have 2 pair. I've been using them since I got certified in 2005. I anti-fog them the same way I do my mask, and never a problem. I've even had the prescription updated in one pair, just gave the frame to the optomitrist and said to have current corrective lenses installed. 2 weeks later, good as new. No leaks around the mask seal. These same frames are available to the public. Firefighters use them when wearing their SCBA.

 

[EastEndDiver]

You could try using "Rain X" ,which is available in any auto supply store,for water shedding and anti fogging purposes on the eyeglasses NOT sure how it work on the mask lens.

 

[Ed Palma]

You could try using "Rain X" ,which is available in any auto supply store,for water shedding and anti fogging purposes on the eyeglasses NOT sure how it work on the mask lens.

As interesting as it may sound, I don't think I'd like to try having Rain-X this close to my eyes, especially if my mask floods. I'd like to hear if anyone's tried this though.