Diving with contacts

Anyone dive with contacts?

If so, what, if any kind of problems do you experience?

My best friends wife is wanting to take dive lessons, but is concerned about wearing contacts. She could dive without them as her close vision is okay to read gauges, etc. but won't be able to see very far.

Comments?

Don't know what happens if you dive wearing contacts, but there are alternatives for contact wearers.

If she has little or no astigmatism, a Rx dive mask with drop in correction can be an inexpensive alternative to risking losing a contact lens. Back when I was looking at these, I think it was about 70 bucks or so on top of the cost of the mask. I guess these days most people have the disposable kind of contacts, so maybe it's not such a big deal to lose one. Several years ago, when I wore contacts, I lost a set of the hard ones in a pool, and that was expensive to replace and involved the trips back and forth to the eye doctor, too. Not fun.

A custom Rx mask if correction for astigmatism or the need for bifocal correction exists is another alternative, but that's more money, around 150 - 180 on top of the mask. They bond the Rx inserts to the inside of the lens of the mask. I understand the SeaVision mask does the whole lens instead of the bonding, which would eliminate the gap around the Rx lens. I haven't seen one of those, but I wish I'd know it before I got my Rx mask.

Been diving with soft contacts for years with no problems. Only lost one lens so far

I would not dive with HGP lenses although I have worn them many times topside. If anything gets in your eye with HGP, they have to come out NOW. Not a good thing underwater. I have never had a problem with soft lenses however, including infections. Mask changes/loss can be problematic, but if push comes to shove, I lose the lenses, then replace them once on the surface.

MD

I've been wearing contacts for 28 yrs, and swimming in them just as long - and I have really horrible eyesight. I was very concerned about diving, especially since you have to do mask clearing, etc. to complete your certification. I just had to learn to clear my mask with my eyes closed - and it ended up as no big deal.

Although still a new diver, what I have found so far is that I have really had no problems at all diving with my contacts in. I've had no issues at depth (and I've done down into the 80's so far) no problems with any irritation, no feeling of pressure or any other problems - not in fresh or salt water. I do carry some eye drops in my bag in case things get a bit fuzzy when I get out of the water, and I always travel with a back-up pair of contacts as well - but I do that anyway - diving or not.

The other alternative is to order a mask with diopter lenses or pescription lenses, and if she gets serious, she may want to go that route. My husband does not wear contacts, so he ordered the diopters as they are the less expensive of the two.

Tell her to give it a shot - hopefully she'll end up hooked like I did!!!

CD

I've been diving with contacts for years. I am nearsighted with an astigmatism (well, for 3 more weeks- then LASIK). I have never lost a lens or had any problems with them whatsoever. I have also taught a nuimber of contact lens wearers, and I can't recall anyone ever having a problem. Your friend's wife should inform her instructor about the lenses, as we usually shift some instructions on skills for lens wearers (ie- keep your eyes closed when the mask is flooded/off) to prevent lens loss.

This was my concern when i first started diving ,i was worried that when i drilled doing clearance and mask removal that my contacts would just fall/flush out.But this was not the case i even now practise swimming underwater with no mask and looking at where i am going even if it just fuzzy.This has given me alot of confidence .I wear one day disosable lens and always carry at least a couple of spare pairs in my dive bag.

Regards,

MAL..

The only time wearing contacts has posed me the slightest problem was during a pool exercise for my Rescue Diver cert.

After tossing our gear into the deep end, we had to dive in and gear up. Since I didn't want to take a chance on losing my contacts, I kept my eyes closed until I found the reg (gotta breathe first), then found the mask and cleared it.

P.S. I've lost one contact, and I was on the boat at the time.
I carry spares.

Wearing contacts for 26 years, participating in all kinds of water sports with no real problems. During training I would either do mask clears/removals with eyes shut, couple nights just took them out, there really isn't a lot to see during pool time. (And my eyes are really bad.) One night I forgot they were still in & opened eyes & they actually stayed in. Just made sure I rinsed & soaked really well to get any residual chlorine out.

I did come down with conjunctivitis last fall after a weekend spent in the local quarry, so that is one thing to be aware of. It was a particularly silt filled weekend, with a leaking mask.

Always pack several spare pairs, I carry my prescription - just in case & throw rewetting drops into the bag.

Chickdiver - let me know how the LASIK goes. I had an eval in Jan - at this point I am a borderline candidate - high script, thick corneas, large pupils. The lasers are ever improving & I'm hoping to get it done within the next 2 yrs.

PS - I tried masks w/ Rx, did not like it. Probably for the same reasons I don't like wearing glasses - vision is much improved with the contacts.

Jersey,

I'll let you know hoew the Lasik goes. Ont he large pupil issue- mine are as well (approx 8 mm), but my surgeon (who also has had Lasik and has large pupils) that the halo effect wont be any worse than it is now, as contacts and glasses don't cover the entire pupil with the corrected area anyway. This was a particular issue for me, since I also have an astigmatism.

I never lost a contact underwater. I'm an instructor so I have to flood and take off my mask alot in chlorinated pools, freshwater and salt water. Trick is to squint and the lens won't come out

One kinda unique problem I've had is that the view finder on my video camera is built for right eye use. With my contacts one lens is for close vision and the other for far vision. I gotta make sure to get the close contact into my right eye whenever I'm videoing. The other way around, I can't see squat in the viewfinder.

I have dove with lens inserts in the mask and they are a pain. Other divers I know who have prescription masks and bad vision....have a problem when they take their glasses off...they need to wear their mask until they get to where glasses are stored