Close vision

[eddie the pink]

Yes that really is the question, not sure if I could manage to stick something in my eye.
D.B your think pink scuba caught my eye, as I thought I would have been the only guy on here mad enough to link to the colour pink, my excuse is down to a pink tank that i used during traing, whats your story ?

[D_B]

I've not had a problem, you can close your eyes slightly, and I've read here that some have had them stay in with no mask and looking around, although some have lost them too .. carry spares .. disposable ones are good

[D_B]

My Friend Kimber (TekDiveGirl) had a website that sold pink scuba gear to help in her recovery from an accident ... "Pink, it's the new Black"

Oh, and I have a pink band on my BC as a way to take her along on my dives

[don Francisco]

Eddie, you weren't clear if the close up vision problem was for reading your gauges of for looking at small creatures. While magnifying glasses can help enlarge small stuff, they don't help much as a focus correction, and you wouldn't want to need one for reading gauges.

I'm normally nearsighted and use stock prescription lenses to correct my vision most of the way. I use a correction less than I would for driving, since underwater I'm more interested in perfect focus form 3 to 30 feet rather than out to infinity. I can get by withour bi-focals and read my gauges fine. I use a cheap (17 pesos in Cozumel) magnigying glass for looking at nudibranchs and such, getting about a 2 or 3:1 magnification.

My wife, who has severe astigmatism, could't enjoy diving without a bi-foacl prescription mask, which gives her decent vision and the ability to read her gauges. She also uses a magnigying glass for small stuff.

Don't cheat yourself out of quality diving by not improving your vision if you need to. Whether you opt for a prescription bi-focal mask, throwaway contacts, or other solution, improving your vision so you don't miss anything is money well spent. In the context of the total cost of diving it isn't big bucks anyway.

[D_B]

/\ another good point

[TN Traveler]

If you are mostly having a problem with reading gauges/camera you can get a "gauge reader" mask from either XS Scuba or SeaVision. Both have sections at the bottom of the lenses that give you a 1.75 or 2.0 diopter magnification, respectively. They really do allow you to see gauges and camera setting while not interfering with far vision.

[boat sju]

Eddie,

I know the DiveOptx get hit or miss reviews but if all you need is reading glasses for your gauges - they're only $25. Mine have been in my mask for 3 years now and I think I'd need a chisel to remove them. My mask was old and clean when I installed the Optx - that might be the secret.

[Doc Intrepid]

Eddie,

Many other divers have struggled with the same issues.

Here is my analysis - take it for what its worth (and remember what it cost you!):

First, the day MAY come when its a life or death issue. Entanglement, delay, resolution, potential deco, need to read the damned numbers on your computer, high anxiety, etc. Plus, I found that I could not see cave line against the dull grey background of silt or light sand. I had trouble seeing silver bolt clips that dropped against light gravel bottoms etc. In certain types of diving, being able to see fine details conceivably MIGHT be the difference between surviving a dive and not.

Obviously it depends on your eyesight and the type of diving you're doing, but should the day ever come that you desperately need to see something, trying to dig out your pocket magnifying glass and dick around trying to resolve your issues is simply not going to be the optimal solution.

Contacts: People actually lose their masks sometimes - either kicked off at some gridlock point on the line, or in a confined space, etc. I know divers who have had contacts wash off their eye when their mask was kicked off. I also know divers who lost a contact just practicing mask removal and replacement. As far as I'm concerned, contacts are not a solution for environments where - once you replace your mask - you can no longer distinguish fine details. It's a perfect example of setting up one mishap that leads to another issue, which leads to another, etc. - the chain of smaller issues that ultimately compounds to disaster. Avoid half-ass solutions.

Stick-ons: They can come off. Ask anyone who uses them. Lose your mask at a bad moment, put it back on, sure as hell, one of your cheater lenses is missing. Not an optimal solution.

Prescription masks: The way to go. Yes, they are more expensive. Diving itself is expensive. How much is your life worth? Besides, as Lynn said, some days just suck - and you may lose a prescription mask. But if you stick at it, you'll have your old prescription mask as your back-up mask, and it will at least get you out of that dive until you can get yet another.

If your eyesight is bad enough that you can't read computers, can't distinguish cave line against the silt, can't see a boltsnap in the weeds, algae, or gravel on the bottom etc., it isn't just your life that you are potentially endangering. In a dive team, each person on the team depends on the others.

Go with the prescription mask. Ultimately, you'll be pleased with the result, and if the day ever comes that you really need to distinguish fine details, you won't be screwing around with your pocket magnifying glass while around you the situation is growing worse by the minute!

JMHO.

YMMV.

Regards,

Doc

[eddie the pink]

Thank you Doc for your itemised list of possibilities, my sight is letting me down in the instrument area at the moment, I can read my gauges/computer just, but it takes me for ever to focus on them with things becoming a bit blured, and I suppose if I am honest I am reading my gauges by colour rather than number, it seems from your and other comments that the best option has to be a full prescription mask, not sure if + lenses are available for mares x vision liquid, do hope so as I have just purchase a new one lol

[Doc Intrepid]

Consult your optometrist...lenses can be made for darned near anything (for a price).

I went with this one. Been about four years now, its worked perfectly:
http://www.seavisionusa.com/index.shtml

(Yes, my prescription has changed once, but the mask still works adequately. When I replace it, it will become my new 'back-up' mask...and I'll get another seavision mask. They're awesome.)

Also try searching on "prescription masks". There are a number of threads in the archives that may be of interest to you.

Regards,

Doc