Couldn't dive without my bifocals.....In scuba dollars they are fairly inexpensive.
Prescription mask worth getting or not ?
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AdivingBel
Diver
I use a prescription mask. Cressi Focus $25 & $20 for each lens. Works great. On trips I take a backup. If I had to use a non prescription mask, it wouldn't be the end of the world, but I guess that would depend on your prescription. As far as bang for the buck, good cheap piece of kit. YMMV.
afdgf
Contributor
When I started diving in 1967 I did not have a prescription mask. It was much more of a big deal back then to get one. I finally got one and my first dive using it was to Catalina. It was amazing. I still remember that dive. Nowadays, it is much easier to deal with. Most of the manufacturers have masks where you can just order your prescription and the LDS just drops the lenses in. My problem is that one of my eyes needs a -10 diopter. The only one I was able to find that goes that extreme is the Aqualung mask. It ordered it, got the lenses and it has worked fine. If you take a less severe correction, then you would have more choices. Now I am scheduled for cataract surgery so hopefully I will not need glasses anymore for distance and can choose any mask that fits. We will see (no pun intended). Absolutely, you should get some version of prescription for your diving.
Snorkeled for several years and finally got a prescription mask. Amazed at how much more I could see.
As soon as I started scuba I got scuba mask with bifocals. (yellow). Couple years ago did a first dive with 10-15 ft of viz on an inshore wreck. During the surface interval we picked up a new instabuddy. I noticed as we went down the viz had decreased to about 6 ft. Ran a line and showed new buddy some stuff. As I got back on the boat the crew were laughing at me. I had grabbed somebody else's yellow nonprescription mask and used it for the dive. :-( They do make a difference.
As soon as I started scuba I got scuba mask with bifocals. (yellow). Couple years ago did a first dive with 10-15 ft of viz on an inshore wreck. During the surface interval we picked up a new instabuddy. I noticed as we went down the viz had decreased to about 6 ft. Ran a line and showed new buddy some stuff. As I got back on the boat the crew were laughing at me. I had grabbed somebody else's yellow nonprescription mask and used it for the dive. :-( They do make a difference.
Everything depends on your prescription.
Provided that you have a pretty standard Rx with no prism, you're not astigmatic and you don't need bifocals, you can probably get standard drop in lenses from manufacturers like Mares or Cressi.
If you're non-standard, you will need to get lenses ground to your prescription. There are several manufactures who can do it. Prescription Dive Masks can do almost all lenses, Seavision have limitations especially on the PLUS side. Their max is +2.0 and they don't do complicated prescriptions and you have to use one of their masks. (Tends to look a little like Mr. Magoo). Maggiore in KC can do most anything but god luck getting hold of anyone there. I would recommend buying a mask that you're most comfortable with, get your eye doctor to measure your Rx including Pupillary Distance, (avoids marking your mask with black dots) and send the Rx to PDM. They take about 2-3 weeks and are expensive but the results are worthwhile.
Provided that you have a pretty standard Rx with no prism, you're not astigmatic and you don't need bifocals, you can probably get standard drop in lenses from manufacturers like Mares or Cressi.
If you're non-standard, you will need to get lenses ground to your prescription. There are several manufactures who can do it. Prescription Dive Masks can do almost all lenses, Seavision have limitations especially on the PLUS side. Their max is +2.0 and they don't do complicated prescriptions and you have to use one of their masks. (Tends to look a little like Mr. Magoo). Maggiore in KC can do most anything but god luck getting hold of anyone there. I would recommend buying a mask that you're most comfortable with, get your eye doctor to measure your Rx including Pupillary Distance, (avoids marking your mask with black dots) and send the Rx to PDM. They take about 2-3 weeks and are expensive but the results are worthwhile.
I've always just used the "blanks" from the shop. I'm now up to +6.0 in each lens.
My "normal" glasses are corrected for astigmatism and are progressives, but the blanks work well enough underwater.
My latest acquisition is a Cressi "Big Eyes Evolution". Very happy with it and the optics are very nice.
My "normal" glasses are corrected for astigmatism and are progressives, but the blanks work well enough underwater.
My latest acquisition is a Cressi "Big Eyes Evolution". Very happy with it and the optics are very nice.
Mike126
Contributor
Best $$$$ I spent. I purchased my first prescription mask a few years ago. I wished I had done it when I first started diving. But it all depends on how bad your sight is. I'm about 1.75 near sighted but need reading glasses so I also got bifocals.
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Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I've worn glasses most of my life and don't need a prescription mask to see perfectly clear underwater. Buy a mask that fits you well and try it without prescription lenses. You may find that you don't need them underwater. If you find that you do, there are many places you can send the mask with your prescription and they will put lenses in for you.
Kind of a waste of money if you don't need them.
Kind of a waste of money if you don't need them.
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