Presecription mask lenses ?

[Mark Carrig]

New to the sport, working on my OW cert.

Need to buy my gear, and being nearsighted, a standard mask just isn't going to work. I'll be missing out on the detail of the world below, as well as a potential dangerous situation where low visibility and poor eyesight could be an issue.

I know most will advocate against buying an "Instructors Package", mask, snorkel, booties, fins, and wetsuit, but if I go that route, it would seem that the mask would be a waste if I couldn't replace the lenses with prescriptions.

So what do the rest of you blind folks do in this situation ?

 

[Lorenzoid]

Never mind the allure of a package deal--just buy a prescription dive mask. Considering the amount of money you will spend in this hobby over the lifespan of a mask, snorkel, fins, booties, and wetsuit, the cost savings isn't huge, and besides, you can probably find package deals elsewhere. This prescription dive mask outfit is a popular one: Welcome to Prescription Dive Masks 1-800-538-2878.

I tried a prescription mask and didn't like it. So I dive with contact lenses.

 

[Mod63]

Get a mask were the lenses can be removed, go to optician specialising in diving mask, have custom made lenses glued into mask, enjoy 20/20 vision while diving
works for me for the last 20 years

 

[Mark Carrig]

Been wearing glasses since I was 12, an 60 now. I've tried contact lenses off and on over the years and just didn't get on with them.
Ironically the only time I liked them was when I was racing offroad motorcycles, hence giving the prescription mask the try.

 

[DreadnoughtNH]

Never mind the allure of a package deal--just buy a prescription dive mask. Considering the amount of money you will spend in this hobby over the lifespan of a mask, snorkel, fins, booties, and wetsuit, the cost savings isn't huge, and besides, you can probably find package deals elsewhere. This prescription dive mask outfit is a popular one: Welcome to Prescription Dive Masks 1-800-538-2878..

As a fellow myopic diver, I second Prescription Dive Masks. Great service, Linda is a hoot to talk to, and the product/process they use is fantastic. Worth every penny IF you already have a mask you enjoy/prefer diving with. IOW, find the mask you absolutely love before you commit to have the lenses installed; I personally don't think it's worth the cost to install corrective lenses in a mask you're 'meh' about. Follow PDM's instructions for marking the pupil location on your mask to the letter.

They took my Atomic Aquatics Venom mask and made lenses for it. Absolutely perfect, and changed the way I dive; those blurry objects were FISH!

If you are looking for a mask with corrective lenses already installed, I would also recommend Seavision (www.seavisionusa.com). Cost of entry is slightly lower, and turnaround time is quick, but the mask itself isn't the 'best' quality. OTOH, they have a great warranty is it gets damaged (my frame cracked after a year, and they replaced it for no charge other than shipping which I think is very fair). My Seavision mask is my secondary or backup on most dive excursions.

 

[ibj40]

Plus 1 on Seavision!

My wife and I both dive their masks with our prescriptions ground in.

 

[maj2]

The option that worked well for me were pre-made drop in lenses that were available for my mask. They did not have the astigmatism correction that my glasses had, but that was a minor part of my prescription, and the lenses worked great.

I kept my factory lenses, and when I eventually had LASIK about 10 years later, I just swapped the lenses back for the originals. Still have that mask, almost 20 years later!

I was never a fan of wearing contacts, and I was never really a fan of the prescription lenses. Having to find a spot to keep my glasses on the dive boat, and essentially being blind without my glasses or my mask on was a nuisance. In all though, I was happy with the prescription lenses. I just looked odd walking around on land or in the dive boat with my mask on so that I could see till I got to wherever I had safely stashed my glasses.

 

[dewdropsonrosa]

Thirding PDM. Get a mask that fits you well, and then have custom lenses for your prescription bonded to the glass. They can remove and replace the bonded lenses if/when your Rx changes.

My mask is a TUSA Visio Pro (comfiest skirt on the market, IMO). The lenses have a huge field of vision, are perfectly clear, and they do not fog:

 

[Suppresst]

I looked carefully into this for my wife and she ended up getting contacts to wear under her mask and it's worked fine so far.

 

[purbeast]

I currently have a SeaVision prescription mask.

I was wondering if anyone has compared something like that to a one glass piece frameless mask that has the 2 lenses just bonded to the 1 large glass piece that makes up the frameless.

I am curious if it works fine with the extra FOV that a frameless mask appears to give you.