contact lenses

[Winterpeg]

i haven't been diving nor posted for a while, but i'm heading to Hawaii next week. Did a refresher session in the local pool a couple of weeks ago and decided i needed new contacts before my trip, when i had trouble reading my gauge (ah, middle age...). (I don't wear contact all the time, only for sports and especially water sports and diving.) When i went to my optician to order new contacts, i was told that they no longer stocked my regular brand and it would be a special order unless i wanted to switch to the brand they are now stocking. I figured it didn't matter. BIG MISTAKE! :shocked2: The trial pair were so thin and flimsy i had trouble taking them in and out, and they tended to flip inside out easily. I wondered if they would stay in my eyes in the water, so i headed back to the pool for a swim to try them out. Good plan - on the second lap i lost a lens.
I headed back to the optician and ordered the ones i was used to.
Thought i would mention this on this forum because when i first started diving i was worried about wearing contacts and losing them in the water, and i researched the topic on this forum without getting a definitive answer. Now i know why - it depends on the brand and maybe other factors. When i was taking my basic lessons, i had a great deal of trouble with the mask removal skill (to put it mildly) and i needed many sessions and much practice to master it. Since then it is a skill i always practice before heading out on a dive trip. And I have NEVER ever lost a contact lens, no matter how much i swam with my eyes open under water. Until now.
BTW, if it matters, the contacts that i use are B &L PureVision. Can't remember the name of the trial pair.
So, if you are unsure about wearing contacts while diving, my advice before spending $ is to go for a swim at the local pool just to see if they stay in when your eyes are opened under water.

 

[kendallpg]

I wear "dailies" and I also only wear them when I do water sports. Since they are "use once then trash" I don't mind if I accidentally lose one underwater.

 

[Winterpeg]

LOL it's nothing to do with cost for me. I'm practically blind without my glasses/contacts. My concern if i lose one when diving would be safety.

 

[minnesnowta]

I had to switch contact lens brands a couple years ago too, for that same reason you mentioned above...they were phasing out my old brand.

I had trouble with the first brand they had me try too. I think it was Acuvue Oasys. I hated them because I could feel them in my eyes. Then i switched to Air Optix and they are WAY better! So i might recommend trying a couple different brands to find a good fit for you. The modern types of lenses are much thinner these days but they do "breathe" nicer and my eyes feel way better. I have not had problems with losing contacts underwater since having these Air Optix lenses, and yes I have tested it by opening my eyes under water. They stay nicely stuck to my eyeballs.

 

[Wayne at DiveSeekers]

Can't say about shallow depths in a pool, but at depths of 25' and deeper, I have seen people with contacts open their eyes underwater with their mask off and the contacts (not sure what brand) have stayed in! If you only need the contacts for reading gauges, here is another inexpensive option: SeeDive Stick on Reading Lens

 

[k_im]

Funny. I always got away with opening my eyes in fresh water and keeping my lenses, but one quick look in the ocean always cost me at least one lens.
I finally sprang for PRK vision correction. Couldn't be happier.

 

[Winterpeg]

@ Minnesnowta - luv your user name - obviously we come from similar climates

 

[minnesnowta]

Gotta love the tundra!

 

[psiborg1812]

Many framed masks will have lenses that can be replaced with prescription ground lenses. I have heard that people love them because of the simplicity, but dislike the cost. So if you do decide to go with the ground lenses, you might want to consider buying a strap that makes the mask float!

 

[Tigerman]

I use toric Dailies (cibavision) and they work great for me, but.. there is a but.
The bc of the lens makes a LOT of difference. I tried some that had a too tight bc and they where a pain in the ass to wear. It wasnt by much, but enough to make it REALLY uncomfortable.