I'm torn between biting the bullet and purchasing a new mask with prescription lenses and thinking I can see just fine without them. Has anyone had second thoughts after buying prescription lenses because they didn't help as much as expected?
Prescription Lenses
- Thread starter del_mo
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As a point of reference my prescription is around -2/-2.25 and I found that prescription lenses significantly improved my underwater vision. My wife, with a prescription of -4/-4.5, pretty much could only see a few feet clearly without them. They only added C$80 to the cost of each mask so for us it was good decision. If your vision problem is only mild you may not receive much benefit, however. Our LDS allowed us to test out the masks with the option of returning them if we were not satisfied. Perhaps yours will do the same.
Sean
Sean
CAPT HOOK
Contributor
If you wear glasses get the lenses, you WILL be glad you did. It is so beautiful underwater you do not want to miss anything. Not just my opinion - fact!
Ya spend a small fortune getting all that cool gear so you can enjoy the underwater life. Ya might as well be able to see it.
No regrets here.
No regrets here.
I'm only -1/-1 and I have prescription lenses in my Cressi Focus. Not much improvement, but I'm sure my eyes are more relaxed...
Just be sure you are confortable with your mask before you put prescriptions lenses on it.
Just be sure you are confortable with your mask before you put prescriptions lenses on it.
Ever swim into a wreck, turn around, and find the way back out silted out?
Ever get hung up in a monofilament fishnet?
Ever drop something like a steel double-ended drawbolt clip into the silt?
Part of the answer involves "how bad your eyes are".
Another part of the answer involves what you consider the probability to be of getting into a situation where excellent vision might be necessary to extricate yourself from the predicament.
Still another part involves possibily dropping some small expensive item that you need, and not being able to see it against the blur of the items on the bottom.
Then there is the possibility that your buddy might get into some trouble, but you may not be able to see well enough to (pick one - untangle him/her, find him/her, see the way out for both of you, etc.)
So, it depends. How bad are your eyes? What sort of diving do you do?
If you can't see well enough underwater to get yourself out of a situation you can reasonably foresee yourself getting into, perhaps perscription lenses may be a good idea.....
<FWIW, I got a Seavision mask with prescription lenses when I determined that I couldn't see well enough to discern the line from my reel against the bottom of the wreck in silty water without corrective lenses... No regrets.>
Ever get hung up in a monofilament fishnet?
Ever drop something like a steel double-ended drawbolt clip into the silt?
Part of the answer involves "how bad your eyes are".
Another part of the answer involves what you consider the probability to be of getting into a situation where excellent vision might be necessary to extricate yourself from the predicament.
Still another part involves possibily dropping some small expensive item that you need, and not being able to see it against the blur of the items on the bottom.
Then there is the possibility that your buddy might get into some trouble, but you may not be able to see well enough to (pick one - untangle him/her, find him/her, see the way out for both of you, etc.)
So, it depends. How bad are your eyes? What sort of diving do you do?
If you can't see well enough underwater to get yourself out of a situation you can reasonably foresee yourself getting into, perhaps perscription lenses may be a good idea.....
<FWIW, I got a Seavision mask with prescription lenses when I determined that I couldn't see well enough to discern the line from my reel against the bottom of the wreck in silty water without corrective lenses... No regrets.>
Prescription: Left eye-1.75 Right -1.75 -1.0 x170/add+1.75 nearsighted with stigmatism.
I too was debating about getting prescription lenses and wondering if they would make enough of a difference given our normal visibility is in the 10-15 with occasional 30+ days.
So, I thought, why not see the eye doc, and tell him I want contacts, even though I dont. He will give me some trial contacts to wear and I can dive with them and see if I want corrective lenses in my mask.
Well my eye doc was a diver and he said: dont get prescription lenses for your mask, use one day throw away contacts instead. So I did and I have not regretted it since. By the way, I wear bi-focals so I have one eye near for the gauges and one for distance. Here was his logic:
1. Some clown sets his weights down on your prescription lens mask or you lose it in the ocean and you are out $184.00 for new bifocal lenses plus the cost of the mask.
2. You can see on the boat with your mask off.
3. They cost about $0.50 per eye per day.
4. You dont have to disinfect them as you throw them away after the dive
5. The one day disposable is a soft and very comfortable lens.
6. When your prescription changes you dont have to change the lenses in your mask.
7. You can clearly see the boat with your mask off when swimming back.
8. You can buy any mask you like and that fits you well without having to worry if you can get prescription lenses in it.
The down side of prescription lenses:
1. Putting them in, in the morning on the dive boat rocking in rough seas. I have never found this to be a problem and if the seas were too rough, I could just dive without them.
2. Uh, well ..I really dont have a second point.
I too was debating about getting prescription lenses and wondering if they would make enough of a difference given our normal visibility is in the 10-15 with occasional 30+ days.
So, I thought, why not see the eye doc, and tell him I want contacts, even though I dont. He will give me some trial contacts to wear and I can dive with them and see if I want corrective lenses in my mask.
Well my eye doc was a diver and he said: dont get prescription lenses for your mask, use one day throw away contacts instead. So I did and I have not regretted it since. By the way, I wear bi-focals so I have one eye near for the gauges and one for distance. Here was his logic:
1. Some clown sets his weights down on your prescription lens mask or you lose it in the ocean and you are out $184.00 for new bifocal lenses plus the cost of the mask.
2. You can see on the boat with your mask off.
3. They cost about $0.50 per eye per day.
4. You dont have to disinfect them as you throw them away after the dive
5. The one day disposable is a soft and very comfortable lens.
6. When your prescription changes you dont have to change the lenses in your mask.
7. You can clearly see the boat with your mask off when swimming back.
8. You can buy any mask you like and that fits you well without having to worry if you can get prescription lenses in it.
The down side of prescription lenses:
1. Putting them in, in the morning on the dive boat rocking in rough seas. I have never found this to be a problem and if the seas were too rough, I could just dive without them.
2. Uh, well ..I really dont have a second point.
Corigan
Contributor
I have a Sea IV mask from Seavision with perscription lenses in it. I wear glasses and do not like contacts. I have not regretted it one bit since I can actually see without out. My eyes are pretty far off in the -2.75 range and such. These lenses are permanant in the mask so I don't have to worry about trying to put them in on a rolling boat. Contacts are definately a viable means to solving your problem if you are comfortable with them.
Matt
Matt
If you can wear contact lenses, that is definitely the way to go. I cannot wear contact lenses (too daft to get them in and out) so I have prescription lenses in my mask, which is fine, no probs, but the point made earlier about being able to see on the boat with your mask off is valid. It is indeed a great help!
gozumutti
gozumutti
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