Contacts/ diving

[joeyfishes 0]

Hi all contact while diving wearers.A couple od questions

 

1-Ever loose them underwater?

 

2-When clearing your mask do you keep your eyes closed?

 

3-Do you keep them on between dives? (as in a multi dive day)

 

4-Anything else I should know about wearing bifocal contacts UW

 

 

 

Thanks

 

 

Joe

 

 

PS I have mine but have yet to wear them in the water?

[MikeO 5]

Hi all contact while diving wearers.A couple od questions

 

1-Ever loose them underwater?

 

2-When clearing your mask do you keep your eyes closed?

 

3-Do you keep them on between dives? (as in a multi dive day)

 

4-Anything else I should know about wearing bifocal contacts UW

Thanks

Joe

PS I have mine but have yet to wear them in the water?

 

1. Not yet, and (knock on wood) I've been wearing them and diving for 15years.

 

2. I don't flood my mask completely. I let a little water in, swish it around, then purge it. Sometimes when my mask is fogging, I'l even leave a little water in the bottom to "roll around" to keep the mask clearer. But yes, if I am flooding my mask, I generally keep my eyes shut. It can sting sometimes when the water does get in your eyes.

 

3. Yes, but I do take them out each night and sterilize them.

 

4. Not sure about bifocals, but I'd just say I think it is prudent to not sleep in them during a dive trip and like I said, I sterilize them each evening and wear my glasses. Not worth getting an eye infection. And finally, TAKE ALONG EXTRAS! The reason I'm confident I won't lose one is because I pack six or eight pair just in case. Of course, mine are cheapo regular non-bifocal ones . . .

 

Mike

 

PS Test it out in the pool before you go. That way if you screw up clearing your mask you can go right to the surface and maybe recover the lens if it is still in the mask.

Edited August 24, 2007 by MikeO

[joeyfishes 0]

1. Not yet, and (knock on wood) I've been wearing them and diving for 15years.

 

2. I don't flood my mask completely. I let a little water in, swish it around, then purge it. Sometimes when my mask is fogging, I'l even leave a little water in the bottom to "roll around" to keep the mask clearer. But yes, if I am flooding my mask, I generally keep my eyes shut. It can sting sometimes when the water does get in your eyes.

 

3. Yes, but I do take them out each night and sterilize them.

 

4. Not sure about bifocals, but I'd just say I think it is prudent to not sleep in them during a dive trip and like I said, I sterilize them each evening and wear my glasses. Not worth getting an eye infection. And finally, TAKE ALONG EXTRAS! The reason I'm confident I won't lose one is because I pack six or eight pair just in case. Of course, mine are cheapo regular non-bifocal ones . . .

 

Mike

 

PS Test it out in the pool before you go. That way if you screw up clearing your mask you can go right to the surface and maybe recover the lens if it is still in the mask.

 

 

 

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the quick reply. Regarding the changing of contacts I meant changing between dives. I would definitly sterilize them evry night. So seems like no extra care(than land use) is needed regarding sterilizing them. I could finish the dive if I lost one as I am not that blind.

 

JD

[bmemike 0]

Hi all contact while diving wearers.A couple od questions

 

1-Ever loose them underwater?

 

2-When clearing your mask do you keep your eyes closed?

 

3-Do you keep them on between dives? (as in a multi dive day)

 

4-Anything else I should know about wearing bifocal contacts UW

Thanks

Joe

PS I have mine but have yet to wear them in the water?

1. Never a problem

 

2. Yes if the mask got totallyfull. No for normal clearing - I have facial hair, so my mask always has some water that needs clearing and the contacts aren't a problem.

 

3. I wear contacts basically from when I get up until I go to bed (or at least until I get home and I'm settled for the night). Never considered taking them out between dives.

 

4. Nothing comes to mind - just need to be a bit more aware of getting you mask removed underwater.

[joeyfishes 0]

1. Never a problem

 

2. Yes if the mask got totallyfull. No for normal clearing - I have facial hair, so my mask always has some water that needs clearing and the contacts aren't a problem.

 

3. I wear contacts basically from when I get up until I go to bed (or at least until I get home and I'm settled for the night). Never considered taking them out between dives.

 

4. Nothing comes to mind - just need to be a bit more aware of getting you mask removed underwater.

 

 

Thanks again. So far I am loving the contacts. Other than putting them in. That is still an ordeal

 

 

jd

[james 0]

Same feedback from me.

 

If my eyes get dry I do sometimes take them out between dives if there's a long surface interval.

 

Cheers

James

[joeyfishes 0]

Same feedback from me.

 

If my eyes get dry I do sometimes take them out between dives if there's a long surface interval.

 

Cheers

James

 

 

Thanks. Are you wearing bifocals?

 

jd

[meister 1]

Hi all contact while diving wearers.A couple od questions

 

1-Ever loose them underwater?

 

2-When clearing your mask do you keep your eyes closed?

 

3-Do you keep them on between dives? (as in a multi dive day)

 

4-Anything else I should know about wearing bifocal contacts UW

Thanks

Joe

PS I have mine but have yet to wear them in the water?

 

1) I've never lost or had problems with lenses.

 

2) I use mask juice before each dive and subsequently don't have a reason to clear my mask. On the rare occasions I've flooded my mask and cleared it for practice, it wasn't any more of a pleasant experience wearing contacts than without contacts...

 

3) I wear glasses topside. The only time I wear contacts is when on diving vacations. I use 1-Day Acuvue contacts, use them for one day, then discard at end of the day. No cleaning solutions, fewer potential eye infections, etc...

 

I don't like the true bifocal contacts. I've tried them, but didn't like them for my vision needs. For my aging eyes I find the mono vision contacts acceptable, not perfect, but acceptable and best compromise for me, though results from contact use are obviously quite individualized and very subjective...

[Cerianthus 55]

1 Never lost them underwater (only times i lost any contacts was playing rugby)

 

2-Like an earlier answer, i dont usually flood the whole mask. I would close my eyes if you swap masks, i did on occasion forget to do so, but still didnt loose the contact.

 

3-from around the morning coffee till the evening. Sometimes i wear glasses in the evening (when eyes are dry or if I have itchy eyes)

 

4-no clue,

[SandyS 0]

I wore bifocal contacts underwater on a daily basis for 3 years working as a dive guide. I never had a problem, and I liked the view that I got much better than using a mask with corrective lenses.

 

I had extended wear Acuvue lenses, but wore them as daily wear. I soaked them in a cold disinfectant at night and replaced them about once a month.

 

I never did lose one, but I kept my mask with corrective lenses in my dive bag, just in case.

[joeyfishes 0]

I wore bifocal contacts underwater on a daily basis for 3 years working as a dive guide. I never had a problem, and I liked the view that I got much better than using a mask with corrective lenses.

 

I had extended wear Acuvue lenses, but wore them as daily wear. I soaked them in a cold disinfectant at night and replaced them about once a month.

 

I never did lose one, but I kept my mask with corrective lenses in my dive bag, just in case.

 

 

 

Thanks for all the input. Gonna talk to my doctor about daily disposable bifocals. Not sur if they make em

 

 

jd

[bella 0]

It's been a few years since I was lazered, but before that I wore soft contacts for 10+ years while diving.

 

Hi all contact while diving wearers.A couple od questions

1-Ever loose them underwater?

Yep, I lost one once during my divemaster training. No big deal tho, I had two

I wore daily wear disposables at the time which were cheap and easy to replace.

2-When clearing your mask do you keep your eyes closed?

Yes, I did. I did open them once to see if they'd just float off my eyeballs, and they didn't. Proper fitting soft contacts form a pretty good seal on your eye, which you'll discover one day when you're exhausted and don't even have the energy to break that seal and get them out.

3-Do you keep them on between dives? (as in a multi dive day)

Yes, I always did. I didn't have trouble with irritation or dryness though.

4-Anything else I should know about wearing bifocal contacts UW

I didn't have them.

[SandyS 0]

Hey Joey, one more thought...

 

Perhaps because bifocal contacts were new when I first tried them, but it was not just a slap them in and go sort of an experience. I ended up seeing my eye doc every couple of days while we tried different correction combinations and fitting options. That process went on for a couple of weeks.

 

However, when we hit the right combination, it was the best vision I had ever had diving.

 

Good luck.

 

sandy

[tjgreen 0]

I've worn them since I started diving - so far mostly good. I don't treat them any differently than I do any other time. I wear two-week disposables, rinse and store every night.

 

1. I had one pop out inside my mask once after some heavy blinking. Stuck to the front glass for the rest of the dive like a shriveled little raisin. I keep an extra pair of contacts in my save-a-dive kit on the boat now.

 

2. I rinse/clear like other people, a little water in the bottom, eyes open; if your mask is completely flooding when you're clearing it, you're probably doing something wrong

 

I've also done mask-off drills where I swam long distances with my eyes open; the contacts stayed on. If I'm ever in a real mask-off situation, losing a contact is probably not what I'm worried about.

 

3. I keep them on for the day. I find my contacts actually feel better when I'm diving, don't seem to dry out as much.

 

The only time I ALWAYS wear glasses is the flight there - that dry airplane air is murder on my contacts.

[joeyfishes 0]

Hey Joey, one more thought...

 

Perhaps because bifocal contacts were new when I first tried them, but it was not just a slap them in and go sort of an experience. I ended up seeing my eye doc every couple of days while we tried different correction combinations and fitting options. That process went on for a couple of weeks.

 

However, when we hit the right combination, it was the best vision I had ever had diving.

 

Good luck.

 

sandy

 

 

Thanks Sandy I am in the going to the doctor every few days to get it right phase.

 

I've worn them since I started diving - so far mostly good. I don't treat them any differently than I do any other time. I wear two-week disposables, rinse and store every night.

 

1. I had one pop out inside my mask once after some heavy blinking. Stuck to the front glass for the rest of the dive like a shriveled little raisin. I keep an extra pair of contacts in my save-a-dive kit on the boat now.

 

2. I rinse/clear like other people, a little water in the bottom, eyes open; if your mask is completely flooding when you're clearing it, you're probably doing something wrong

 

I've also done mask-off drills where I swam long distances with my eyes open; the contacts stayed on. If I'm ever in a real mask-off situation, losing a contact is probably not what I'm worried about.

 

3. I keep them on for the day. I find my contacts actually feel better when I'm diving, don't seem to dry out as much.

 

The only time I ALWAYS wear glasses is the flight there - that dry airplane air is murder on my contacts.

 

Thanks. That mask off drill is what I was thinking of. Great that they will stay on. Sometime I take my mask off with eyes open if I am haveing a mask issue of some sort to fix whatever is going on

 

jd

 

PS to all

 

 

anyone ever get an eye infection from diving with contacts?

 

 

 

 

Joe

[cdoyal 0]

anyone ever get an eye infection from diving with contacts?

Joe

 

No infection yet. I wear gas perm hard lenses and occasionally blink wrong and they

will drop to the bottom of my eye until after the dive when I can put it back up

where it belongs. Remember to take a spare pair with you just in case. It's a big

deal to me because my eyes are -17 and -20.

[markdhanlon 0]

I know that this probably isn't what you're looking for, but ever since I got laser'd 4 years ago, it's been one of the best things I ever did. It's greatly improved my quality of life. No worrying about glasses or contacts while doing sports, swimming or just to get up in the middle of the night. And when compared to the cost of our expensive hobby, getting your eyes done is cheap (~$2k), well cheaper than a lot of housing (and there's no need to upgrade!) Just a thought.