For those of us with less than perfect vision, there’s always that problem of what to do when scuba diving. While things appear approximately 33% larger/closer underwater due to refraction, it’s not enough of a correction for those who need more than just a slight eyesight correction usually solved with prescription glasses. Luckily, there are options… one of which is contact lenses.
Disposable soft contact lenses work brilliantly underwater! They one of the more easily available and cost friendly options for correcting vision underwater. A very popular choice among the diving community, contact lenses are great for use in regular scuba masks. Divers often question if contact lenses could just pop out of your eye when diving especially if your mask floods, and although there is always that risk should you take off or clean your mask underwater, many still swear by contact lenses and have completed numerous dives without ever losing one (myself included). Contact lenses don’t pop out that easily and you can comfortably clear your mask without any worries (just be sure to clean your lenses carefully after for salt deposits). So don’t let that stop you, give it a try and you’ll see just how comfortable wearing contacts when diving can be. It makes your dives better with just the little things like simply being able to read your depth and pressure gauges better and noticing coral reefs in macro detail.
If you wear hard contact lenses rather than the soft disposable type, you should first check with your optometrist whether you can dive wearing them, as they may not be suitable against the pressure as you dive. Also as they are more expensive, so instead taking the risk of losing one when you dive, you may want to switch to soft lenses for your dives.
For those of you still iffy about wearing contact lenses (because you do have to touch your eye or whatever the reason) you can always go for prescription lens fitted scuba masks. If you find it hard to find prescription masks to suit your needs, you can get any corrective lens compatible masks which are more commonly offered by mask manufacturers, buy the lens separately according to your needs and have it fitted into the mask at the dive store itself (Scuba.com has a wide variety of corrective lens compatible masks– click here to see them). Many manufacturers also offer special masks for those that require bifocals or correction for astigmatism. While a more expensive option if you’re a regular diver, prescription masks, if maintained properly will last a long time and be well worth the investment!
