Wearing Glasses Under Water.

[Neutral Buoyancy]

I didn't know weather to put this under 'diving education' or 'gear central' so here it is.

I was talking to a friend of mine, not a diver, who wears glasses. The question came up, "Do they make masks to wear over glasses? Or does a person buy a perscription mask?"

[sparky]

I dont know about a mask to go over glasses but you can buy lenses with your eye glass perscription in them not sure what they cost but i could put you in touch with a couple guys that would know

if they dont respond here as they are both members.


as to your question of glasses under your mask not to be a smart @##
but think that a little more through

as you decend and your mask gets bushed to your face like it does befor you relive it what do you think would hapen to the frames of your glasses?

I my self ware contacts while I dive and find that I have no problems with this

but hey what the heck do I know
just my .02 of hot air



G O O D D A Y " Paul Harvy"
Sparky

[Sounder]

I've never seen or heard of anyone wearing glasses... getting a good seal might be an issue, if you lose your mask, and have to put it back on underwater it could be an issue (getting glasses straighten again), what if you dropped your glasses when your mask got kicked or something?

They do make Rx lenses that are on the mask and are designed for scuba. I'm sure someone here either uses them or knows someone who does.

[Nwbrewer]

I've seen fireman's full face masks where they had a pair of prescriptions glasses (without the earpieces) clipped inside them. I wonder if anyone make a SCUBA FFM with a similar clip device?

Jake

[Joshua Smith]

Contact lenses work great- I use the disposable kind, and keep extra pairs with me.

[rcontrera]

Yes, there is a device that suction cups to the inside of the mask and holds the glasses (less the arms) to the inside of the mask. However, remember that the glass is a ways off from your eyes and it will be holding your glasses at a bit of a distance. Just try holding your glasses out at the end of your nose and see what a difference it makes in your vision.

The first option is soft contact lenses. If you don't wear them now, it might just be an adventure. I have a severe astigmatism as well as terrible near sided-ness so the thick, weighted contacts were like putting marbles under my eyelids. It has been a couple of years so they may have improved since then, but that was a couple of hundred bucks shot down the tube for me!


Next, if you do not have astigmatism or your vision is just slightly near sided, there are diopter corrected lenses available for many masks. Almost every manufacturer makes one mask with that option. These are NOT prescription lenses by any means; only magnifiers. If you can get by with the supermarket reading glasses, then you can get by with these masks. Typically, it is $45-60 for the mask and somewhere around $30-60 per eye.

My favorite (and I am bias because I have sold this system for years) is a set of bonded lenses inside your favorite mask. A licensed optician takes your prescription and grinds lenses to match. Those lenses are then bonded with a polymer that is optically clear. Or, if you have a twin lens mask, they can grind your prescription into the glass and then you just pop it into the mask. this runs anywhere from about $115 to $149 depending on if you need bifocals or not.

Whichever way you go, seeing the tiny critters will make a TON of difference on your dives.

[Zen Diver v1]

I have a mask made by Seavisiion, and I can't say enough good things about it. They take your prescription and custom grind the lens, but it's not bonded onto another lens, it's the mask lens. You have a custom mask with no bonding, therefore the lens sits in a more natural spot. They also build in the water correction factor, so underwater your vision (or mine at least) is fantastic.

I had bonded lens type masks for a few years and then tried the Seavision company; now I'll never use another company again. Rx masks is what they specialize in, and they do it right.

-Valerie

[John Rawlings]

I have a mask made by Seavisiion, and I can't say enough good things about it. They take your prescription and custom grind the lens, but it's not bonded onto another lens, it's the mask lens. You have a custom mask with no bonding, therefore the lens sits in a more natural spot. They also build in the water correction factor, so underwater your vision (or mine at least) is fantastic.

I had bonded lens type masks for a few years and then tried the Seavision company; now I'll never use another company again. Rx masks is what they specialize in, and they do it right.

-Valerie

I agree with Valerie wholeheartedly! Seavision is a quality company that does excellent work. I have, and use, several of their masks, including two with prescription lenses. I wouldn't even CONSIDER trying to put glasses inside a mask.

- John

[Neutral Buoyancy]

Great. Thanks for all the replies. I don't, as of yet, have a personal need to wear glasses so contacts never even occurred to me. This topic just came up in a conversation with a non-diving friend. Maybe some day I'll get him to try it out though.

[John Rawlings]

Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of it, but there is an eyeglass and optical center in Woodinville that will fit out an existing mask with prescription lenses. I have a mask that they outfitted for me with bi-focles and I use it more than the others, never have had a single problem with it. As I recall, the cost was about the same as a new pair of glasses.

They are located directly across the street from the Bubbles Below Dive Center, which works directly with them.

So.....that would be yet another option for your friend.

- John