Here in Northern Colorado we have one of the highest rates of certified scuba divers per capita in the country! We know today that when you are in the water, swimmers and scuba divers who wear eyeglasses or contact lenses can greatly improve underwater vision from prescription swim goggles.
These special types of sports eyewear require a prescription that is different from a regular eyeglass prescription because water itself acts as a magnifier. This is why fish in a tank usually appear larger than they really are. Because light travels and bends differently through water than it does through air, your eye care professional will need to change your eyeglasses prescription so your underwater sports eyewear can give you the same clear vision your glasses provide to you in normal conditions.
Also, depending on the style of diving mask or swim goggles you choose, an adjustment to your prescription may be necessary because the corrective lenses may be positioned closer or farther from your eyes than the normal position of your eyeglass lenses.
Scuba diving masks
Here in Fort Collins, Loveland and Greeley we are seeing that you have two options in prescription lenses for scuba diving masks which are: the entire front of the mask is a prescription lens, or corrective lenses are inserted separately between the mask and your eyes. If your dive mask comes with prescription lenses, they may be either custom-made for your vision correction needs, or they can be pre-made in a general prescription for nearsightedness or farsightedness that is the same for both eyes.
We are seeing that most people who require corrective lenses have a similar prescription for both eyes, so in that case a dive mask with pre-made lenses will most likely provide adequate vision correction for reading gauges on oxygen tanks and maneuvering around underwater. Even though pre-made prescription lenses will not correct astigmatism, most people who have astigmatism find that they can operate safely without any problems with a spherical (meaning “without astigmatism”) correction while in the water.
As far as pricing goes, dive masks made with lenses designed specifically to your measurements and prescription (custom lenses) are generally more expensive than their pre-made counterparts.
Some diving mask companies have now started to offer masks that are designed to allow customized prescription lens inserts to be attached to the inside of the front of the mask. This option provides a more accurate vision correction, however it also has the drawback of becoming fogged more easily in some dive conditions.
If you wear contact lenses, you might be able to benefit from a diving mask that allows prescription lens inserts as they allow the option of wearing or not wearing contacts. If you have the contact lenses in for a dive, there’s no need for the prescription insert. If you go diving without your contacts on, you can put the prescription lens inserts in the mask for a clear underwater experience.
There is the potential risk of contamination of contact lenses underwater, so it’s usually better to dive and swim without them in. Another option is to wear one-day disposable soft contacts, and discard them as soon as you’re back on dry land.
Swim goggles
Swimming goggles are much smaller and have a closer fit to your eyes and head than a diving mask. The very design of goggles is for sleek non-interference with speed and motion in the water while providing the wearer with eye protection. All goggles have a rubber or silicone seal that surrounds the lenses to keep water away from your eyes.
As with dive masks, swim goggles are available with pre-made prescription lenses that are the same power for both eyes. Because swim goggles generally are used in a pool setting, these pre-made prescription lenses will usually provide adequate vision. However, custom-made prescription swimming goggles are also an option for people with very different prescriptions for each eye as in the case of an injury.
For additional information or to schedule an appointment, please call 970-204-4020 or click on the link on the side of the page.
