Diving With Contact Lenses Or Prescription Masks January 13, 2011 by lukesheppard

Not everyone has perfect vision and this can be a real problem whilst diving. Even though water magnify’s your surroundings by around 30% some people still need to a little more correction to see easily. Luckily there are 2 options available for people with bad sight which we will go through here:

1. Prescription Diving Masks 

Prescription masks are ideal for those who wear glasses and are not confident / comfortable wearing contact lenses. Available in a range of different prescriptions you simply buy a compatible mask and order prescription lenses that suit you. Click here to view our range of prescription masks. Corrective lenses are generally available in negative / positive prescriptions and in some cases even bi-focal (ideal for if you struggle reading your dive computers screen).

2. Contact Lenses 

I often get quizzed on whether you can wear contact lenses whilst diving. The answer is yes. Disposable, soft contact lenses work perfectly underwater and they are a very cost effective option for divers with bad vision.

Many people question whether the contact lens will come out if the mask floods, there will always be a chance of this happening but I know many divers who dive with contacts regularly and have never experienced this problem. If you feel like it could be a problem, just close your eyes whilst you clear your mask of water.

The main thing to ensure you do is clean your contacts and wash your eyes once you have dived, this ensures that any salt or muck is removed.

If you wear the hard type of contact lens rather than disposables we would recommend you consult your optician before diving, being hard they may not suitable in the pressures that occur whilst diving.

So there you have it… Bad eyesight is not a problem when diving, you just need to get yourself a prescription diving mask or some disposable contact lenses.