BSAC Diving Information - Corrected Vision
Advice for divers who normally wear glasses or contact lenses.
To ensure the best and clearest view of the underwater world, those who regularly wear glasses or contact lenses are likely to require a mask which is optically corrected to suit their individual requirements.
Contact lenses can be worn when using a diving mask, but there is a risk of losing them. There are times when a mask may flood or be displaced - and the diver needs to open his / her eyes to recover and refit it. Also, the technique of clearing water from a flooded mask is a basic and essential skill which has to be learned, and it is usual to require trainees to keep the eyes open while practising it. Risk of losing the lenses is high.
Furthermore, it has been suggested that gas micro-bubbles could accumulate between the inside face of a contact lens and the eyeball when diving, possibly clouding vision and maybe causing damage the surface of the eyeball, though there is little factual evidence to bear this out. There are also reports of negative reactions from an accumulation of salts between lenses and the eye, which may cause irritation. All these reasons create a sound case for not using contact lenses while diving.
On the other hand, there are also numerous reports of trouble-free use from those who do regularly wear contact lenses - especially soft lenses - while diving. It also needs to be borne in mind that you can buy several sets of (disposable) soft contact lenses for the price of a mask with prescription lenses. It might be more economic to carry at least one spare set of contact lenses in your dive bag and bear the risk of occasional losses.
Prescription lenses
If a decision is taken not to use contact lenses, the remaining options are to use a spectacle frame inside the mask, or to have prescription lenses fitted to the mask. A normal pair of spectacles with side arms which hook over the ears cannot be worn in conjunction with a diving mask because water would leak into the mask where its edge lies over the side arms. It may be possible to remove the side arms and fix the remainder of the frame and lenses into a mask with copper wire or a suitable adhesive, but such an arrangement is far from optically perfect. Physical and visual discomfort may result.
Prescription lenses are best because, like a pair of spectacles, they are custom made just for you. You can either have lenses made exactly to your prescription (full lenses, reading lenses or bifocals) or have ready made corrective lenses fitted to a mask body. Most manufacturers of diving masks have models designed to accommodate prescription lenses, and also supply the corrective lenses in a range of standard minus dioptres for those who do not require astigmatic correction. Dive shops can fit these lenses at the point of sale. (Of course, as soon as you remove your diving facemask, you will need to put on glasses or fit contact lenses to recover normal surface vision).
Costs? To supply a mask and lenses ground exactly to your prescription could cost between £100 and £200, according to needs. To supply a mask complete with ready-made corrective lenses will cost between £75 and £100. Special lenses add significantly to the cost of a mask but the difference in clarity of vision must make it worthwhile for the committed diver.
Sources? The most leading manufacturers of diving equipment include within their range of products, ready-made corrective lenses and masks to accommodate them; consequently their retail distributors should be able to supply them. Your local dive shop should be able to help you find a suitable mask.
Page last modified: 2nd Nov 2006 - 09:57:16