Contact lenses/surfing

[skimmer2]

Who surfs and wears contact lenses? I only wear specs for computer work (long-sighted) but might end up trying contact lenses in the next year since my sight is getting a tad worse. Never used contacts before so wondering what sort you would wear that were okay for surfing too? Disposable ones? Hey - I've no idea with these things so any advice welcome.

[Gogmagog]

Wear contact lenses, definitely. Even if your eyesight is only slightly less worse than it was definitely wear them. I wear monthlies and 99% of the time they are fine.

However - ALWAYS take spares!! I had a nightmare once in Sennen - had some old ones on (was waiting for new ones to be sent, so no spares), as they were a bit old (28-30 days or so) they lose their flexibility - a wave came along and whipped them off. Carried on and finished the session but it was a big pisser, shouldn't really drive without them to but had no choice.

Always take spares!

[ATTMFKH]

speaking to a guy in the water today and he says his mate who wears contacts doesn't wear them in the water - he can hardly see , so they call him into waves that he's not gonna make so he's out of position

[wjp1]

I wear contact lenses while surfing no problem at all. You just need to keep your eyes shut underwater - it is possible to open then underwater but there's a chance one might come out. Get daily contacts as you have a brand new pair every day, so they're consistent. Also doesn't matter at all if you loose one, or you want to take one out where ever you are (like if you get grit in your eyes). I always have spares about in the car, bag, jacket, etc. Been wearing them since I was 13 (now 39) with no problem really.

[KSA1]

Same as above, blind as a bat and been wearing them since I was 9, now 44. Mine are hard, gas permeable lenses and like everyone else I carry spares but also clean them after surfing. Only ever lost 1 surfing and that was when my board hit me and split my eyelid; otherwise, as was said before, keep your eyes closed underwater and there's no problem.

[Chris F]

Use focus dailies, and never lost one, in spite of numerous dunkings etc. I find I can get by without on bright sunny days, but squint too much, and can get sore eyes and headaches. On overcast days or mornig / evening I really struggle to see whats coming, and often time things wrong. minus 1.75 in both eyes.

[skimmer2]

speaking to a guy in the water today and he says his mate who wears contacts doesn't wear them in the water - he can hardly see , so they call him into waves that he's not gonna make so he's out of position

Cruel!

My eyesight ain't that bad - reckon I could still surf without them for a couple of years yet it is nice to be be able to recognise folk 20/30 yards a away and tell if they are waving and smiling or if they are suggesting I get the fook out of their line.

[kookie-monster]

skimmer2

My eyesight ain't that bad - reckon I could still surf without them for a couple of years yet it is nice to be be able to recognise folk 20/30 yards a away and tell if they are waving and smiling or if they are suggesting I get the fook out of their line.

My short sighted gurning squint has been taken for stink eye

[syzygy Ben]

this past while i've been using specsavers easy vision own brand they are spot on and i haven't lost any, before then i was using some other generic brand until i realised they were about a year out of date !, i usually buy 6months at a time and just see long they last, at the rate i've been surfing recently should do me for about the next 15 years.

http://community.magicseaweed.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=22358&start=0&hilit=contact+lens

[Vince Noir]

wear dailys ! wouldnt want to get a monthly washed out my eye, or put a montly back in after its been in the sea ! contact lens are a perfect surface for bacteria to grow on, and there are some pretty nasty infections you can pick up


bit annoying really cos taking 3 months supply to indo or somewhere is a pain, and i wish i could open my eyes when duck diving

[Jetta]

I'd go for dailies as I find they never wash out but I used to loose lots of monthlies especially after
they have been used for a few weeks. maybe they loose their shape after a while and don't stick to your
eye very well?

[leash-tan]

I wear dailies,

it sucks not being able to open your eyes in clear waters though, especially on bigger days when you try find the gaps. wouldn't surf without them now though and a few eye drops after the surf stops them going dry...

you could always try prescription goggles...

[Spandorexxa]

I do, dailies, i've opened my eyes under/had a massive spash in my face and not had them wash out which is pretty beneficial considering Im mega short sighted. sucks not being able to see underwater though. Why dont they make even slighty socially-acceptable/nice/not freakish-rapist perscription eye waterwear!!??

[jp246]

Mostly the wind and water combo when paddling into offshores that cause me to loose them. Only ever lost two though. Keep a spare in the glovebox to get me home.

[Jonzi]

I wear dailies and open my eyes under water. Surfing here in the UK my eyes hurt a bit, but over in the clear waters of Australia they were fine.

I had 6 months worth of contacts stolen from me whilst travelling in South america. Was going to be around £40 for 6 pairs of dailies in Argentina!

I just used the ones I had kicking around for a month at a time till I got to Australia and bought more dailies.

[militia]

I use monthly ones, but buy direct from online companies (lensbase) cost me £6 for a pack of six and keep em in the car. Cheap as piss. I keep em in a bag with my rape kit of rope, rohypnol and some lime, next to some childrens toys (you never know) and a bag of dreams!

[Chris F]

They let you out again?

[stephh]

I wear dailies and totally agree, buy them online soooooooooo much cheaper. I was told by my optician that you shouldn't wear contacts in the water as it can incresae the chance of infection. I quite often don't wear them as my eyesight isn't that bad so can cope in the water, i do wear when doing triathlon etc as great for bike/run bit as handy to see what I'm doing then!

[kilburnia]

I also wear hard lenses, definitely can't open your eyes underwater but I've done three hour sessions with them in, no problem. Eheh, I did think about prescription goggles, and I've also thought about laser surgery! You learn to judge your position under a wave by the amount of light and sound, rather than a visual.

[mrron]

I am glad I found this post. I have always wondered if you can wear contact lenses in salt water, now I know.

Stephh, where do you purchase your contact lenses online at?

[MrMik]

I wear soft (monthly) contact lenses for as long and often as it takes for them to fall apart. I pay meticulous attention to keep them clean and sterile and take the risk of breaking all the important contact lens rules. I only wear them for surfing and they get a lot of time in the cleaning/sterilising solution between surf sessions. However, don't do what I do, because it can cause nasty infections leading to the loss of your eyesight or death

My optometrist was able to order free trial lenses for me for several years (infrequent use) before I thought I better buy some. The lenses on offer have improved massively in the last few years, being much closer to my exact requirements. Before that I had to wear lenses that were only approximately right for me. I did not want to risk loosing expensive custom-made lenses. Now disposable custom made lenses are available that get quite close to what I need. It's a bit like ordering a custom surfboard which then gets popped out by a machine in multiples of 6, with different planshape, rocker and rails on each side of the board. (Size/shape/spherical/cylinder/axis of lenses can be made to order for each eye. Some companies even make free trial lenses like that.)

After surfing, I put the lenses back in the cleaning solution, then replace the solution once or twice before using them again. I only use them for surfing, because spectacles give me better vision when not in the water. If I have not surfed in a while, then I replace the storage solution with fresh solution for several hours before using the lenses.

The biggest problem is the combination of contact lenses and sunscreen. It makes my eyes burn and I have had to take the lenses out and leave the water on some occasions. The contacts seem to stop the sunscreen from being washed out of the eye again if it gets in.

Now that I wear disposable lenses that are usually over-due for replacement, I open my eyes under water, but I never lost a lens due to it. Sometimes I even have to deliberately put my head under water with eyes open, then look around a bit (roll my eyes) to wet and loosen the lenses. This (hopefully) allows them to rotate into their proper position/orientation again (important for cylindrical lenses).

I'm thinking about combining contact lenses and my old Gath helmet. I last used the helmet years ago, before semi-disposable contact lenses for my particular requirements became available. I figure that the helmet will make it unnecessary to use any sunscreen above the eyes, therefore stopping the burning.

I have tried many different forms of strap-on glasses and goggles before, but they are all a pain. Fogging up, drops sticking to the front, hurting you in a wipe-out or getting ripped off and lost.

[Big D]

Daily's all the way. Apparently the salt in the water causes the edge s to deteriorate , so with daily s you can just bin them and put in fresh ones.

[WP101]

had the laser treatment 2 years ago 0% finance...best thing i ever did, contacts suck ass

[slopsurfer]

seriously considering the laser option but in the meantime i use

http://www.daysoftcontactlenses.com/GB/ ... tAodGGQAew

brilliant value for money, wear a pair in the water and change into new ones when i get out. Just make sure your hands are clean before putting new ones in, sand under the lense is a bitch. I usually have a spare pair of specs in the car too just incase.

[MrMik]

seriously considering the laser option but in the meantime i use

http://www.daysoftcontactlenses.com/GB/ ... tAodGGQAew

brilliant value for money, wear a pair in the water and change into new ones when i get out. Just make sure your hands are clean before putting new ones in, sand under the lense is a bitch. I usually have a spare pair of specs in the car too just incase.

Unfortunately they do not make toric lenses (for astigmatism). It's much trickier to make them, and there are so many potential combinations that it becomes unlikely that you will ever sell them if you run a large production batch.
They offer lenses in 69 different strengths.
In order to offer toric lenses with the same degree of customisation, they would need to offer 69*69*360 = 1,713,960 different options.
But many of these options are available in customised form, but as monthly lenses instead of daily.