Glasses and swimming

[HairScratcher]

So I’m off with dd to a beach resort and she loves swimming and snorkelling. All good for her but I have glasses (short sighted -3). What can I do to join her? Just accept that I’m not going to see as much as her? Wear contacts (no no surely)?

I thought about prescription goggles but doesn’t work for snorkels?

any advice welcome!!

I just wear my contact lenses and take spare ones in case I lose one in the pool (hasn't happened) and normal goggles.

You can buy prescription masks for diving/snorkelling.

I am blind as a bat without mine!

You can get prescription snorkel masks as well as goggles. I got mine on the internet although a good few years ago. Might be worth a look.
Edit for typo

You can get prescription face-masks for snorkelling if that's an option for you
look online for a scuba dive equipment supplier .

Thanks. Will have a look! It’s a right hassle! do you end up with a bag full of glasses/prescription sunglasses/prescription goggles!!

if snorkelling from a boat I wouldn’t be able to change contacts but for the rest that would be ok

I’ve always worn my contacts with goggles/snorkel mask and been fine.

If I'm going swimming I just wear a pair of daily disposable contact lenses.

I wear my contacts

Thanks. I’ve been feeling a bit stressed about it as dd is desperate to do all of the water sports and I don’t want to be boring mum sitting on the side (although I draw the line at scuba and water skiing!)

Have you checked out prescription swimming goggles uk?
They have prescription goggles, diving masks and snorkels...not cheap but they are there!
I have prescription goggles from them and they were/are a gamechanger! Really fast delivery too.
Good Luck!

Same. Why do you think contacts are a no-no?
If it's because you're worried that they might soak up some pool/sea water, daily contacts are a great solution.

I wear dailies but worry about

1. them getting washed out
2. isn’t there an infection risk?

For snorkeling you’ll be fine with a pair of daily disposables in and a regular mask if you don’t want to shell out on a prescription mask. Swimming, more or less also fine with daily disposables in as long as you’re not opening your eyes underwater or rubbing them excessively in water. You might lose one or both at some point but as PP have said it’s usually ok.

Ok. Thanks. Feel reassured!!

I have prescription googles and a prescription snorkel mask. My contact lens optician always warns me against swimming with my contact lenses in as it puts you at greater risk of eye infections. She even told me not to shower in them.
“Swimming-related eye infections are possible in anyone but contact lens wearers are at far greater risk than the rest of the population. The worst culprits for infections are bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and an amoeba known as Acanthamoeba. Both of these can cause very painful infections which result in sight loss or even losing an eye after months of unsuccessful treatment” copied and pasted from
https://www.aop.org.uk/advice-and-support/for-patients/eye-care-blogs/2017/05/18/swimming-in-contact-lenses

Please don’t wear contact lenses in water. It does put you at greater risk for eye infections, some of which can be quite serious.

Prescription goggles and masks are a great idea.

Hmmm. I’m comfortable with contacts in the pool/on beach as I’m not going to dunk my head. So maybe prescription snorkel mask is the way forward? I think that’s the only activity where I would be under water

At the bottom of my previous post there’s a link to a study which interviews people who have nearly gone blind after accidental splashing their lenses with tap water. Here’s a quote “Ms Ekkeshis, a former contact lens wearer, most likely came into contact with Acanthamoeba through accidental contamination of her lenses with tap water.
Speaking at a recent meeting of patients with the condition, the 35-year-old told OT how, since contracting the eye condition in January 2011, she has undergone two corneal transplants, gone blind in one eye, suffered scleritis and nearly lost an eye to the disease.”
My contact lens optician said not to wear lenses in the pool or shower, but if I did then to wear daily lenses under googles and throw them away as soon as you get out of the pool. You don’t need to dunk your head in the water, you can get this bug simply from being splashed with contaminated tap water.

Oh sure but I’m not expecting to be splashed and if I am I would take lenses out and clean

You can also just get a snorkel and attach it to prescription googles.

Not as comfortable but it does work (done it a few times when I've left my prescription mask at home/hotel/other boat)

If you do this get a nose clip.

I've very short sighted and I wear daily disposable and throw them out right afterwards. DD has prescription googles but we have not snorkeled with it.

I'm not sure why they'll wash out. You are supposed to not get any water on them, so I put swimming goggles on top of my contacts. If I'm -3, I'd just use prescription googles. I can't see without my glasses, so I can't see if I take the googles off. That's a problem in itself.

Oh posted too soon. I just read the link posted https://www.aop.org.uk/advice-and-support/for-patients/eye-care-blogs/2017/05/18/swimming-in-contact-lenses
It says clearly if you absolutely have to, the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) advice for swimmers is to use daily disposable lenses with a well-sealed pair of goggles or mask and discard the lenses immediately after you finish swimming.

That's what I've been doing.

Eugh yes same here. I'm -6 and either swim in prescription sunglasses or take the risk and use daily contact lenses just for the swim.