Short-sighted swimmers - please share your tips!

[FortunataTagnips]

I feel a bit daft asking this, but - if you’re very short-sighted and swim a lot, what do you do?

I leave my contact lenses in and rely on my goggles to keep the water away from them. But I do worry that I’m risking picking up that horrific-sounding infection related to swimming with lenses in.

Years ago, I wore prescription goggles but found getting to and from the changing room, showering etc without my glasses a bit hairy!

What do other people do? Do you leave your glasses on the side of the pool? Am I missing an obvious solution?

You can buy cheap prescription goggles.

Oh god, I just swim with contacts and goggles. Off to google the infection…

My friend who is extremely shortsighted puts their prescription goggles on when they get changed, and keeps them on until they get back to their locker.

I wear my glasses in the pool

Prescription goggles- I wear them when I’m out of the pool. But I also go to a small pool so I know my way around. I have them round my neck so if I need to speak to someone I can put them on if I really need to see them. I’m very badly short sighted, unfortunately

Cheap prescription goggles and I wear them until I swap back to my glasses. Possibly get strange looks but better than falling over. I try to buy ones with clear lenses rather than blue so they look less ridiculous outside of being in the water.

At the gym pool, there's quite a few places to put my glasses so I swap them out poolside. At the council pool there isn't.

I just wear my glasses, but I’m not a serious swimmer.

A lot of swimming teachers just seem to wear their glasses in the pool. Some with strap type things to stop them falling off.

After a long chat with the optician I wear a disposable pair of contacts in the pool, avoid water getting in my eyes as much as possible and take them out immediately after getting out of pool. Wear glasses home.

I am minus 10 prescription and swim with goggles. Never had an issue. I wear hard lenses, no idea if that makes a difference.

I am v short sighted and have prescription goggles that I wear from changing room to pool and back. I do take them off to shower but can put them back on if needed to get back to the changing room.

they are a complete godsend and my kids have them too!

Thanks, peeps. Sounds like prescription goggles until I’m dressed again are the way to go! I did do the disposable lenses thing from time to time but found making sure I had them with me, and the pot for my usual lens, too faffy.

Not a frequent swimmer but I wear my glasses in the pool (mainly because I forget to take them off 😅) on the occasions I don't wear my glasses I make a mental note of what my kids and DP look like and then squint when looking for them/DP usually whilst they're waving at me a lunatic and I'm just like 'who are you' 😂

I don’t think glasses would be conducive to an elegant front crawl. Not that my crawl is elegant, but it definitely wouldn’t be improved by glasses.

I have different prescriptions in each eye. Does anyone know if it’s worth getting goggles to the exact prescription, or just get the one to the best eye? Eg if I am -4 and -6, can I get -4 goggles, or do I need different eye ones, if that makes sense? I’m thinking I don’t need to see perfectly, so getting the best eye might be ok?

@AtLeastMyCatLikesMe You can definitely get goggles with a different prescription in each eye. Think Speedo and Zoggs do them.

Thanks. I am very short sighted and have swim for years wearing contacts with goggles. I’ve just found out about the potential eye infection, and am now panicking that I should get prescription goggles instead!

I've had prescription goggles, recently bought cheaper ones and they were crap. So I'd suggest getting the best you can afford. I do front crawl and it's hard to keep your eyes dry. I've currently got good speedos without a prescription and the lack of fog or leak is lovely. My eyes are only - 2.5 or 3 I think so not too bad.

My old prescription goggles were Speedos, I think, and they were excellent. I’ve just got some random ones from Amazon that (appear to) have good reviews but I haven’t tested them yet. Fingers crossed…

I wear disposable contacts. They don’t make prescription goggles strong enough.

I did try without anything once, I might not be able to see much but I did realise when I walked into the male changing room…..

I get my prescription goggles from Butterflies Healthcare, -10 in both eyes, my actual prescription is stronger but can't find any below -10 and they are good enough. I take my glasses in their case to the poolside with a towel
to sit them on and switch as I get in and out of the water,

I bought these last week, they are bloody great! My prescription is -7 in one eye, -6 in the other.
https://www.prescription-swimming-goggles.co.uk/products/gator-gator
I had some others from the same company which lasted 11 years until the anti-fog wore off. And I swim a lot - in pools, lakes, the sea.
The goggles are not my exact prescription, but they are near enough to hugely improve the swimming experience. And getting from the pool to changing room. I always leave glasses in locker - I would hate to risk losing them! But then I don’t care about people thinking I look odd wearing goggles when not in the pool.

I just feel the wall, don’t wear glasses or contacts, and hope for the best

Im guessing you cant get them for astigmatism correction too?

@BakedBeeeen Those look great! I’ve saved the link in case my cheapo pair turn out to be crap.

I have astigmatism too, the lenses are honestly fine. On the website they show you how to calculate which prescription to order. You do not need perfect 20-20 vision in both eyes to swim in a pool! The lenses just vastly improve my vision 😀