Swimming and glasses

[UprootedSunflower]

Specifically the slides at Butlins, who are strict for no glasses.

I usually swim with glasses. I haven’t been able to get prescription googles for my prescription, even corrected to the possible point I feel sea sick quickly; struggle to see edges etc. Also them steam up and become useless. I can’t go totally without glasses as I’ll loose the kids if they move more than 20cm away! I can’t even see steps or edges without glasses. Glasses are generally my best fit solution

Has anyone had an alternative solution, other than goggles (please don’t tell me they work for you, I’ve tried a lot- looking for another idea).

Im wondering about maybe a case for taking off on slides? Contacts safely? Not sure, help!

Contacts with normal goggles?

I feel your pain as a fellow specky!

I was wondering about this, and binning them straight after. I have a load of daily disposables. They don’t really correct my vision, but enough to not be blind and I don’t get the swimmy sea sick feeling so fast as I did with goggles.

Disposable contacts are a good option.

The don’t swim in them thing is hunk being held against you eye. Taking them out straight after solves a lot of that. Wearing with goggles reduces the gunk getting in too.

I do a lot of wear glasses for everything apart from slides / saunas and find somewhere sensible to leave them. Often hooked over a sign.

I was wondering about using disposables and following after with eye drops for a rinse. My central vision is poorer and the googles reduce it a lot due to the shape, I notice less usually as my brain adapts but the loss feels acute when I loose the peripheral vision due to the curve of the goggle.

Disposable contacts plus goggles work well, though I must admit I just wear glasses and leave by the lifeguard to go on slides (not that I go on slides these days)

I did last year hang my glasses, but it’s such an expensive prescription I’d rather not. Maybe I should dig old glasses out for putting down. I was reliant last year on my kids getting me up slide steps with them, all bloody white plastic that merged horribly. No contrast for the step edges and no clear pattern of steps to follow, or a rail. Hellish, but I’d love to have fun with the kids!

It's a pain isn't it. I have prescription goggles but they are only good for "proper" swimming. As you say, when you have your head out of the water they steam up.

The issue with contacts is that there are microorganisms which without contracts just wash straight out of your eye but with contacts in are trapped against your eye and the consequence can be permanent vision loss. Even a short swim is keeping them against your eye for a long time.

But as my optician says, he understands there are times when the risk/benefit balance swings towards wearing them and things like being able to see your children and have them not down at the beach or water park is one of them. Not that he advises wearing contacts!

Butlins don’t allow goggles either on the actual slides. Prescription or normal. So that’s a factor with contacts
I think I’m at more risk of falling over, or squashing a child, than any risk of wearing them!

This is probably your best bet. Be careful though, don't do it if your eye feels even vaguely sore.

I hold my glasses in my hand as I go down slides.

They get wet but they're getting wet anyway.

I had visions of dropping them in the pool at the end!

Could you get one of those old granny chains to attach to your glasses? Or those zipped purse type things you could put your glasses in and have on your wrist. Or maybe a bumbag?! 🤣

I had visions of dropping them in the pool at the end!

Mine fell off at Alton Towers in the rapids thing. Luckily DD and another kid dived in for them and got them.

How old are your kids? Will they stay put? DD knows not to wander off because I can't see her otherwise.

Either lots of put them on/take them off (case and bag by the pool?) or contact lenses.

I'd wear disposable contacts and have googles. If they won't let you wear the googles on the slides, you can still keep them around your neck and keep your eyes shut for the splashes. And you'll be fine with contacts + googles for all the time not on a slide.

I'll probably get flamed for this, but I wear contacts and have swam in them for 30 years without any problems. No goggles.

DH is a -8 glasses wearer and just takes the glasses off while on the slides. I usually hold on to them while he goes on with DS1 as DS2 doesn't like slides so we divide and conquer.

Specsavers will sell you a pair of single-vision glasses for £15. They may not do your perfect prescription at that price, but possibly they can come up with something that will do. If you break or lose them it's not the disaster that it would be if they cost £hundreds.

I have a pair I use for swimming and beaches and, while they're not perfect, at least I can see my way around and keep an eye on children.

As PP said, you can just hold them in your hand on the slides.

(Edit: missed a bit)

I wear a rash vest and use the arm to clip them to the front with the glass inside when going down slides. If deap water at the end of slides I have a reading glasses string attached to the label of my rash vest (also useful in the sea)

Could you put your glasses in the top of your costume as you get on the slide? That's what I used to do back in the day when I still went on waterslides as prescription goggles that don't cost the earth don't correct enough for my prescription to allow me to function in any way 'on land'.

You can get floating glasses straps.

www.printed4you.co.uk/floating-sunglasses-strap

I was going to suggest a larger, snorkeling type mask and contacts, till you said you can't use goggles on the slides! I scuba dive and use a spray which stops the inside fogging up. The only other solution I can think of is laser surgery.