Swimming & v short sighted

[gladysisbackintheroom]

What do people find best - goggles over contact lenses, or prescription goggles? And if anyone has any brand recommendations that'd be great too! Thanks

I just do contacts- I feel like it might get expensive because I am prone to losing and scratching goggles! Diving goggles I would go prescription

Definitely goggles over contacts. It's horrible to have to leave goggles on for an entire hour. At least this way you can take them off when you want.

I suppose it depends how blind you are though, I'm blind as a bat and need something at all times.

Googles over contacts every time! I’ve tried prescription goggles and there were a bit rubbish. Plus you have to keep them on while you shower etc until you can put your glasses back on!

Opticians don’t recommend wearing contact lenses in the pool AT ALL as there’s a high risk of infection. I keep my glasses on. If I could afford prescription goggles and went swimming often enough to justify it then I’d do that.

I wear mask style goggles like these www.arenawaterinstinct.com/en_uk/1e091-x-sight-2.html. I find the slightly larger goggles don’t push on my eyes so much and make my contacts feel uncomfortable

I just keep my glasses on now

Thanks both. @ElspethFlashman yep I'm minus 5 in both eyes so feel vulnerable without anything, as I can't 'read' the environment. So good point, maybe that's the way to go. The only thing is, when I last tried that (once, maybe 15 years ago) the goggles let loads of water in. Can you recommend any good goggles?

I keep my glasses on, contacts shouldn't really be worn at the pool or in the shower

Ooh more replies, thanks! Those XSight goggles look good!

How do people swim with glasses on? Don't they fall off?

If you have disposable contacts, I have been told by my optician that it is ok to swim in them and then chuck them straight after you get out of the water.

I’ve also had big lectures from my optician that one should never wear contacts whilst swimming (or even in the shower). I don’t religiously follow the shower ban, but use prescription goggles for swimming. It is a pain though, but I take it more seriously since my brother in law (a very short sighted contact lens wearer)ended up in hospital with an eye infection. He had over 24 hours of hourly eye drops, and was extremely lucky that his sight wasn’t permanently damaged.

Goggle's all the time for me now...I once Sean past my son as he was slowly drowning... luckily DH had spotted him.

My optiction told me never to swim in contacts as the risk of infection is so high and the chlorine is bad

Thanks @GeorgeTheHippo that's sounds like another option. I don't use daily disposables but could look into using them occasionally.

@FlossieF that sounds nasty, eek!

I use aqua sphere eagles coat about £35 all in all but very comfortable. I've tried decathalon goggles and speedo, aqua were the best x

Prescription goggles definitely. Specsavers do them for about £25.
They are not perfect vision, but I can see the clock, read signs, other people! Much better than contacts.
If you want super versions then they are £100+ - but for general swimming - the £25 ones are really good.
My eyesight is pretty lousy without them.

I wear daily disposables and just chuck them after. I'm happy to take that risk as I imagine it's pretty small with contacts you dump straight away.

Probably wouldn't do it with longer term ones. You're keeping chlorine coated things in your eyes forever after!

I'm about the same vision as you and a very regular swimmer in the pool and open water. I have a few different goggles from Prescription goggles , and the Aquasphere eagles are very comfortable and work very well in terms of not leaking (I can swim 5km in them and no leaks).

You should never get any kind of non sterile water near contact lenses - you have to dry your hands properly after washing them before inserting lenses as well. The environment behind your contacts is perfect for bacteria and ameoba to get into your cornea and due to the very low blood flow to the front of your eye your immune system doesn't get them

-5 is very short sighted????

No my glasses don't fall off at all

Yes I've been told by opticians that -5 is significantly short sighted. I can't really function without glasses or contacts...

I think mine is worse than that if I remember rightly

I got prescription goggles from asda for around £20 they aren't perfect as they only go up to -8 but better than swimming without x

-5 means not recognising people at close range, not being able to see who is swimming in what lane, can't see clock, cant really tell how dear away side is etc. Hard for doing tube turns unless intimate with pool size.

Contacts + goggles are a definite NO. You can get acanthamoeba or other nasties from pools. I got an infection from something, probably the pool, and that meant 2 days of hourly drops, day and night, then 3 hourly or something for a few more days. Am now much more cautious.