Swimming + glasses

2

Replies

  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    MonkeyMel21 wrote: »
    gottlebgal wrote: »
    MonkeyMel21 wrote: »
    I have worn contacts with regular goggles, it was fine, but my eye doctor told me it's not a great idea.
    What reason did your eye doctor give you? Why was it not a great idea?

    I think due to the chance of chlorine irritating them. He's an eye surgeon though so most of his patients have lots of eye issues.


    edit to add: I mention he's a surgeon because he's probably more careful/cautiony (Is that a word?) than an optometrist would be.

    ?? The chlorinated water does not touch the contacts. That's the purpose of the goggles.
  • HeliumIsNoble
    HeliumIsNoble Posts: 1,213 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    MonkeyMel21 wrote: »
    gottlebgal wrote: »
    MonkeyMel21 wrote: »
    I have worn contacts with regular goggles, it was fine, but my eye doctor told me it's not a great idea.
    What reason did your eye doctor give you? Why was it not a great idea?

    I think due to the chance of chlorine irritating them. He's an eye surgeon though so most of his patients have lots of eye issues.


    edit to add: I mention he's a surgeon because he's probably more careful/cautiony (Is that a word?) than an optometrist would be.

    ?? The chlorinated water does not touch the contacts. That's the purpose of the goggles.
    Hmm. What brand of goggles do you use? The seal is clearly more reliable than any I've ever used!

    *excited*

    If it turns out your head is just better shaped on something, I'll cry...
  • RonnieTiajuana
    RonnieTiajuana Posts: 34 Member
    MonkeyMel21 wrote: »
    I have worn contacts with regular goggles, it was fine, but my eye doctor told me it's not a great idea. I went on amazon and bought a pair of prescription TYR's for $20 and it was one of the best fitness investments I've made. I swim several different strokes so not wearing goggles is impossible.

    I agree with the $20 Rx googles from amazon. They are fantastic!
  • RonnieTiajuana
    RonnieTiajuana Posts: 34 Member
    For recreational swimming (non-lap) I will often wear contacts, even wakeboarding, etc.
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
    HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
    MonkeyMel21 wrote: »
    gottlebgal wrote: »
    MonkeyMel21 wrote: »
    I have worn contacts with regular goggles, it was fine, but my eye doctor told me it's not a great idea.
    What reason did your eye doctor give you? Why was it not a great idea?

    I think due to the chance of chlorine irritating them. He's an eye surgeon though so most of his patients have lots of eye issues.


    edit to add: I mention he's a surgeon because he's probably more careful/cautiony (Is that a word?) than an optometrist would be.
    I would guess that any optometrist would be similarly cautious, tbh. I've been lectured on safe contact use enough and I don't even use them.

    I think it's that any potential water contact with the eyes plus lenses can lead to an infection or irritation to the eye. And subsequent chance of blindness.

    Goggles might reduce the chance of water in the eyes, but most will leak at some point.

    I got prescription goggles from amazon. Cheap and really good. Defogging can be done with baby shampoo, specialist products, or good old-fashioned spit (every diver has a pre-dive spitting moment)
  • __TMac__
    __TMac__ Posts: 1,665 Member
    Interesting article from the BBC about getting contacts wet. Which seems counterintuitive, but there it is.

    "I was blinded by my contact lens"
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-39568781
  • jessicagreen1828
    jessicagreen1828 Posts: 133 Member
    edited April 2017
    Used to wear contacts under my goggles. Disposable one-day use contacts. I had corrective eye surgery a year ago and it's so nice to not worry about losing glasses or contacts in the pool. Most PRK or LASIK surgery centers will give you a free consultation to see if you're eligible!
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
    lorrpb wrote: »
    MonkeyMel21 wrote: »
    gottlebgal wrote: »
    MonkeyMel21 wrote: »
    I have worn contacts with regular goggles, it was fine, but my eye doctor told me it's not a great idea.
    What reason did your eye doctor give you? Why was it not a great idea?

    I think due to the chance of chlorine irritating them. He's an eye surgeon though so most of his patients have lots of eye issues.


    edit to add: I mention he's a surgeon because he's probably more careful/cautiony (Is that a word?) than an optometrist would be.

    ?? The chlorinated water does not touch the contacts. That's the purpose of the goggles.
    Hmm. What brand of goggles do you use? The seal is clearly more reliable than any I've ever used!

    *excited*

    If it turns out your head is just better shaped on something, I'll cry...

    TYR. You have to press goggles tightly against your face, all the way around the edge, and make sure the strap is tight enough.
  • solieco1
    solieco1 Posts: 1,559 Member
    Order SABLE Goggles with your prescription.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    I wear contacts and goggles with no issue. But if they make the equivalent of "readers" in swim goggles, I'd be all over trying them.
  • TheCupcakeCounter
    TheCupcakeCounter Posts: 606 Member
    Contacts and goggles here too. I simply keep a spare pair in my gym bag just in case. Been doing this for over 20 years through competitive swim, 10+ years as a lifeguard and swim/water aerobics instructor, and fitness swimming.
    Mine are basic Speedo but I also like TYR
  • jldeange
    jldeange Posts: 9 Member
    I am also very blind. I can not even see the lines on the bottom of the pool without some help. For several years I did the contacts with goggles thing, but it would just irritate my eyes too much and I got fed up with that. Went on amazon and bought some cheap prescription goggles. Best decision ever. Yes, I feel like a frog walking around the pool deck with my goggles on, but I love being able to see in the pool even more. Usually keep my glasses in my slides by my towel on the edge of the pool. No problems with that so far.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
    Prescription goggles, I cannot imagine swimming without them. Mine are just normal speedo goggles, just with correction lenses. As long as you do not want to really fine tune the correction, they come in about 0.5 steps and are cheap, so replacing them every couple of years is not an issue.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Honestly, I just went without glasses or contacts and used regular old goggles. It wasn't hard to navigate around the pool and people even severely nearsighted. But, I didn't have a need to read signs of any kind. All I had to do is be able to see people, lane markers, and the side of the pool.
  • BigAnnieG
    BigAnnieG Posts: 89 Member
    stealthq wrote: »
    Honestly, I just went without glasses or contacts and used regular old goggles. It wasn't hard to navigate around the pool and people even severely nearsighted. But, I didn't have a need to read signs of any kind. All I had to do is be able to see people, lane markers, and the side of the pool.

    I can't even see my own feet let alone other people!!! Haha.

    Thanks for the consensus peeps, it's helpful to know I'm not alone here. Will have to look at prescription goggs I reckon, lenses and normal goggles seem to still irritate my eyes.

    And I'll definitely experiment with all the de-fog suggestions too! Maybe a little more subtly with the licking option though... :smiley:
  • CantonRC
    CantonRC Posts: 34 Member
    I wear TYR velocity goggles with my contacts. I have been swimming for 20 years and never had any problems.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    could you do contacts and normal swim goggles?

    This is what I do as well.
  • xLyric
    xLyric Posts: 840 Member
    My Rx was over -10, so I hated swimming without them. I would just get a cheap pair (I used Zenni, but I know others have mentioned Amazon) so that I didn't have to worry about getting them wet or bent.
  • JamieWW
    JamieWW Posts: 4 Member
    I get it! I'm very nearsighted also. Seeing the line on the bottom of the pool without lenses is laughable. And I have never been able to get a good, comfortable seal on goggles (been told the shape of my face is the reason why). So my contacts float away or fold over. *sigh* I eventually gave up on pool activity, so kudos on sticking with it. My thoughts on a solution are this: 1 - What you've been doing, wearing glasses. I did this too, exactly the same way you're doing. I used an older pair of frames and a rubber sport strap to make sure they stayed on. 2 - leave the glasses in my shoes on the side of the pool, taking a little risk, but if they're plain prescription glasses, someone is unlikely to take them, and learn to swim blind (which I have also done). Finally, 3 - It sounds like there are some great prescription goggles out there. I feel ya on the curvature issue. When your prescription gets bad enough, that happens the bigger the lenses are...even my sunglasses have that issue, despite being the "extra thin" material. I'm THAT nearsighted. ;-) But if I wanted to swim again, I'd probably try it out.
    Good luck!
  • BigAnnieG
    BigAnnieG Posts: 89 Member
    Yes! This. ALL OF THIS! When I say I can't see my feet I REALLY mean it! So yeah the lines on the bottom of the pool are a challenge - not to mention seeing (or more accurately, missing) the pool side when getting in/out.

    I think I'm going to try prescription goggles one more time... and see how it goes. I couldn't give up swimming, just a total water baby! The idea of not going in the water just upsets me hah.

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