Have you personally tried prescription goggles?

[SoCalSurfing]

I have never seen anyone (at least around SoCal) using goggles when surfing...... but is the only reason because it is not "cool" ?

I wear contacts when surfing but that's the only time. It would be much more convenient to wear goggles, then switch back to glasses on shore....

Anyone do this or will I be the first geek out there with goggles

or if you have/do which goggles do you use?

Thank You!

[drowningbitbybit]

I've not used goggles, but I have used the seaspecs sunglasses, and they were hopeless - couldnt see a thing through them due to condensation on the inside and drips of water on the outside. I imagine goggles would be the same.

[SoCalSurfing]

That doesn't sound good. Goggles should at least keep dry on the inside and there is anti-fog solution right??
However, the outside part of the lens could have the same issue as your glasses....maybe not such a good idea after all

[billie_morini]

In contrast to Drowning's experience, I've been using Silverfish sunglasses (same thing as SeaSpecs [http://www.silverfish.com/eyewear/Discount-Surf.html]) for about 5 years. Mine have a bifocal (progressive line-less, actually) prescription. Every once in awhile I get some fogging, but not often. It takes the right conditions. Before going into the water, I apply anti-fog McNett Sea Drops Anti-Fog solution (http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/AQUASAF.html -- not endorsing this vendor, just wanted to show you). An important thing about wearing glasses in surf: you want a strap that cannot stretch. If the strap can stretch, the sea can pull them off. Prior to using water sport sunglasses, I used my football ("soccer" not American football) prescription sunglasses for awhile. They have an elastic strap. When I wiped out, they came off. Initially, I was surfing without sunglasses. But, my eyes are light sensitive and following one bright day out surfing, I was snow blind. My head was pounding and I couldn't see. My wife had to take over, drive, etc. I never want a headache like that again. Not being able to see was pretty weird, too.

I also tried some non-prescription swimmer's goggles. It was fun to be able to see when underwater following wipe out, but the goggles blocked all peripheral vision. As a result, I nearly cut in on a few guys that were already on the wave. I could not see them until the last second. Kinda sucked to interfere with their ride.

Not telling you what to do. Just providing info related to topic.

[SoCalSurfing]

Geeeeez Billie, stop telling me what to do, you're not the boss of me!

I didn't think about how the goggles can cut down side vision....good point. However, didn't think about being able to see underwater when wiping out, that's cool too...I think!

If the glasses are completely wet, inside and out, does that not create an issue with water droplets and being able to see clearly?

Since I wipe out a lot and turtle ducks are not perfected, the strap will have to be really, really tight. Hope that's possible.

Thanks for the info Billie, much appreciated.

[jumpmonkey]

i use seaspecs prescription sunglasses and, more recently, monthly contacts (can't get daillies yet), the contacts are miles better. the seaspecs were a big improvement on nothing (i have really bad eye sight), but once i got some contacts i realised how much they were also holding me back, i was having to pop up almost blind because the frame was obscuring what was happening in front of the board. also, the arms meant i had little peripheral vision and i kept dropping in on people. surfing has gotten a lot easier since i got the contacts. i also have a problem with bright sunlight though, so on the rare sunny day with good waves on the yorkshire coast the shades have to come back out.

[miltkatie]

Yes, I tried it .They are good.