Glasses

[RoxyChick]

Hey,

A friend and I were thinking of learning to surf, but she wear glasses, and says that contacts are not allowed in the sea, anyone else with sight difficulties know if there are any special kinds of goggles she can wear? or should she just wear her contacts and close her eyes when she falls off?!

Sounds like a strange dilemma i know, but she's worried!

Thanks

[RJD]

Closing your eyes isnt going to help I'm afraid, other than that I cant help sorry.

[miamisurfer]

My friend doesn't wear his glasses when he surfs. I don't think your friend needs to either. As long as her sight isn't too bad.

[Old Guys Rule]

My son wears his contact when we surf and never has an issue. We are in the water at least twice a week and he has never had an issue other then loosing one .

[RoxyChick]

Thanks! when the water gets in your eyes would it not wash the contacts out? I dont know much about lenses, but that's what i assumed to happen!!

[jethrodog]

I used to wear my contacts when i surfed. Never had a problem. Closed my eyes when I went down. Never lost a contact once. Got laser eye surgery, now I don't worry at all.
But, my wife wears her contacts when she surfs. And she is paranoid about losing a contact, as she has such bad eyesight she wouldn't be able to see where tha beach was without her lens' in. So she wears goggles that she picked up at a dive shop. They look like a divers mask without the nose on it and smaller. Made by a company called Salvas (i think) and they are their anti-fog watersport goggles, Alpha model. The wife loves them. I am sure your friend can pick up a pair.

[Justwan Naride]

She can wear contacts no problem, but she 'll have to close her eyes when washed around. Especially in begginner friendly conditions (small, gentle waves) it really should be ok.
I'd say daily contacts are ideal as you are less prone to infections and in case she loses one it's no big deal as they're cheap.

[RoxyChick]

Thanks! She has daily disposable ones, so ill tell her to give those a try and if she loses them she can just pop another one in! Her eyesight isnt so bad that she wouldn't be able to find her bag on the beach apparantly!!

[sal]

Sometimes I wear my lenses in the water, sometimes I don't!

[Dec]

Just brave it. If is is really bad you can get persription gogles.

[drowningbitbybit]

persription gogles.

What have you been drinking Dec?

[Dec]

!!

I meant those swimmers goggles not beer goggles!!

[FormosanSurfer]

I wear my contacts when I surf, I occasionally lose one, but thats not very common.

[IslandA]

Ive been surfing for 10 years and wearing contact lenses every time i surf. I a contact come out only once and that was because it was a heavy day and I just started surfing so I didnt have a clue what I was doing. Ive been talking to optometrists about it and they all said it isnt a problem.

[Catastrophe]

I wear glasses myself and pretty strong ones at that, I'm blind as a bat without them but was concerned about wearing contacts into the sea because of all the horror stories I had heard about them getting washed behind the eye and the such.

On my last visit to the opticians (who has just taked up surfing himself) I asked the optician if he could give me any advise on what I could do, he suggested daily disposable contact lenses, they are super cheap so you dont care if you lose them and since you can just take them out and throw them away after a session you dont have to worry about making sure they are thoughly clean or any adverse effects the salt water could be having on them.
Plus, after a slightly more detailed explaination that I was really looking for, he proved it was impossible for a contact lense to get washed behind a human eyeball (But it can get stuck under the lid apparently)

As it was I didnt get on with them, touching my eyes just creeped me out too much, but I did manage to get a pair of prescription goggles (the small swim goggle kinda things).
The goggles came with UVA protection and tinted to help stop glare (even if it does make it seem like its about to rain) all for £35

Hope that helped

[Driftingalong]

I wear the two week disposables and have never had a problem. Just close your eyes underwater...

[Bub]

I wear 1 month disposable contacts. I lost 1 contact the 2nd time I tried surfing. I just close my eyes underwater. I bring a backup pair of contacts to the beach if I lose one. I tried Speedo swim goggles but the waves still pushed them off my face. I ditched the goggles and just wing-it. I'm blind as a bat without contacts in so that isn't an option.

[Brian]

I wear the two week disposables and have never had a problem. Just close your eyes underwater...

same