Prescription swimming goggles

[lufbramatt]

Not a huge swimmer but an upcoming family holiday (with two kids in tow) means I need to sort out a pair of prescription goggles so I don't lose my toddler at the pool!

I'm pretty shortsighted, -10.25 in one eye, -11.5 in the other. Most goggles I can find online only go up to -8.

Anyone got any recommendations for stronger goggles and online places to buy from?

I know the "right" answer is go to my opticians but I'm tight for time at weekends at the mo and they will probably charge me a premium and want me to do another eye test.

[Scabutz]

I have bought mine from Prescription-Swimming-Googles.co.uk in the past. They have these which go to -12:

http://www.prescription-swimming-goggles.co.uk/swi...

I have no idea what they are like but imagine they will be ok for recreational swimming.

The choice of prescription goggles is awful compared to non when you want some for performance swimming.

[JQ]

I wear glasses permanently as I don't particularly like contact lenses, but I partake in a few sports where glasses aren't an option or become very expensive if I need prescription swimming goggles, ski goggles, cycling glasses, hockey glasses etc.

My solution has been daily disposable contact lenses. They're cheap, reasonably comfortable and convenient. Most places will do your eye test for free if you sign up on a monthly direct debit. I pay £9 pcm then once I have enough lenses stockpiled I drop out of the scheme. Rinse and repeat every 3 years or so.

Much easier to wear contact lenses splashing around in a pool than either having to walk round wearing swimming goggles (might look a bit odd) or constantly having to swap between goggles and glasses. If you're going to do that you may as well swim in your glasses. Specsavers will do a pair of normal glasses for £30 inc lenses - get a pair of those and swim in them.

[lufbramatt]

I've done the contact lens thing in the past but not a huge fan, could never get to the point where I wasn't aware of something in my eye. Due to my prescription I could only get monthly disposables (this was a few years back so things may have moved on) with all the hassle of cleaning them and having to throw away a £25 pair of lenses that I've only worn twice as the 30 days is up.

Also I thought swimming in lenses was a big no-no from a hygiene point of view?

My wife wants to start swimming regularly so would be nice to be able to do a few lengths for fitness and see where I'm going.

Will have a look on the site suggested, thanks.

[JQ]

lufbramatt said:

Due to my prescription I could only get monthly disposables (this was a few years back so things may have moved on) with all the hassle of cleaning them and having to throw away a £25 pair of lenses that I've only worn twice as the 30 days is up.

I was the same as I have a severe astigma in one of my eyes and need to wear a Toric lense. Things have moved on, and I can now wear daily disposables, which cost around 50p a pair. The daily disposables are far thinner than monthlies as they don't need to last as long and don't need cleaning.

lufbramatt said:

Also I thought swimming in lenses was a big no-no from a hygiene point of view?

My understanding is that wearing daily disposables is what's recommended for swimming.

[lufbramatt]

Yes "toric" rings a bell. Interesting stuff then, will have to go have a chat with the optician. I guess dailies are ok to swim in as you can chuck them in the bin when you get out. A thinner lens might be ok, combined with a cheap pair of non-prescription goggles.

Would be useful for cycling to be able to wear my oakleys again, currently have transistions lenses in my specs which works well but always a bit paranoid of breaking them.

[Scabutz]

lufbramatt said:

Also I thought swimming in lenses was a big no-no from a hygiene point of view?

They are, for gods sake don't wear contacts when swimming, even with googles. I used to do this, I had really good googles which didn't leak. I then got a painful eye, which turned out to be acanthmoeba keratitis. It can cause blindness and there are some horror stories out there of people requiring multiple lenses replacement operations. I was lucky as the eye doctor caught it early and the treatment prevented it getting into the deeper eye tissues. It was still 6 months of drops multiple times a day and a lot of pain. The drops are toxic and in the end my eye swelled up, looked like Rocky.

Please don't swim with contacts, I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

[Scabutz]

JQ said:

My understanding is that wearing daily disposables is what's recommended for swimming.

I have heard some people do this, but you have to throw them away immediately after swimming. I was wearing daily disposables but kept them in the whole day.

Acanthmoeba isn't killed by chlorine and it will live between the lense and the eye. The slightest micro damage to the cornea and it will get in and run riot. Its very hard to kill as when its attacked it forms double walled cysts.

[RizzoTheRat]

I've always done the same as JQ, stockpile a supply of daily disposables and the drop off the scheme. When I used to have dive I had a prescription mask though.

I've never found goggles that worked properly and didn't leak all the time but I must say I like the look of these form the link posted above
http://www.prescription-swimming-goggles.co.uk/swi...

I'm working on the coast at the moment and if the weather's nice I go for a dip in the sea to cool down after my run home, wearing my prescription sunglasses with a strap round the back isn't the best idea if the waves are picking up

[lufbramatt]

Scabutz said:

They are, for gods sake don't wear contacts when swimming, even with googles. I used to do this, I had really good googles which didn't leak. I then got a painful eye, which turned out to be acanthmoeba keratitis. It can cause blindness and there are some horror stories out there of people requiring multiple lenses replacement operations. I was lucky as the eye doctor caught it early and the treatment prevented it getting into the deeper eye tissues. It was still 6 months of drops multiple times a day and a lot of pain. The drops are toxic and in the end my eye swelled up, looked like Rocky.

Please don't swim with contacts, I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

Can't argue with that!

[Scabutz]

RizzoTheRat said:

I've always done the same as JQ, stockpile a supply of daily disposables and the drop off the scheme. When I used to have dive I had a prescription mask though.

I've never found goggles that worked properly and didn't leak all the time but I must say I like the look of these form the link posted above
http://www.prescription-swimming-goggles.co.uk/swi...

I'm working on the coast at the moment and if the weather's nice I go for a dip in the sea to cool down after my run home, wearing my prescription sunglasses with a strap round the back isn't the best idea if the waves are picking up

I tried the Eagles, pretty good, only reason I didn't get on with them is they are quite big on the face. Ok for training but racing I always felt like they were causing massive drag. Probably weren't though. The seal round the edge is not that tight, it just means you have to tighten the strap a bit more, but they didn't leak when i used them

[RizzoTheRat]

Scabutz said:

I tried the Eagles, pretty good, only reason I didn't get on with them is they are quite big on the face. Ok for training but racing I always felt like they were causing massive drag. Probably weren't though. The seal round the edge is not that tight, it just means you have to tighten the strap a bit more, but they didn't leak when i used them

Big's good, I'm used to dive masks and really can't get with tiny goggles that sit in my eye socket. Cheaper on Amazon but I might have a look if anywhere locally sells them so I can at least try them on before buying.

[Otispunkmeyer]

JQ said:

lufbramatt said:

Due to my prescription I could only get monthly disposables (this was a few years back so things may have moved on) with all the hassle of cleaning them and having to throw away a £25 pair of lenses that I've only worn twice as the 30 days is up.

I was the same as I have a severe astigma in one of my eyes and need to wear a Toric lense. Things have moved on, and I can now wear daily disposables, which cost around 50p a pair. The daily disposables are far thinner than monthlies as they don't need to last as long and don't need cleaning.

lufbramatt said:

Also I thought swimming in lenses was a big no-no from a hygiene point of view?

My understanding is that wearing daily disposables is what's recommended for swimming.

Yep. One or two Guys at my club do the contacts under goggles thing because, well, they don't make competitive level goggles with prescriptions and most prescription goggles are bulky things with a tendency to not stay on when diving. Then again, we don't really need to be able to see all that clearly...just so long as you can make out people and the black line, you're good! (most do just deal with fuzzy sight, they can count strokes and see the T and black line so generally ok).

[lufbramatt]

Scabutz said:

I have bought mine from Prescription-Swimming-Googles.co.uk in the past. They have these which go to -12:

http://www.prescription-swimming-goggles.co.uk/swi...

I have no idea what they are like but imagine they will be ok for recreational swimming.

The choice of prescription goggles is awful compared to non when you want some for performance swimming.

Ordered those from that site and had first swim with them at the weekend, vision was really good and they didn't leak. Well worth the £35.

Only issue now is I can't hear anything after spending too long messing around under water so after a trip to the docs am booked in to get my ears cleaned out. At least that's free!