Prescription diving goggles give snorkellers and divers who wear eyeglasses the option of fitting and using their corrective lenses into a preferred range of dive masks. Thanks to these specialized goggles, you can see, experience, and enjoy the world underwater to the fullest with better clarity and focus than you’ve ever imagined possible.
Summary
The Rise of Prescription Diving Goggles
Many people love scuba diving, and the popularity of this aquatic sport doesn’t even come as a surprise. But out of all the different equipment used for diving, the diving goggles or masks play a more critical role than people realize.
But while it’s essential to use top-of-the-line diving goggles, it’s also critical that you always have accurate vision to pair it with. Almost half of the world’s population currently uses corrective lenses because of many vision-related concerns.
The situation is pretty much the same for divers. Since there is no way for them to wear corrective lenses or spectacles underwater for whatever reason, most divers end up suffering from blurry vision every time they go underwater.
But thanks to the continuous development of today’s diving industry combined with all the technological advancements in the field, things have become more accessible for divers who use corrective lenses and spectacles.
Things became even easier with the rise of prescription diving masks or goggles. These prescription diving masks are designed to replace spectacles and corrective lenses. Unlike your usual scuba masks, prescription goggles offer divers a more accurate vision, especially for those who have eye-related issues.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Diving Goggles with Prescription Lenses
Like other diving gear and equipment, prescription diving goggles have strengths and weaknesses you should know before buying and wearing a pair.
Pros of Prescription Diving Masks
Just like prescription lenses are meant to correct your eyesight, prescription diving masks can give you the clear vision you need underwater.
When you use a good pair of prescription diving mask, you can look forward to enjoying and seeing the beauty of the underwater world in its entirety. This is similar to how you can better see the world on land with contact lenses or spectacles.
If you have plans to invest money in your diving goggles or are willing to do so, getting a pair of prescription lenses can offer you a long-term resolution to most, if not all, of your vision-related concerns.
Finally, you can also customize prescription diving masks. Even if your vision is poor sans eyeglasses, you can customize your diving goggles to correct it as prescribed.
Cons of Prescription Diving Masks
It’s a known secret that prescription diving masks come with higher price tags than regular ones. But if your vision is more important to you than the price itself, this is undoubtedly a good option worth considering.
Aside from this, pre-made prescription lenses are also limited in variations. The standard cap for nearsighted lenses is anywhere between -8.0 and -10.0. It is very uncommon for a farsighted correction to go beyond +4.0 or +5.0. You might also need to visit a maker of custom lenses if the strength of your lenses is way more than these numbers.
Factors to Consider When Shopping for Prescription Diving Masks
Novice divers might find choosing a suitable prescription diving mask more challenging.
As a diver, it’s understandable that you want to see and take in all the gorgeous beauty under the water’s surface. Prescription diving masks can make your vision clearer without any difficulties.
Do You Need Prescription Scuba Masks?
If you’re a proud diver, chances are you already know that every time you wear a diving mask, things around you seem 25% larger and closer due to refraction. You might not have to wear a prescription mask if you wear your glasses on land that can only correct your vision by a minimal amount.
The general rule of thumb here is that if you need glasses to ensure a safe drive, you must also correct your vision every time you dive. Using reading glasses is probably the only exception to this particular rule. You probably don’t need these for driving, but you need some corrections to read your dive computer and gauges.
Custom-made or Premade?
When shopping for prescription diving masks, it’s essential to ensure that you will be ordering the proper corrective lenses according to your current prescription for your contact lenses or glasses. Masks for diving often feature premade lenses available in increments of 0.5 in terms of optical factor. It means that if you have a +3.75 prescription, you should decide if you will order +4.0 or +3.5.
When you order custom-made lenses, it also means that you don’t have to decide if you will go lower or higher since these are already tailored according to your specific prescription requirements. But note that this will come at a price since custom-made prescription diving goggles always come with a higher price tag.
If you’re a recreational diver, opting for the premade lens will be enough to have a clear underwater vision. If you’re a professional diver and spend more time in the water regularly, it might be best to invest in custom-made lenses.
The Lens
The lens’ thickness will depend on your vision’s strength. When your optician gives you your prescription, you might want to check if suitable lenses are available. You can save more on customization if you find a premade pair of lenses.
Buying prescription diving goggles isn’t too complicated as long as you know what you need and what to look for.