Short sighted swimming - help !

Pinkeyes

Pinkeyes

Pinkeyes

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I have just started swimming to provide good excersise, and a good excuse to leave the office for an hour at lunch times.

The problem I have though is I am quite short sighted, so once I am in my trunks with my locker key in hand, I really struggle, and it is a real pain. I don't mean I can't find the pool or anything, but I cannot see the big massive clock on the wall to know how long I have been in, and everyone and everything is a big blur. I hate it.

Any short sighted swimmers out there ?

My choices are to buy some perscription goggles, but I would feel a bit of a berk wearing my goggles permenantly, or do I buy some contact lenses, and stick my goggles on top ?

edit: OR can I just wear contacts ? do they fall out does anyone know ?
 
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I'm slightly short-sighted and have a little trouble seeing the clock when I'm swimming, which makes it difficult to record my times (problem however easily solved by a watch :D )

To be honest mate it's one of those things, who cares if you look like a berk walking around with them on? I personally wouldn't. A guy I used to swim with had special prescription goggles that he wore for the time he didn't have his glasses on. He didn't care about it. I wouldn't wear contacts though, never tried but I can imagine it wouldn't be too comfortable while swimming
 
Pinkeyes said:
edit: OR can I just wear contacts ? do they fall out does anyone know ?
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I'm not sure if you're supposed to or not but I have daily disposable lenses and I just leave them in when I go swimming. I'm not really a serious swimmer though and keep my head above water the entire time.
 
I wear contacts and swim in them.

Opticians will tell you not to swim in them, but I do and have never had any trouble. You won't either, unless you like to keep your eyes open underwater?

If you got a big splash of water in your eye they could slip out, but it's very unlikely tbh.
 
Thanks for everyone's replies.

Looks like either contacts or perscription goggles will work fine. I'll just wait for the optician to post me my current one (apparently they can't tell you over the phone :confused: ) and figure which is the best on the pocket.


sh4rk said:
What about buying a cheap waterproof watch? (or have i missed something :confused: )
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No, it is a good idea, but it's not just about knowing the time. It is just all all round problem of everything being very blurred.
 
Ah k, I know what you mean because I'm slightly short sighted. Luckily I can still see fairly well so it's not always a problem.
 
Hlebio said:
I wear contacts and swim in them.

Opticians will tell you not to swim in them, but I do and have never had any trouble. You won't either, unless you like to keep your eyes open underwater?

If you got a big splash of water in your eye they could slip out, but it's very unlikely tbh.
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I am an optometrist and will tell you, you should NOT swim in contact lenses/use water with contact lenses. If you do get an infection (acanthameoba) you risk going blind and if you think you have a spare set of eyes in your pocket then goodluck to you but dont come crying to an opticians when/if that problem ever does happen.

INFO Linky

PINKEYES -
My advice:
1. wear daily disposable contact lenses with a pair of good watertight goggles on top and as soon as you are done swimming, throw those lenses away. Don't be tempted to wear them the rest of the day.
2. Invest in a pair of prescription swimming goggles. We sell a pair for £40 where I work and did one for a chap last week whose prescription was -4.00 and -6.50 DS.
In either of the 2 options, you will need to wear goggles. And if you have horrendous amounts of astigmatism (part of your prescription), then neither option will be perfect for you.
As to your other question: can contact lenses fall out of the eye?
I would presume you are talking about soft contact lenses..In air they are fine, but if you go underwater and open your eyes they should and probably will come out of your eyes quite easily by themselves. this is due to the changes in pressure ( comparing air to water). again not a problem if you have goggles on top as then there is air pusing against the lens and it's not going to float away.

If you want to ask more questions feel free to ask. And let me know your prescription so I can see what's your best bet. Also if your prescription is simple then I can prob get you a pair of prescription swimming goggles for maybe about £30ish.
 
LionOfJudah - a *massive* thank you for your reply.

I decided after much consideration, added to the fact I am currently doing only about 30-45 mins in a lunch time to avoid the mess of putting in the contacts to grab some perscription goggles.

If they don't work out I will go contact lense / goggle route. I certainly will not be doing this without the goggles.

I found this Guardian review which suggests the SD 9431 "Click System" modular goggle are really good and I picked some up for £24. I am sure there are much better ones around, but I am doing this to keep fit, not to swim races or anything.

Thanks again to everyone for your help....
 
Only just seen this thread. I have been training for years (must be getting on for about 14 or so) where I have had to deal with short sightedness.

It may just be me but I have got used to it, I would never dream of buying prescription goggles, my brother had some when he swam but not me. I am about -3.5 in both eyes (short sighted.) I may be taking the sport more seriously, but the prescription goggles just don't do it for feel in the water.

My 0.02p.
 
Pinkeyes said:
LionOfJudah - a *massive* thank you for your reply.

I decided after much consideration, added to the fact I am currently doing only about 30-45 mins in a lunch time to avoid the mess of putting in the contacts to grab some perscription goggles.

If they don't work out I will go contact lense / goggle route. I certainly will not be doing this without the goggles.

I found this Guardian review which suggests the SD 9431 "Click System" modular goggle are really good and I picked some up for £24. I am sure there are much better ones around, but I am doing this to keep fit, not to swim races or anything.

Thanks again to everyone for your help....
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np
the sd9431 seem ok. obviously not seen/tested so not sure if any good but then for £24 and just occasional swimming guess can't complain.
anyway goodluck with it and let us know how you do find those goggles.
 
LionOfJudah said:
I am an optometrist and will tell you, you should NOT swim in contact lenses/use water with contact lenses. If you do get an infection (acanthameoba) you risk going blind and if you think you have a spare set of eyes in your pocket then goodluck to you but dont come crying to an opticians when/if that problem ever does happen.

SNIP.......
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I've been wearing (daily disposable) contacts for over 12 years now and about 8 of those were whilst swimming and playing waterpolo up to 10times a week. I understand that as an optometrist its your job to make sure peoples eyes are in good health but through personal experience i don't see that there's a big risk. Just like chiropodists say wear a verruca sock, the risk is minuscule, never had a verruca in my life *touches wood* ;)

Regardless of the health implications, soft (disposable) contacts will stay on underwater without goggles as long as the first time you enter the water and put your head under you resurface with your eyes closed. Don't know how or why it works just after that first time they'll stay put. If they can last a game of waterpool they'll be fine for everything else! :D
 
MTA99 said:
but through personal experience i don't see that there's a big risk. Just like chiropodists say wear a verruca sock, the risk is minuscule, never had a verruca in my life *touches wood* ;) :D
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yeah if you read the link in my earlier post the infection is rare 1 in 30000 approximately. but in view of if being contracted via water and that the more you put yourself in that situation, the higher the risk of you contracting it..i'd be careful.
and yes our profession is about protecting/informing our patients and when it comes to eyes its better to be safe than sorry. you'd be surprised at what i come across and where sight has been lost in an eye and the state people are in when they realise that they won't get that sight back. if is worth the risk?
 
LionOfJudah said:
yeah if you read the link in my earlier post the infection is rare 1 in 30000 approximately. but in view of if being contracted via water and that the more you put yourself in that situation, the higher the risk of you contracting it..i'd be careful.
and yes our profession is about protecting/informing our patients and when it comes to eyes its better to be safe than sorry. you'd be surprised at what i come across and where sight has been lost in an eye and the state people are in when they realise that they won't get that sight back. if is worth the risk?
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I didn't read the link (i'm at work) but thanks for the key fact and your opinion.

Is it worth the risk? To be able to do something i enjoy?........'course it is! Everyday we encounter much greater risk of death than 1 in 30,000 but we carry on regardless because we have to get to work, carry out our work and/or generally get on with enjoying life.
 
rayb74 said:
Comparing the risk of getting a veruka to loosing the sight of one or both of your eyes is foolish.
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I wasn't comparing the risk, i was comparing the way certain professions give advice based on their particular area of expertise/interest.

Now that i've clarified my post could you explain why comparing risks is foolish?
 
MTA99 said:
I wasn't comparing the risk, i was comparing the way certain professions give advice based on their particular area of expertise/interest.

Now that i've clarified my post could you explain why comparing risks is foolish?
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comparing risks if foolish true as different parts of the body have different risks. and yes true we go through different risk levels every day - driving etc but the only point I was trying to make is sight is precious - you dont know what you have till it's gone.
at the end of the day it's each to their own
 
LionOfJudah said:
np
the sd9431 seem ok. obviously not seen/tested so not sure if any good but then for £24 and just occasional swimming guess can't complain.
anyway goodluck with it and let us know how you do find those goggles.
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Well the arrived through the letterbox as I was leaving to go to Manchester Aquatics Centre (the commonwealth pool, which I highly recommend). Perfect timing.

They have totally changed my whole experience. I can see everything. I went with my girlfriend and our children. The pool is huge, and they open the diving pool (with the floor lifted) for younger swimmers, and they have a shallow area at the other end with slides. I could see both sides, I could find them when they went from one pool to the other without havig to wander squinting at in an odd way at young children till I found mine!

The goggles utterly refused to steam up too (just as the review said). Did lengths and lengths in them too.

I think despite peoples reassurances, I would be worried about contact lenses falling out, and the only downside is I must have looked a bit stange sat in a 2 foot deep lazy pool with my 1 year old with my goggles on. But so what, at least I could see the joy on her face for once.

Very happy with them indeed. I even went to our local pool this morning for another try !
 
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