Sport Today

Hi everyone -

This has probably been asked before, but does anyone have a good
solution to the problem of surfing or windsurfing w/ less than perfect
vision?   I can do without my glasses for both sports, but my sister,
who is a new & very enthusiatic surfer, is having trouble.  I really
want her to stay enthusiastic, and so want to help her solve the vision
thing.

What do people reccommend?  Are there some contact lenses that stay on
in the water?  Perhaps there are special surfing/swimming contacts?  
Maybe the only solution is (gasp!) goggles...

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

thanks!

Jonathan

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 Charlie Escher // Beautiful Bingen, Washington
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I have worn disposable contacts for ocean water sports for years and have
never lost one or had eye infection. My eye Dr friend says ocean water
really poses no threat for the kinda of exposure you get when falling in
briefly.

MarkUS4477

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(remove "RMV" to reply)

I have been surfing with my contacts for 6 years and I have never lost
one.  Just don't open your eyes underwater.

Jonathan Donner Said  

Also, I see better with glasses, so I only wear the contacts on those days when
glasses fog or I think I'm going to lose glasses in the waves (seldom...because
I'm basically a bay sailor)...
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Pete Cresswell

Wearing contacts myself the only suggestion I can make is to make sure you
have soft contacts.  I have been windsurfing for 10 years now and have
never lost one.  But you are asking for trouble with hard or gas permible
contats.  I also know more experinced and better windsurfers that wear sun
glasses with some sort of strap that holds them on.

-tim

Hey,
Without my contacts/eyeglasses I am blind as a bat, and
that hurt my sailing a little - not knowing where your
launch site is really sucks.  I have worn my soft contacts
for the past year with swimming goggles and that worked
fine, but there was a fogging up problem, not too mention
it really looked stupid and I could have been labeled as a
techno-weenie had anyone seen me with them on out there.  I
recently decided to go out there with the googles just
around my neck so I could sail with focused vision and
still be able to look normal and not have the restrictions
of tunnel-vision, until the really rough gusts and breaking
chop came along, then I'd slip them on.
That worked, but eventually I left the goggles back on the
dock and sailed without them, and have never touched them
since.
Anyway, to make this a bit shorter, I wear my softs and
have never experienced any trouble at all.  I have gotten
launched, nearly drowned and much more, but my contacts
have always allowed me to see underwater and above.
Carrying a little tube of eye-drops might help in
sal***er, which you could keep in a pocket or pouch of
your life-jacket or harness.
In short: Wearing contacts is fine, just remember that
they're there and could fall out in 'some' situations
(situations that I have never been in so far!)
Have fun!
Clive
PS - Since mine aren't disposible, it could be said that
I'm a risk-taker, but there's not that much risk.

I went for the 1-day contacts. I've been wearing them surfing and windsurfing
for 2 years and haven't lost one yet. I sail most of the time in high wind and
have been in plenty of epic crashes, some with eyes closed and some with eyes
open - never had a problem. I was afraid they might come off under water the
first time I wore them, so rather than worry - I just opened my eyes and swam
around, they were fine and I haven't worried since.

Salt water is better than fresh.  In salt water the lenses stick to my
cornea.  In fresh they fall out.  I've lost 1 or 2 in fresh water, none in
salt.

Close your eyes when you get slammed or bail.

-Ed

)) I can do without my glasses for both sports, but my sister,
))who is a new & very enthusiatic surfer, is having trouble.  I
))really want her to stay enthusiastic, and so want to help her
))solve the vision thing.

))What do people reccommend?

I wear glasses everday, and then wear contacts only if I'll be
sailing or surfing.  Just remember to close your eyes to save
your lenses, and that it's better to lose a lense than take a
shot in the head with your board or rig.  It's always a tradeoff
when your vision is less than perfect.  I've only lose two lenses
in 10+ years of sailing.

                                        Charles

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Sailing PCM Designs (Clark foam/Polyester Resin, Hydro Hull)
Hot GRD sails and $99 Booms.
Why? - the sailor not the equipment makes the difference

RE sal***er vrs fresh... I just moved to the Gorge and haven't really
noticed the difference.

RE Big winds.... I have had the feeling that my contacts were about to blow
out while sailing in New England hurricane leftovers... 50knots can attempt
to dislodge them.  Now I have one of those expensive Gath helmets with the
visor, and I am experimenting with the height/level of the visor that would
shield the wind from coming in the side of my eyes, and yet offer good
visibility.

Contacts are the way to go.

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Mark & Lynne Frost,
Portland, Oregon,  USA.
(to e-mail reply, please remove '_nospam' from domain name)
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