Sailors with Corrective Lenses

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Therapy

Any that are particularly light weight?

I guess I have a tender nose that cannot tolerate much pressure.

If that happens, they don't fit right. Another point for prescriptive. They make them comfy or you get your money back.

[aewing]

Originally Posted by Suijin

Some of us can't wear contacts (they don't come in bifocals yet) and and are not candidates for LASIK (something to do with my particular, though mild astigmatism and particular focal needs) so we are stuck with glasses.

I have a pair of polarized, bifocal prescription RayBans. I have had them for 10 years and just got new lenses for them. They were not cheap (the lenses, that is), but amortized over the life of the lenses, if I take care of them, it's worth it to me. I do have two pairs of back up glasses and a pair of fitovers for them since if you lose your ability to see at sea you are right well *$%*&#.

Hi Suijin! Great post. I agree there's no doubt we are right well *$%*&# if we can't see at sea and I hope this thread gets some attention because this is extremely mission critical type stuff for us poor-sighted sailors. A lot of people, myself included, will soon be departing to places where they'll likely have little if any access to the kind of vision care we are used to back home, so a well informed decision in this department makes a lot of sense to me.

I'm also not a candidate for Lasik yet because of my astigmatism. I really like the idea of investing in a pair of great shades and amortizing the cost over their lifespan, but the fact that I loose sunglasses like it's my job has me second guessing the whole idea

[smaarch]

prescriptive reading
I keep a pair on the boat
and i always bring the pair i'm using.

invariably (as in last week) I leave them somewhere (like the cockpit seats) and step on them.....
or they fall overboard while sorting the mooring lines....

as a backup i keep a couple of magnifying glass next to the charts.
came very much in handy a few sails ago.....

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by aewing

Hi Suijin! Great post. I agree there's no doubt we are right well *$%*&# if we can't see at sea and I hope this thread gets some attention because this is extremely mission critical type stuff for us poor-sighted sailors. A lot of people, myself included, will soon be departing to places where they'll likely have little if any access to the kind of vision care we use used to back home, so a well informed decision in this department makes a lot of sense to me.

I'm also not a candidate for Lasik yet because of my astigmatism. I really like to idea of investing in a pair of great shades and amortizing the cost over their lifespan, but the fact that I loose sunglasses like it's my job has me second guessing the whole idea

Yeah. they don't make the ones that go from light to dark in Polaroid, and I notice the difference.

[aewing]

Really great info and discussion here people, thank you for posting. Please keep em coming.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Therapy

Any that are particularly light weight?

I guess I have a tender nose that cannot tolerate much pressure.

I have 20-350 correction. Mostly too much for the lasar and it would make a mess of my ability to work up close. I would go from near sighted to far sighted. I get the best polycarbonate hard-coated lenses available. You really have to be careful to avoid scratches. They are expensive.

I rarely wear sunglasses but we are under the navy blue bimini most of the time. I occasionally have my old, spare glasses tinted.

Get a hat with a dark under brim color too.

[smaarch]

I should add: my vision is fine with good light. at night I have a problem reading and its getting worst as time goes.........
a few weeks ago i helped take a boat up the coast for 5 days nonstop and forgot my glasses....
let's just say night watches and the navigation that went along with it were "interesting"
ok capt you want to know our position?...hmmm.......we're on the line.

[kthoennes]

I have contacts - I mean I own a pair but I almost never use them. Too much hassle, messing with solution, etc. At the office I wear regular bifocal glasses. On the boat I wear a pair of superlight, nearly indestructible regular (non-bifocal) glasses in frames by a company called Tiflex. Walmart sells Tiflex. Bifocals are so much more expensive than regular lenses that if I have to do close work on the boat I just lift them to the top of my head or take them off. And then for sunny days - prescription Ray Bans on a tether. Normally I'm the kind of person who thinks ridiculously expensive designer glasses are just silly, but last year I was killing time in Lenscrafters and slipped on the Ray Bans just for kicks. Oh baby, it was love at first sight (so to speak). I did order special, extra dark polarized lenses for the boat and now those Rays are the most comfortable, protective glasses I own and it takes gale force winds to pull them off my face. I'll have them paid off in about twenty-five more payments.

[Johnathon123]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Ive worn contacts for years, much better than glasses for outdoor activities...especially in crappy weather. Wear them diving and snorkeling too. Have had friends with various corrective surgeries and they have all had issues years later. I dont know a single eye Doc who has had correctice surgery...even one who runs a LASIK clinic...why not I wonder?

Same here - Lasik - Failed - Back to prescription sunnies polarised Rayban and a dry towel in my pocket at all times

[svpattyd]

I had 20/800 vision before LASIK. I was worried that if I lost my glasses I would be a liabily in the boat. I have Maui Jim sunglasses. You can buy bifocal sun glasses at readingglasses.com. Maui Jim sunglasses can be fitted with prescription lenses.

[minaret]

Mine are prescription Oakley Crosshairs with all the coatings, amber tint, slight amber mirroring, and Transition as well. $800 a pair, totally worth it. Except my homies call me "Hollywood" when I wear them!

I usually wear contacts though. Can't wear a fullface with glasses on! These days if you do disposables a year supply is cheap. They were on sale at my shop recently and I bought three years worth of my brand for about $350.

[HopCar]

I spend the money on prescription sun glasses. I wear them so much it's worth the money to me.

People who have cataract surgery end up with better vision these days as they replace your natural lens with one that has the right correction.

[TeddyDiver]

Self darkening prescription glasses here. They weren't too expensive either, about 200€ if I recall it right. Works well except when it's a some spray in the air

[K_V_B]

I usually wear contacts on boadr, and. I use disposables. Disposable contacts are great on board, or when traveling in general. Mine cost 5.49 € for a set of 32, plus shipping. And they ship everywhere.

[cmac]

I wear graduated bifocals, but when diving I use contacts. Cheaper then buying prescription mask lenses.