Sailors with Corrective Lenses

[aewing]

Prescription sunglasses or contacts with regular sunglasses. Which do you use most often at sea?

[Therapy]

I don't wear contacts. I can't stick things in my eye. Too sensitive.

Prescription sunglasses are too expensive.

8 dollar clip-ons.

[David M]

Prescription sunglasses with one of those string retainers so I do not lose them.

[Thumbs Up]

Before i got laser beamed I used polarized fit overs from Walmart (about $20.)

[Sailmonkey]

one word

LASIK

[aewing]

Originally Posted by Therapy

I don't wear contacts. I can't stick things in my eye. Too sensitive.

Prescription sunglasses are too expensive.

8 dollar clip-ons.

Oo good one. I should have included the clip-ons as an option. Prescription sunglasses are definitely way too expensive, and that is my inspiration for starting this thread. Thanks for your input.

[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?

[JPA Cate]

I agree that contact lenses are nicest when it's raining or there's lots of spray, but they require that one keep them clean, and that turns out for me to be too much hassle on ocean passages, and I gave them up. I wear polarized sunglasses that fit over my regular glasses most of the time, although I have clip-ons, too. I prever the former because they shield my eyes against UV better, and keep the wind out. I can put up with their looking dorky, because I like my eyes to be comfortable, and the over-the-regular-glasses ones are that, for me.

[aewing]

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?

Thanks for your input, very helpful. How is Belize these days? Nice people and world class diving when I visited near Placencia in 2001.

[aewing]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

I agree that contact lenses are nicest when it's raining or there's lots of spray, but they require that one keep them clean, and that turns out for me to be too much hassle on ocean passages, and I gave them up. I wear polarized sunglasses that fit over my regular glasses most of the time, although I have clip-ons, too. I prever the former because they shield my eyes against UV better, and keep the wind out. I can put up with their looking dorky, because I like my eyes to be comfortable, and the over-the-regular-glasses ones are that, for me.

Hey thanks for taking the time to write Ann! This info is very helpful to me and hopefully others who are about to spend some serious time on the water.

[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 *$%*&#.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

one word

LASIK

Originally Posted by aewing

Oo good one. I should have included the clip-ons as an option. Prescription sunglasses are definitely way too expensive, and that is my inspiration for starting this thread. Thanks for your input.

I had Lasik specifically so I could go sailing again and not wear prescriptions. Just plain cheap polarized sunglasses.

It failed. I still need glasses.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

I agree that contact lenses are nicest when it's raining or there's lots of spray, but they require that one keep them clean, and that turns out for me to be too much hassle on ocean passages, and I gave them up. I wear polarized sunglasses that fit over my regular glasses most of the time, although I have clip-ons, too. I prever the former because they shield my eyes against UV better, and keep the wind out. I can put up with their looking dorky, because I like my eyes to be comfortable, and the over-the-regular-glasses ones are that, for me.

Any that are particularly light weight?

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

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by aewing

Prescription sunglasses or contacts with regular sunglasses. Which do you use most often at sea?

My eyes are too dry for contacts, so I get prescription polaroids.

Pretty soon I have to have cataracts out, and i think I'll have to wear special sunglasses for a while, but hope to be back to Polaroids afterwards.

Even if my vision is 20/20 after the cataract surgery, which is possible, I will still get prescription grade Polaroids. I couldn't believe the difference in quality comparing the prescriptive to even the best OTC Polaroids.

[Therapy]

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 *$%*&#.

If I get another boat it is going to cost so much that this idea, I think, is what I am going to go with. +clip-ons.