Contact Lenses - advice please?

[Woz]

I've been using bi-weekly disposables now for about 15 years. Have tried dailies but they were thin as cling film and did not get on with them. And monthlies are too cloudy and uncomfortable towards the end of their life. So bi-weeklies are a good compromise. I use Acuvue 2 lenses which I wear for as long as I like every day and they are comfy. I've dived and swum with contacts ever since I started wearing them (in 1985) and have never had a problem. I started off by taking the lenses out and using a mask with an old pair of glasses stuffed into them with the arms unscrewed which was remarkably effective.

[nickb]

Daily disposables here (plus reading glasses for close-up stuff as I'm officially an old bastard now)

I tried monthlies but found them to be too much hassle and was told that they ought to be chucked if they come into contact with non-sterile water.

I have a regular check-up at Vision Express and buy daily Acuvue lenses online from the US for half the price of getting hem in the UK.

[SilvaFish]

As for myself, if u've got money to splash, have you considered laser eye surgery? since I've had mine done, I've not looked back. I started out with -5.5 and -6.75, had them done in 1996 (techniques used alot better now) and have found that my worse eye has regressed to -2, but otherwise pretty stable. Can't wear contact lenses though as eyeball shape now too flat, but maybe something to consider?

[Ness]

Laser eye surgery? No way! My ex-hubby had it done and seeing the video of the op totally weirded me out. Couldn't do it. Plus, I don't consider my vision to be too bad to start with, I think it'm like a 1.5 in one eye and a 1.75 in the other. Plus, unfortunately, the raise wasn't stupidly huge, and being a backpacker I need to save every penny I can!
Am definately off to visit SpecSavers next pay day though to look into contacts.
Thanks heaps for all the info everyone!
Muchas Gracias
Ness

[Ness]

Oooooh here's a silly question... in Oz, an eye test with an optician is free on Medicare. Are they free on the NHS here? If not, are they very expensive? Don't fancy spending 200 quid on an eye test if the contacts are only a tenner a month...

[Tim Ingmire]

Isn't it about time somebody invented a CL for diving - ie can wear underwater and see clearly without requiring a mask.

[Paul Oliver]

You have to have an eye test as part of the fitting but its quite cheap.

I have one each year and its quite reasonable about £15 or so i think.

So you'd be on a working Holidaymaker visa then

[Finless]

Have been on fortnightly soft lenses for about 5(?) years and have been wearing soft lenses for about 35 years.

No problems for diving but have to accept the fact they are goners if I have to bail out of my FFM.

[J.D.]

Originally Posted by Tim Ingmire

Isn't it about time somebody invented a CL for diving - ie can wear underwater and see clearly without requiring a mask.

I think you can get them. Saw a programme about free diver Umberto Pelizzari a while ago and IIRC he was using them, think they said they cost a couple of thousand a pair!

Ness - have a look at this: Diving and the Eye

[Josie]

Hi Ness

I wear the monthly extended wear contact lenses that you can put in at the beginning of the month and take out at the end of the month. I actually take them out each night, but if I am away, lazy or pissed it doesn't matter if I sleep in them for a night or two. As I pay monthly for them I don't pay the extra for my eye test. I have found that they stay in my eyes better than the usual monthly contact lenses. I had a similar problem to Mark (Bantam) as I was wearing my lenses 15 hours a day and they weren't designed for that much wear. Hence why I wear the extended wear but take them out most nights.

When I've been diving and taken my mask off for drills I've kept my eyes shut just incase. My other half Dave keeps suggesting that I get a prescription mask, but my lds will charge me about £65 for the lenses. Cheaper to wear my contacts!

Good luck and hope you find lenses that suit you! Just realised that I've been wearing contact lenses for half my life now (and been paying for them for that long!). Am considering getting the laser treatment, as it's much better than it used to be, and if I add up how much I've spent on lenses over the years, it's quite scarey!

Josie