How to Snorkel with Glasses

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You are not the only one who may be wondering how to snorkel with glasses. While organizing a tropical getaway with snorkeling trips is a lot of fun, it can become more challenging for people with visual issues.

75% of American people need vision correction of some kind, and 64% of them wear glasses, according to the Vision Council of America.

1 Many people have pondered snorkeling with glasses and how it will alter their vision of fish, coral reefs, and other fascinating marine life because such a huge section of the population needs spectacles. Is it possible to snorkle with glasses? We’ve uncovered that on our previous post Can You Snorkel With Glasses?.

People who wear glasses may, thankfully, take full advantage of snorkeling excursions without having to worry about losing out on any of the action underwater thanks to a variety of options. Let’s talk about the alternatives for how to snorkel with glasses as wearing glasses when snorkeling isn’t practical.

1. Natural Enlargement

How to snorkel with glasses? Submerged things are enlarged by water. Underwater things will appear 25% closer and 33% bigger than they actually are if you’re wearing a flat dive mask, snorkeling mask, or swimming goggles. 2

If you have mild vision issues or wear glasses with a prescription between +1.00 and -1.00, you can likely dive in with your snorkeling gear without taking off your glasses.

2. Utilizing Contacts

How to snorkel with glasses? A great and affordable alternative to glasses are contact lenses. However, there are a few considerations you should make while selecting contact lenses because some styles are inappropriate for snorkeling.

Avoid gas permeable and hard contact lenses, especially if you want to perform any freediving or scuba diving in addition to snorkeling. As you dive deeper, the water pressure increases, and these kinds of lenses may get uncomfortable and produce poor vision as a result. The most suitable choice are soft contact lenses.
If your mask spills water inside of it or if you have to take it off underwater for whatever reason, keep your eyes closed. You’ll be less likely to misplace your lenses if you do this.
After snorkeling, thoroughly clean your contact lenses and rinse your eyes with fresh water to prevent irritation and lower your risk of contracting an eye infection.
Choose disposable lenses if you intend to go snorkeling frequently. This makes it simple for you to replace your lenses if you lose them. If this happens, bring a few additional pairs with you. For people who are prone to eye infections, disposable lenses are a great option because they can throw them away after a snorkeling trip and swap them out for fresh ones.
Consider switching to contact lenses if you don’t already, so you have plenty of time to adjust before your snorkeling excursion.
Consult your eye doctor before using contacts while snorkeling to find out what they advise given your unique vision issues and medical background.

3. Prescribed Snorkeling Gear

A prescription mask is an excellent choice if you don’t like using contact lenses or if you plan to go diving and snorkeling frequently. These are either ready-made or specially-made prescription-lens-equipped snorkeling and scuba diving masks.

For those who need bifocal lenses as well as those who are astigmatic, farsighted, or nearsighted, there are alternatives accessible.

Snorkel masks with prescription lenses are one of the most expensive options for eyewear. The greatest candidates for pre-made masks have the same prescription in both eyes and are a little less expensive. You’ll probably need a custom-made mask from a dive shop or an optometrist that specializes in prescription diving masks if you have astigmatism or need different prescription strengths for each of your eyes.

Pre-made dive masks with corrective lenses are commonly offered in nearsightedness ranges from -1.0 to -10.0 and farsightedness ranges from +1.0 to +4.0, with increments of 0.5.

Prescription masks are available through Amazon and other online retailers in addition to diving shops. It is advisable to see an optometrist before buying the mask to make sure your prescription is current and this could answer your question about how to snorkel with glasses.

Conclusion

While wearing glasses while snorkeling can present some difficulties, there are a number of ways to overcome these obstacles and fully enjoy this underwater pastime. The ideal option for you will depend on your eyesight, spending limit, and the amount of time you intend to spend snorkeling and diving.