Long-sightedness prescription lenses

[Dobs]

Hi all,
A friend of mine suffers from long-sightedness and wears glasses with +4 and +4.5 diopters. He is wondering if there are prescription lenses for dive mask that are no bifocal. Almost all producers offer lenses with minus dioptres, but the only solution they offer for long-sightedness is bifocal lenses. Does anyone use a mask with bifocal lenses? Pros and cons will be great.
One more thing, the guy I’m talking about has a problem wearing contact lenses so this is not an option for him
Any input will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

 

[portinfer]

I took an old pair with plastic lenses and ground them to fit the Cressi Supperocho mask... cheap and cheerful but it works

 

[Chad Carney]

Dobs,

Seavision makes lenses with powers others can't.
They are ground polycarbonate lenses fitted into a mask, not bonded to the glass.
With or without bifocals.
Made for almost any mask with two front eye pieces.
Clear, color correcting and yellow max vision lenses.
They also have their own masks which are very good and will save a good bit of money, compared to puting their lenses into a mask by another maker.

I have + lenses with bifocals.
If your friend needs help with reading gauges or camera screens, as well as corrected distance vision, then it's the only way to go.

http://www.seavisionusa.com/

They are not cheap... but quality never is.

Chad

 

[Fondueset]

I think prescription dive masks can probably do it as well. I've done business with them and they are great.

http://www.prescriptiondivemasks.com

 

[Bill]

"I have + lenses with bifocals.
If your friend needs help with reading gauges or camera screens, as well as corrected distance vision, then it's the only way to go."

When I read this, I wonder if the the person has ever tried mono-vision, where the master eye is corrected for distance (if needed) and the other eye for reading. Prescription Dive Masks set my favourite mask up like this.

Respecfully submitted as 'the other way to go'

Aloha
Bill

 

[BennyB]

When I was initially talking to an optometrist mate about wearing contacts with my mask, he suggested that most optometrists would be able to grind a lense for you that would be able to be fitted next to the lense of the mask. Maybe tell your friend to take his mask in to the optometrist and get their advice.

Cheers,
Ben

 

[Dobs]

Thanks a lot guys!
We will see what we can find at the local optometrists.

 

[donmoore]

Most far sightedness is caused by the loss of flexibility of the focal lenses due to age. This is called Presbyopia. If this is the cause of far sightedness, than bi-focals work very good allowing the person to see both far and short. For freediving bifocals give me no problem because when looking far I am always looking through the top of the lense anyway. It’s only when I need to see something up close do I look down, like string the shooting line of a speargun.

A person can be far sighted (hyperopia) not because of presbyopia. In this case correction without bifocals is what they need.

In either case a prescription correction that corrections for stigmatism as well as focal distance is probably the best. Most people who need focal correction have at least some stigmatism as well and will see better with the correction of both.

A few dive mask manufactures make corrective lenses, mostly for near sightedness (-powers) like you said. Corrective lenses don’t correct for stigmatism and also usually only come in whole numbers where prescription lenses go down to .25 increments. Also if it’s a single lense mask, you can’t have different correction for each eye. Correction lenses are popular for competitive swimmers who don’t need perfect vision to do their sport. They would probably also be fine for competitive freediving, except none of the masks that are currently popular for this have corrective lenses as an option.

For spearfishing or just enjoying the beauty down there, nothing beats prescription. The ground inserts they install also tend to lower the volume of the mask which is good too.
don

 

[Fondueset]

Righto - I have an Omer Alien and Cressi matrix - both with scrip lenses installed by Prescriptiondivemasks - they are great - and the impact on volume is significant

 

[donmoore]

Chad,
Have you owned a seavision mask for long? How is the scratch resistance? My own experience with polycarbonate glasses and a friend who is in the plastic business, says stay away from it, because it scratches so easy. Polycarbonate, although around 100 times more break resistant than glass, scratches easy. Plain old acrylic is more scratch resistant and of course glass is the best.

For a dive mask, the only reason I can see to use polycarbonate is for extremely low volume wrap around lense like the SPHERA, but for a straight lense mask, what could be better than good old glass? Also plastic to me seems to fog easier.

Not trying to be a no-it-all, just wanting to know. Maybe my views are all wrong. It would not be the first time!
don

 

[portinfer]

Cheapest : if you have an old pair of glasses take them apart after measuring the central point of the pupil (make a dot) and then grind down to fit the mask. I have done this and I can just about see bass from 8m away I have problems when they are 8cm away though.... maybe I need bifocals and a shorter gun
Ed

 

[Dobs]

Hi Ed,
can you post a picture of your mask as I can't really imagine it. :head The glasses' lenses are usually mych smaller than the mask

 

[Chad Carney]

I have a gauge reader (no distance correction) that is over 12 years old, with no scratches. I switched to bifocals about 6 years ago, also no scratches. The lenses are recessed into the mask frames so it's very hard to get at them. I also protect my mask during travel and storage by placing it in a padded mask bag that allows the snorkel to stay on it.

I know that Seavision has made lenses for Cressi-sub Superocchio masks for years, another model with recessed lenses. The Minima is less protected. They also make them for swim goggles and pilot's glasses. Seavision is a division of Optimart. They make a model called the Sea Shadow that is very similar to the Superocchio. http://www.seavisionusa.com/2500.asp
Call Drew at 800.732.6275 if you have questions.

I saw Martin Stepanicks Sphera mask while in the PFI course... it was badly scratched.

I discussed mono-vision with Charlie and Drew Duffy, the owners of Seavision, but I ruled it out because it causes loss of depth perception. I spearfish, so that's no good for me.

As long as a Rx mask company makes sure the mask lens is perfectly flat, (thy are not always), and uses quality bonding glues, as some do, then that method is good too. I have seen customer's lenses come loose and crack, chip or shatter while flying around in transit . Also some glues yellow after time. make sure the company has a good track record.

I may still get Lasik someday, but for farsighted people it's a very complicated and expensive procedure. They have to make your lens more round, not just take a little off the top like they do for minus Rx eyes.

Chad

 

[SnOOpY]

Hi guys,

I am Dobs's friend with eye farsight problem I recieved my Cressi Big Eyes from Prescription Dive Mask and I am very happy with their work. The mask gives me very large field of vision. The lenses are bonded tight inside. Thank you very much for your suggestions and of course THANK YOU - Prescription dive mask.

GREAT JOB

 

[SanderP]

My eyes are something over -2 and I think it is very comfortable to wear contact lenses or nothing at all. I don't think I see THAT bad without glasses, especially underwater.