C-Forum

now i know not everyone out there has perfect eyes right?
or do you...
so here is a slight dilemma, i recently got contact lenses from the optomotrist, and have been debating on wearing them during paddling, as long as i dont submerge myself i am fine they say however if i were to accidently open an eye and have the contact surrounded by a liquid, they said it would come out. has anyone else out there in internet land had experience with this business? for i am seriously debating what to do, having broken glasses.
thanks for the input,
-isaac

Though I'm not a wearer, yet. One suggestion is to tape a spare pair of lenses to the inside of your helmet. If you get separated from your boat, hopefully you still have your helmet on. I'd carry spare glasses in a drybag (or taped inside a closed boat), as I do with my shades which I can't do without.


***Good to C the site back***thanks Adam & Admins

I've worn then for what seems like forever, and I have never lost one while paddling (I should clarify...soft lenses).
I too carry spares with me, or my glasses in a drybag in case I were to need them.
The biggest problem I've had is spray splashing in my face from aerated water at the most inopportune times blurring the vision or making a lense move a bit, but never out. I've even opened my eyes underwater not thinking, and they stayed put...but I wouldn't recommend to really do that.
I think you'll find them just fine.
MB

I wear contacts when i am playboating and have no problems.

you are best off getting daily disposable ones incase they do get any mucky water in them and start growing bacteria and infectious stuff which can be quite nasty.

take them out and put fresh ones in as soon as you get off the water otherwise you may end up with a nasty infection.
Your eyes are vital, Keep them clean.

Been using soft contacts from mid 80's.

Lost exactly one. Well, actually, a couple, but the others were on dry land, in parking lots, etc Only one while in the boat.

They do take a moment to clear, but they stay in. I am not big on opening my eyes underwater, altho I have heard others say they do regularly without problems.

I have heard that hard lenses clear faster, but don't stay in as well, but that is hearsay --no experience..

Disposables are the way to go, esp if you don't wear them all the time.

Junior -- sounds like you paddle at Nottingham????

I wear old school hard lenses with no troubles.

I've lost a (soft) lens once due to an unexpected splash in the face. Fortunately I carry a spare pair in my pfd pocket, though I found it immediately after opening the spare (it was stuck on my pogie!).

A bigger problem has been aerated water spashing me in the eyes, blurring my vision at crucial moments... like while stuck in a hole at the start of a technical III+ sequence... Make sure you memorize your lines!! It isn't as bad if you splash some water in your eyes before the action.

For the record, I'd never consider wearing my glasses instead.

-pete

the lenses i wear are also the soft lenses, and i have never had any problem with them in the first place, except when theyre not in ie now. but that gives me a little more confidence to not feel to worried while paddling with them, thanks for the input.
-isaac

Just to put the cautions about errant water splashes and other potential problems with contacts in perspective... Picture yourself on a cold foggy morning paddling up in C-2 to the lip of High Falls on the Cheat Canyon. Just as you're about to head down the drop, your sternsman yells, "I can't see!" because her glasses have fogged. You will quickly gain a deep appreciation for the benefits of wearing contacts.

This was back in the early 80s when use of soft contacts by paddlers was first spreading. Over a three year period of fairly intensive slalom racing and river cruising, my wife (the sternsman in question) had only one problem with a soft contact dislodging from splash. That came from the big hole in Surprise on the New River (John Sweet suckered us into it when we followed his line too closely, but not close enough!) and only resulted in being shifted out of position somewhat. She blinked a few times and it quickly repositioned. She also followed the prevalent advice to keep her eyes closed when underwater.

If you can't see well without visual correction, contacts, whether soft or disposable (a type not yet available when my wife paddled) would be well worth the investment.

i am an optometrist and have paddled for years in contacts. i mostly open boat but have kayaked and c-boated. lost 1 lens once on the ocoee, but had a spare in my dry bag, replaced it in an eddy and paddled on down. sitting around the fire later the next evening, my vision blurred as my lost lens appeared from under my upper lid. so i never actually lost it! seriously, you could just as easily lose or break your glasses paddling and the spray is heck on glasses. if you wear contacts, always try to disinfect them after rolling or swimming to avoid some exotic infections from swollen rivers. i concur with the disposable regimen, only way to go if your prescription is appropriate. hope this helps. jet

the lenses i use are replaceables, however they are meant for about a 60-90 day period do they make lenses that are like a daily, or rather they sell daily contacts? seems like an expensive adventure? well i got a chance to use them once, but we'll see when it comes to rolling.
thanks
-isaac

i always had an ethical dilemma with true daily disposables, ones you toss after 1 use, seems to be too much waste with packaging. so i never encourage them. to me the monthly disposbles are a good compromise, economical, healthy for the corneas and still have extras to take on a paddling, diving, camping trip. hope this helps. jet

yes but with monthly lenses if you get any mucky water or bacteria in them, it will breed on your eye for the rest of that month giving you a realy nasty infection, i had monthly ones and had a nasty infection from them.

Soft lenses work like a sponge, that is how they stay soft by soaking up water, that is why they come in a sterile saline packaging. even by cleaning them doesn't remove all the stuff inside them.

i agree that for general use off the water, monthly lenses are more comfortable, less waste and more economical, but for watersports they are a risk cus lets face it no water is totaly clean, even filtered bottle water has sedements of rock in it.

Is there any problem switching between dailies and extended wear? Use dailies just on the river?

I understand why the contacts come in the saline solution, and so on. as far as the dailies are concerned, are they cheaper than the monthly or bimonthly contacts? so if i just went to my optometrist, id be able to have them order in Daily contacts for me? i just think it would be quite expensive.
-isaac