Prescription Goggles for astigmatism?

William Jenks

All-

I had a disastrous swim last weekend because my wave thinned out and there was enough roughness in the water that it was easy to get off course AND harder to see the buoys.  But the topper is that I have bad astigmatism, so that even the usual "optically corrected" goggles - while much better than nothing because I'm also myopic - just don't cut it.  I literally got lost and swam way out of my way.

I'm finally willing to bite the bullet and pay for some legit prescription goggles if I can find a company willing to take on astigmatism corrections.

Before you ask, yes, I'm already doing the "split the difference" trick on the astigmatism...I try on the optical goggles like reading glasses at the store and choose the ones that let me see the best...and they are higher power than my nearsight/spherical correction.

Thanks for any help.  I'd be very grateful.

William

Beth_S

Hm. I weighed the astigmatism question with goggles, too. Not quite what you are asking, but my eye doctor found the most eyeball-sticking astigmatism-correcting contacts for me. I haven't lost one in the water (or anywhere) yet.

William Jenks

Thanks Beth.

Unfortunately, my astigmatism doesn't lend itself to correction through contacts. It's both lenticular (corneal is much more common) and stronger than the vast majority of contacts will correct for. I have to wear the "weighted" ones if I insist on wearing contacts. (I haven't for years, but I did try them.) They are hard lenses that rely on a heavy spot to be held in the "down" position in order to get the correction right. Works ok when you're standing up (except for a bit of a pendulum effect), but not so good horizontal. :-)

So I need to find a maker of swim goggles that will do an actual corrective lens that includes an astigmatism correction.

Steve West

Seven years ago I had Lasik on both eyes because I couldnt wear contacts white water kayaking successfully. Way too many times I would be just above 'Killer Fang Falls" or some such scary big feature and I would gat spashed in the face, floating my contacts loose or washing them out altogether, leaving me completely blind just when I REALLY needed to see! Several times one got pushed up behind my eye and didnt come out for a day or 2. Yowzer!

Getting the surgery was one of the best things I have invested in for sports related stuff. As I age presobia has made reading and seeing detail a problem, but I dont have the issues I used to from asigmatism. I now do need RX for reading and computer but I can read my Garmin/Joule and see to bike and swim just fine.

So, no recos on corrective goggles but a vote for Lasik surgury. Worked for me and I had 20/200 and 20/80 pre Lasiks. Most of that was sue to the astigmatism.

Beth_S

Posted By William Jenks on 13 Jun 2012 11:58 AM

Thanks Beth.



Unfortunately, my astigmatism doesn't lend itself to correction through contacts. It's both lenticular (corneal is much more common) and stronger than the vast majority of contacts will correct for. I have to wear the "weighted" ones if I insist on wearing contacts. (I haven't for years, but I did try them.) They are hard lenses that rely on a heavy spot to be held in the "down" position in order to get the correction right. Works ok when you're standing up (except for a bit of a pendulum effect), but not so good horizontal. :-)



So I need to find a maker of swim goggles that will do an actual corrective lens that includes an astigmatism correction.

Aw, man! That's a serious bummer. Now understanding that your eyes are worse than my very, very bad eyes -- ugh, you do need to prescription goggles. 

[Deleted User]

William,

Might be woth looking into the Sable's. I love them, they are pricey but work great for me. Here's the link;

http://www.sablewateroptics.com/goggles/rs101.php

Good Luck!


Ian