Contact Lens Update
Something Better than Bifocals and Monovision
- At the suggestion of a few VDH Forum members, I've been using contact lenses when I dive and this allows me to use a normal diving mask. But since I normally wear bifocals and the contacts are single vision, I have had trouble reading my gauges in low light. I tried the "Monovision" approach which is to fit one eye for long distance and one for short. But I have some issues with my left eye that make this system unworkable for me. I couldn't get them to settle down and be comfortable.
- Last Fall I had another eye exam and for some reason, I no longer need correction for astigmatism in my right eye. So the new contact lenses were just single vision for both eyes with the right one not having astigmatism correction. Low and behold, in my late season scuba dives, I could now see my gauges just fine with my right eye.
- I asked the eye doctor about it and he said that correction for astigmatism always compromises some of your close vision clarity. So I asked him if he could just make the left eye lens with no astigmatism correction and he said I'll gain close vision clarity just like the right eye. But I'll lose a little clarity on longer distance vision. He said he could tweek it a little by pushing the correction from 5.50 to 6.00. Well, my left eye is not the dominant eye anyway. So, I had him go ahead and do that.
- Last weekend was the acid test on the new contact lenses... I could see crystal clear across the lake at Fortune Pond, crystal clear setting up my equipment, and crystal clear views of my gauges in the dark depths while diving.
- At least for me, contact lenses with no astigmatism correction are the way to go!