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Help!
I started an intensive kayaking course last Wednesday at the Cardiff International White Water Centre, and ended up capsizing. Prior to capsizing, it hadn’t dawned on me that my eyewear was an issue (I know… I know…), but it sure did afterward, when I emerged from underneath my kayak and couldn’t see.
What should I wear for next lesson?
I was thinking disposable contacts, but I have never worn contacts in water before. Can you open your eyes under water and assume they’ll stay in place? If so, then problem solved. If not, what options do I have?
Finally, I will likely be starting a separate thread asking about kayaking experiences, because there is a lot I’d like to find out!
I was thinking disposable contacts, but I have never worn contacts in water before. Can you open your eyes under water and assume they’ll stay in place?
In my experience, yes in practice but it's not a good idea as there are things in the water, unspeakable things...
You can get straps to go behind your head for glasses, it's what I used to do when I was a kid doing watersports stuff. Now I just wear the contacts - I don't open my eyes underwater when surfing or whatever as there's not a lot of point, you can't see bugger all. However this summer I intend to get some protective eyewear specifically made for surfing which I assume would be good for kayaking as well, and wear contacts under them:
https://www.sportviz.co.uk/surf_cores
Probably similar options elsewhere.
Disposable contacts are fine for water sports. I’ve lost one kayaking and one surfing in about 20yrs.
I take them out pretty much as soon as I get out of the water.
I’ve never seen anyone with those goggles on.
I have Oakleys with a band behind the head. They stay on under water. You can buy similar generic "keepers" for watersports. Some even have floats attached.
I normal wear glasses but I wear disposable contacts for kayaking on salt water or paddling on rivers where I'm likely get my head wet. I don't open my eyes underwater and I take them out as soon as I'm off the water. My optician did advise against it but I've never had any problems. If there are nasties in the water, they'll go in my eyes whether I'm wearing contacts or not, my uneducated guess is that the contacts are as likely to keep them out as trap them against my eye.
Been wearing disposable contacts for whitewater kayaking for 20 years or so. Maybe lost 2 in all that time. I don't usually open my eyes underwater but when I have I've never had an issue. Only issue I have is that splashes can get in the eye and make vision very blurry but this usually clears after a few blinks or moving your eyes around until the lens settles in the right place again.
I've lost one pair in 6 years, that was in a large static wave that just pulled them off when I was rolling up. I've been swimming in rapids numerous times, and havent had a problem with glasses. The helmet strap is usually enough to keep them in place, or buy one of the £3 neoprene straps to make them tighter.
Also, get a £6 pair from Selectspec or similar. They are excellent.
£19 pair from Speccies, and a floating head strap.
The big problem with using contacts in the sea or even the shower is Acanthamoeba keratitis. This is a life changing disease. My cousin got it and it is devastating. On top of using eye drops every 4 hours night and day, two corneal grafts, nothing worked and the vision in that eye is gone. Now there will be hundreds of people on here who swim and kayak regularly in contacts, but that’s fine, you’re all adults, so long as I’ve said don’t do it I’ve done my bit. But seriously, it is catastrophic don’t do it.
^^
which is why I use single use contacts and take them out straight after use. I’ve discussed this with my optician.
Goggles would be a really bad idea if you took a knock to the face.
Not paddles in years or worn glasses. But my wife used to wear disposables. Very occasionally finished a run with only one. Leave glasses in the car for the drive home. If you are really blind then consider spare contacts or glasses on comitting runs (probably not going to be doing chateaux q if you've only just started though.)
The straps used to work for me with sunglasses on holiday.
You can get watersport sunglasses so I wonder if prescription versions are available. Look at more popular sports like surfing or sailing to see what they do?
If there are nasties in the water, they’ll go in my eyes whether I’m wearing contacts or not, my uneducated guess is that the contacts are as likely to keep them out as trap them against my eye.
It's the Acanthamoeba thing. Your contacts do trap them underneath and that's where the issue is. Also if you are a contacts wearer the surface of your cornea is rougher because of abrasion from the lens and that means nasties can get a better foothold.
I wear monthly disposables, but maybe it's time to buy a batch of dailies for watersports.
I wear monthly disposables, but maybe it’s time to buy a batch of dailies for watersports.
thats what my optician recommended when I wore the monthlies. Now I just buy disposables to wear for sports and glasses the rest of the time.
I wear glasses with a strap, they 're Oakley so fit quite tight.
Well done on the white water course I would love to do something like that. Post up how it goes.
My wife is basically blind without her glasses - she swears by her prescription goggles for water sports (not done WW kayaking mind).
Well done on the white water course. Post up how it goes.
Yeah. 👍