Correcting eyesight: Glasses? Contacts? Lasik?

0verdrive · #1 (**permalink**) 10-20-2008

As I've become increasingly interested in sailing, I've started to become concerned about my eyes, and how to correct for my horrendous eyesight. I wear glasses most of the time, and wear contacts for physical activities (working out, etc). To date, when I've gone sailing with friends, I've put in contacts and haven't had any problems. But that's primarily due to the fact that I've only been sailing in nice conditions, and haven't had to worry about being blurry-eyed from getting water in my contacts.

My wife got Lasik some time back, and has always been happy with it. I, on the other hand, have been comfortable enough with my glasses and contacts to not risk the surgery. But if I plan to sail more, it may be the impetus I need to go through with Lasik. (Aside from the inherent scare-factor of undergoing potentially blinding surgery, this seems like the end result is the most ideal...)

So I'm curious. I can't be the only one here with poor eyesight - what do you guys do? Wear glasses with a protective strap? Wear contacts and hope not to have to deal with water in your eyes? Get Lasik?

(Also: if you choose not to undergo surgery, how bad are your eyes to start with? Could you "get by" without glasses or contacts?)

ckgreenman · #2 (**permalink**) 10-20-2008

I used to wear contacts/glasses but have since have had lens inplants and lasik. If you're happy with glasses and contacts I suggest you invest in a pair of swimming goggles just in case. They will keep the water out of your eyes in adverse weather.

Valiente · #3 (**permalink**) 10-20-2008

Laser surgery (keratomy seems to have fallen out of fashion) sounds great, but may not be the best choice for sailors. I have had a couple of reports of near-sighted sailors getting the work done and having glasses-free, near-perfect daylight vision. However, these people have had astigmatisms, "asterisms" and/or loss of night vision acuity created due to the surgery. The solutions were either more surgery and/or mild corrective lenses, which defeated the purpose to my mind.

The average city dweller isn't going to notice this, but if you night-sail, passage-make or use a sextant, loss of night-vision acuity is a handicap. Sometimes on watch, a distant and dim wave break over an reef is a one-shot warning that you are either out of position or have "found" an uncharted reef.

es, they exist, as does dim, floating debris, faint looms of light, brief glimpses of navigation stars through clouds, and skylight off a sleeping whale's back.

Personally, my vision's not great and I wear contacts. I now need dollar store reading glasses when I wear my contacts because I am entering Bifocal Country (I don't require any kind of glasses for reading newspapers or books with "bare eyes", thank providence...). So while it would be great to have "unaided vision", I am quite used to wearing contacts, or regular glasses with a strap, or contacts with goggles in heavy weather, or a clear face mask when painting. I now keep several pair of two-buck reading glasses at home and around the boat for quick access if I need to read a manual or give a tiny screw a quarter turn down in the bilge. The combination of close work and dim light isn't great for me, but I still seem to have decent night vision.

Cycling with contacts on dusty, windy days can be painful if grit gets in my eyes, but I can't recall this ever being an issue on a boat.

I suspect I will pop for prescription swim googles or a face mask, because I don't care if I look stupid in the middle of Force Nine gale as long as I can keep the spray out of my eyes. I've seen ski googles on race crews and it seems to me to be a good idea.

Some other hazards:

Hazards Of Lasik Surgery - Contact Lenses Forum - Lens 101

FDA to review Lasik eye surgery

Also, if there's enough screwed up surgeries to keep a law firm busy, to my mind, why bother?

Chicago LASIK Injury Lawyers | Laser Eye Surgery Malpractice Illinois | Joliet, Cook County, Cicero IL

cardiacpaul · #4 (**permalink**) 10-20-2008

just read this...

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/hersai...irst-time.html

ckgreenman · #5 (**permalink**) 10-20-2008

A friend of ours recently had Lasik done and has almost totally lost her night vision. I haven't had too much trouble navigating the lake at night since I had work done but then most of my correction was done using Visian/ICL (interoccular colymer lens) implants with only minor lasik touch up done on one eye (however, I do need some touch up on the other eye).

tommays · #6 (**permalink**) 10-20-2008

i guess i am about 20/400

pretty bad

I have never had a problem with glasses and a good strap, If anything i have allways liked to protection they offer

ckgreenman · #7 (**permalink**) 10-20-2008

I was about 20/800 (approx -6.75) before getting surgery done which was too bad for 100% laser correction. Of course I ended up spending about 3 times the 100% lasik cost for the procedure (about $5300) when it was all said and done.

I've worn glasses since I was about 6 ans was glad to not have that hassle. Although I'm still not perfect it's a lot better and I don't have to fuss with glasses or contacts anymore.

Giulietta · #8 (**permalink**) 10-20-2008

I had Lasik in Canada in 2003..don't regret one moment..perfect night vision...

Nothing to worry about..what are you sailing?? Dinghies? Big boats??

If it's big boats don't worry..if its for dinghies..get lasik...

ckgreenman · #9 (**permalink**) 10-20-2008

I think it's hit or miss depending on who does the surgery.

Faster · #10 (**permalink**) 10-20-2008

Been wearing glasses since I was 9 or 10 - haven't been able to get up the nerve to let any surgeon near my eyes - haven't been able to deal with contacts either. So it's still glasses and clip-ons for me.