Best Prescription Snorkel Masks for Glasses Wearers
Wearing glasses while snorkeling is prohibited due to the fact that sports and glasses do not mix well with one another. When snorkeling, you will need to remove your glasses because the frame of your glasses will prevent the mask from forming a watertight seal against your face. People who normally wear contact lenses also need to remove them before snorkeling. Furthermore, imagine dropping your glasses at sea. I hope you are successful in retrieving them.
However, you should not give up hope. Did you know that there is a specific kind of snorkel mask designed specifically for people who wear glasses called a prescription snorkel mask? People who have trouble seeing clearly without their glasses on can benefit greatly from wearing one of these full-face masks, which are available. You also have the option of wearing contacts, and in the following section, we will discuss both the benefits and drawbacks of wearing contacts as opposed to prescription lenses. In addition, we will go over the best prescription snorkel masks that we recommend, as well as the factors that you should take into consideration when choosing the mask that is most suitable for you.
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES | PRICE |
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EDITORS CHOICE
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Prescription Dive Mask by Cressi |
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TOP CHOICE
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IST Prescription Snorkel Masks for Glasses |
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Runner Up
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Corrective Snorkel Mask |
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Prescription Dive Mask by Cressi
Specification:
• One of the first scuba masks to feature inclined glasses, a technology that Cressi has patented, the Focus is one of those masks (US6272693).
• Lightweight and compact, manufactured with a gentle hypoallergenic silicone skirt and finished with a double feathered edge seal that offers an outstanding level of comfort and support.
• Enlarged viewing area in all directions thanks to a small distance between the eye and the lens.
Cressi, one of the most well-known and well-respected companies in the market for snorkeling and diving, is now offering its very first prescription snorkel mask. By default, the Cressi Focus dive mask is a mask that does not require prescription lenses. However, prescription lenses can be purchased separately and installed by the diver themselves.
While the number of available corrective lenses for this type is significantly less than for other types, the ones that are available still provide the expected range of-1.0 to-8.0. Because these are drop-in masks, you can replace the lenses at any time with new ones if you discover that your vision has changed. This is a convenient feature. It is well known that the regular Cressi Focus is comfortable while maintaining a tight seal. However, it is possible that it could be too snug for larger heads.
It is difficult to make a poor decision when purchasing the Cressi Focus snorkel mask because it is manufactured by a reputable company and has received positive customer feedback. Additionally, you are able to change the lenses on this mask on your own, making it a very versatile piece of equipment. Snorkelers of all skill levels can use the Cressi Focus with prescription lenses to see the beautiful scenery that lies under the water better.
IST Prescription Snorkel Masks for Glasses
Specification:
• Wearing it is comfortable due to the split silicone strap,
• WHICH ENSURES A NEARLY PERFECT FIT WHILE PREVENTING PAINFUL SQUEEZING.
• Lenses made of tempered glass and impact-resistant glass were not only safe but also durable.
• Clear Views is high-quality glass designed to offer excellent views to people with all varieties of eye types.
A silicone skirt and tempered glass lenses are two of the standard features that come standard on the IST Prescription Snorkel Mask, which is offered at an affordable price point. The quality of the mask is high, and the design is on par with what you might anticipate from a snorkel mask priced in the middle price range.
If you do not treat the lenses with an anti-fog solution, you should anticipate some fogging on the lenses. If you have facial hair or long hair that gets in the way of your skirt, you run the risk of breaking the seal. This will cause some leakage. Again, for this price, it does what you need it to do, but you can’t expect the world from it.
When placing your order, keep in mind that you will be required to specify the corrective lenses that you require. Alternatively, you may choose to order a regular mask that does not contain any corrective lenses. In the event that each of your eyes requires a different prescription, you will be required to make direct contact with the vendor.
The IST Prescription Snorkel Mask is one of the most affordable high-end prescription masks on the market, and it does exactly what it’s designed to do without any additional features or functions. With the IST Prescription Snorkel Mask, even a casual snorkeler can finally see what you’ve been missing out on every time you go snorkeling: the amazing sights below the surface of the water.
Corrective Snorkel Mask by Promate with Optical Adjustment
Specification:
• For people with medium-sized faces (which fits almost every adult),
• Dimensions of the face seal Double-edged, liquid silicone-injected crystal skirt.
• The ultra-low volume provides a wide field of view.
The Promate Optical Corrective Snorkel Mask is a durable product that comes equipped with useful features such as lenses made of tempered glass, a low internal volume, and a skirt made of comfortable silicone. This mask is an excellent snorkel mask, even if the corrective lenses are not installed in it. The fact that the Promate Prescription Snorkel Mask comes with a wide selection of different corrective lens options is one of our favorite features of this product.
To begin with, you should anticipate a negative diopter range of -1.0 to -10.0; this ensures that individuals with even the most stringent prescriptions are accommodated. Next, the standard range for prescription masks that provide farsighted lenses is a positive range that goes from +1.0 to +4.0. People who have prescriptions that fall somewhere in the middle of a range should go with the lower (weaker) number given that the increments are in 0.5. Otherwise, you run the risk of putting a significant strain on your eyes.
For the Promate Optical Corrective Snorkel Mask, you can order bifocal lenses in addition to the prescription ranges. To put it another way, the upper portion of the lenses are your standard, non-prescription lenses, whereas the lower portion of the lenses is designed for farsighted individuals who have difficulty seeing up close. The range of bifocal lenses doesn’t follow the standard 0.5 increments. Instead, you can choose from +1.0, +1.5, +1.75, +2.0, +2.25, +2.5, +2.75, +3.0, and +4.0.
In general, this is yet another trustworthy mask that can be purchased at a cost that is not excessive. This mask comes with our highest recommendation for snorkelers of beginner to intermediate skill levels who need prescription lenses to see clearly. It is also a great option for snorkelers on a tight budget who want to test out one of these masks to see how well they perform.
Purchasing Advice for Prescription Snorkel Masks Designed for People Who Wear Glasses
The Cover-Up
Even though the corrective lenses are the most important aspect of your purchase, you still need to make sure to select a mask that is durable and of good quality. For example, a snorkel mask for people who wear glasses should still be made of tempered glass, have a small amount of space inside, and have a silicone skirt to keep it in place.
Your next step should be to confirm that the face mask you intend to buy already includes corrective lenses. It is important to double-check that you are not simply purchasing a regular mask instead of a prescription mask when you want the latter.
In addition, take into consideration the strength of your prescription when determining whether or not the mask you have your eye on will accommodate your lenses. As an illustration, the limits of some masks range from -8.5 to +4.0. If your prescription is something different than that, you will need to look at the product description or get in touch with the seller for more information.
Corrective lenses that are bonded together
The term “bonded lenses” refers to the process by which corrective lenses adhere to the interior of your snorkel mask using glue, which “bonds” the two items together. You have the option of providing your own mask or purchasing one from a business that offers the service instead. You can call these companies to find out if they have any kind of working relationship with the local dive shops or snorkeling equipment retailers that sell their products. If this is the case, they will ask you to hand over your prescription glasses and mask so that they can send them to a company that specializes in the manufacturing and bonding of prescription lenses.
You can now have bonded corrective lenses installed in your snorkel mask by having this company grind out a lens based on your prescription and then glue it to the inside of your mask lens. This entire process may take up to ten business days, which is more than two weeks. This procedure is pricey, costing approximately $190 USD for a basic lens alone; bifocals and other custom options are even more expensive. You will most likely end up spending two or even three times as much as you would on a standard snorkel mask.
Having said that, the price is still less expensive than what it would be if you bought a snorkel mask with customized prescription lenses already built in rather than having them glued over the lenses that are already there. It is possible that the bonded lens will not completely cover the mask lens, which will result in some segmentation in the field of view. This is one of the drawbacks of doing this.
In addition, bonded lenses cause the mask to have a slightly heavier overall weight. The weight is not significant, but those who are highly sensitive will notice it and will need to get used to it if they want to continue using the product. Last but not least, people with astigmatism or very bad vision may benefit from bonded corrective lenses.
Custom-Prescription Lenses
If you are unhappy with the drawbacks that bonded corrective lenses have, and you have the financial means to do so, you could order prescription lenses that are made specifically for your eyes. With this method, the snorkel mask’s original lenses will be entirely replaced by the prescription lenses, resulting in a snorkel mask that fits perfectly.
The price of these lenses is higher than the price of bonded lenses due to the complexity of the manufacturing process. On the other hand, it gets rid of the problems that come with bonded lenses. There won’t be any blind spots in the field of vision, and the mask won’t have to carry any extra weight because of that.
Snorkelers who experience uncommon eye problems, such as persistent blurry vision, should take advantage of this because bonded lenses are unable to assist in these situations. Depending on the company, the cost of the customized prescription lenses can range anywhere from $250 to $300 US Dollars. These lenses can be made out of either glass or plastic. The two methods that were just described are, without a doubt, the most efficient ones, but they are also the most expensive ways to acquire the best snorkel mask for people who wear glasses. The following alternative is a lot more cost-effective and gets the job done adequately, albeit not nearly as well.
Drop-in Lens Mask
Masks known as drop-in lens masks allow the lenses to be removed and replaced with new ones in a relatively simple manner, making them suitable for use with corrective lenses. If money is tight, this is the least expensive way to get a prescription snorkel mask, as long as your prescription isn’t too strong and you don’t have an eye condition like astigmatism.
The available lenses have a range that is approximately -1.5 to -8.0, and they are incremented by 0.5. If you are aware of your prescription, it will not be difficult for you to acquire the appropriate corrective lenses on your own. People who have prescriptions that fall somewhere in the middle of two ranges should go with the lower number (for example, someone who has a -6.25 in one eye should get a -6.0 instead of a -6.5) because going higher can cause strain on your eyes.
The installation of them into the mask without causing any damage to the frame is the difficult part. The drop-in lens mask’s advantages include how quickly it can be assembled and how reasonably priced it is. You should budget at least $50 for a good mask and approximately $30 for each lens separately. That translates to the fact that you can acquire a respectable prescription snorkel mask for slightly more than a hundred dollars.
Unfortunately, using this approach does not come without some drawbacks. To begin with, the drop-in lenses will not be of the same high quality as the other options, and you will discover that the correction they provide will not be as precise. In addition, the correction will not be centered on where your eyes are, which means that snorkelers who have wider or narrower eyes may discover that their vision is still a little bit blurry after receiving the correction.
Magnifiers
All of the solutions that have been described so far only deal with issues related to nearsightedness. You can, however, get a detachable magnifier that you can stick inside your mask if you are farsighted and have difficulty reading gauges, camera screens, or if you simply want to get closer to things in order to examine them more closely. However, because they are quite small and only take up a small section of your mask, they will function more like bifocal lenses rather than completely covering your lens. This will allow you to see more clearly while wearing your mask.
The vast majority of these magnifying lenses require the application of adhesive, but DiveOptx provides customers with the option to purchase lenses that do not require any glue and that can be removed and reused. You have the choice, when ordering custom prescription lenses, to either bond the magnifying lenses or simply order lenses for drop-in masks that already have readers bonded to them. Both options are available to you.
Renting a Face Mask
If you only go snorkeling once or twice a year and don’t want to spend more than $100 on a prescription snorkeling mask, renting one is a better option than purchasing one. You will be relieved to know that most dive shops at snorkeling destinations are able to accommodate people who wear glasses, and you can test out a few different masks before settling on one that is comfortable for your eyes.
Contact Lenses
For people who wear glasses but still want to snorkel, contact lenses are an additional option. If you choose to proceed in this manner, there are a few things you should be aware of before moving forward. To begin, you will need to determine whether you prefer to wear hard or soft contact lenses.
Because gas cannot pass through hard lenses, tiny air bubbles will eventually form, which will cause a blurring of the wearer’s vision over time. Additionally, it is possible that your eyes will dry out more quickly, which will require you to blink more frequently in order to keep them moist. Last but not least, hard contacts are typically much more diminutive, and as a result, they have a greater risk of being lost. In general, we do not suggest using hard contact lenses for water activities such as snorkeling or scuba diving because they have an excessive number of drawbacks.
Instead of preventing your eyes from drying out, soft contact lenses allow gas to pass through the lenses, making them less likely to fall out of your eyes. They’re also larger, making them less likely to fall out of your eyes. If you want to wear contact lenses while swimming, you should get soft lenses because they are significantly more comfortable than hard lenses and swimming will not harm them.
FAQs
Conclusion
Anyone who has attempted to snorkel while wearing glasses can attest to the fact that it does not go very well. If you give it a shot, you should be prepared for a variety of difficulties, from masks that leak to vision that is hazy. Even a full-face snorkel mask does not have enough room to accommodate eyewear because they are not designed to fit over prescription eyewear. When you get into the water, you’ll notice that the earpieces on the snorkeling mask interfere with the seal, which results in water leaking through the mask even though it appeared to be working properly on land.
In addition, eyeglasses are intended to be worn at a specific distance from the wearer’s eyes. It is possible that wearing them underneath a snorkeling mask will push the lenses closer together or further apart than intended, which could result in vision that is even worse than if you had skipped the glasses entirely.
People who have trouble seeing won’t be able to wear their glasses while snorkeling, but they will still be able to enjoy this thrilling activity and won’t be deprived of the opportunity to see the underwater world in all its glory. There are a few alternatives to wearing glasses while snorkeling, including purchasing a prescription snorkel mask, making your own prescription mask, wearing contact lenses, or relying on the natural magnification provided by the water.
