Click here for Online Shop

Navigation

Swimming Goggles -Prescription


Prescription Swimming Goggles Go swimming and have great vision underwater with Corrective Lens Swimming Goggles from The Scuba Doctor.

If you wear prescription glasses to see clearly, swim goggles with your exact prescription can be obtained. But it's very expensive and time-consuming. Most swimmers don't require this expensive solution and their needs can be solved with less expensive and quick to obtain corrective lens goggle solutions. The important thing here is to make sure that the variety of your needs are taken into consideration and the right solution is chosen.

We also have Prescription Lens Masks for diving and snorkelling. If you don't understand the difference between swimming goggles and diving masks, please see Goggles vs Masks.

The Corrective Lenses

Correction/optical goggles come with ready-made spherical lenses of varying strengths known as dioptres, or step dioptres. This type of lens production is similar to the generic reading glasses found in pharmacies: the prescription will be a close match to your own, but may not be as precise as that in the prescription glasses or contact lenses you use every day. For use in the water (an already-blurry environment), step dioptre corrective lens goggles are perfectly adequate. They are also more widely available and affordable than custom-made prescription goggles from an optometrist.

As a swimmer you probably just need to see objects in the distance, therefore a distance only correction lens can be used with selected goggles. The solution is what we call Negative Dioptre Lenses for short/near-sighted people with myopia. It's a negative correction to the whole lens. Lenses range in dioptres from -2.0 to -10.0 and typically come in increments of 0.5.

For some swimmers it's the reverse and and they need Positive Diopre Lenses for near vision issues. The solution is what we call positive corrective lens goggles — a positive correction to the whole lens — for long/far-sighted people with hypermetropia. Lenses range in dioptres from +1.0 to +6.0 and again typically come in increments of 0.5.

To order, you can consult your eyeglass, or contact, prescription for the proper amount of spherical power correction. A spectacle prescription is usually written in the following form:

  sphere   cylinder   axis
OD / R -3.00 / -0.50 x 180
OS / L -3.50 / -1.00 x 180

In order to calculate the power you need to take into account the two aspects of your prescription.

  • The sphere (or sph) is the main part of your prescription and will be '–' for short-sightedness (myopia) and '+' for long-sightedness (hypermetropia).
  • The cylinder (or cyl) is the secondary part of your prescription and refers to the amount of astigmatism you have.

We need the dioptre (diopter) value for each eye. When reading your prescription, 'OS' means your left eye, and 'OD' means your right eye.

You could base the power you order primarily on the amount of short or long-sightedness you have. If you also have a moderate degree of astigmatism (up to 2.00), you could also incorporate up to half of this to choose the most appropriate power. If the result is a quarter dioptre prescription, then you should typically increase to the next higher/stronger dioptre. For example, if the Rx is -1.75, then increase to -2.0 dioptre. If the Rx is +1.75, then increase to +2.0 dioptre. If one eye needs no correction, then order a 'Normal' or 'Plano' lens for that side.

If this all sounds very complicated, it's because it is! You will find websites that let you enter your script values to calculate the two values we need. We know the formula they use, but our optometrist friends tell us using this method would often lead to disappointed customers. It's just not that simple.

The decision about the values you need is best done by your optometrist as they know best what's going on with your eyes, and sometimes those other values in your script come into play.

Once you know the dioptre values you need, you can then select goggles for which the range or dioptre values available matches your requirements.

What If I Have Astigmatism?

None of the 'off the shelf' corrective lens goggles correct astigmatism, so if the majority of your prescription is astigmatism, or you have astigmatism over 2.00 dioptres, you will need a custom made product for best visual results.

If your astigmatism is less than 2.00 dioptres, or is not the majority of correction, then the corrective lens goggles solutions we can provide should be fine. This is another reason why you should consult your optometrist.

Please Consult your Optometrist

We strongly recommend that you consult your optometrist about which swimming vision correction solution is best for you. We recommend you show them this information. Your optometrist will be able to work out which corrective solutions are available to you and make recommendations as to what to get, plus provide the two dioptre values we need.

We are not optometrists and can't read your script to determine if a corrective lens goggle will work for you. Correction/optical lenses typically will work for the vast majority of people, but some eye shapes can't be accommodated this way.

Your prescription may need to be changed because the distance between the lens of your swimming goggles and your eyes typically is different from the distance between your eyeglasses lenses and your eyes. (This also is one of the reasons your contact lens prescription is different from your eyeglass prescription if you have moderate or high myopia.) An eye care professional specialising in sports eyewear can adjust your prescription for swimming use.

Your optometrist will also be able to provide you with the best spherical correction dioptre values for your left and right eyes given the half dioptre increments of corrective lenses. Then you can order your corrective lens goggles from The Scuba Doctor with confidence in achieving a great outcome.

Recommended Optometrist:

Melbourne: David Glennie is an optometrist and experienced scuba diver. His team can check your eyes and translate your script into the values we need for your corrective lenses. They can even show you how it will work.

David Glennie, Karingal Optical
Shop 39, Karingal Hub, 330 Cranbourne Road, Frankston VIC 3199
Tel. 03 9789 4811   www.facebook.com/KaringalOptical/

Whatever your preference, there are plentiful corrective/optical lens options available to ensure that everyone can see clearly to experience the beauty and wonder of the underwater world while swimming.

Fitting the Correction Lenses

If you buy your swim goggles complete with two corrective lenses from The Scuba Doctor, we will fit the optical lenses to the goggles for you before sending the swimming goggles out.

Corrective Lens Goggles Delivery

Order today and your goggles with corrective lenses will usually Ship the next Business Day.

We typically place orders for your goggles with corrective lenses to our suppliers the same day we receive the order from you. In some cases, they will be shipped directly to you from the suppliers the same business day, or if not, the next business day. The suppliers are Sydney based, so you need to allow for the usual postal delivery times for the package to reach you.

Prescription swimming goggles may be a bit more expensive than non-prescription goggles, but they are still very affordable (and getting more so every year). If you are having trouble deciding which optical swim goggles to buy, consider asking your optometrist. Once you have your goggles, it may take a few minutes for your eyes to adjust to the new lens, but after a short adjustment period, you should be able to use them adequately in the pool.

Other Considerations

Contact Lens Wearers: Not all contact lenses are suitable for swimming. Gas permeable lenses (GP lenses) can 'dig' into the eyes below certain depths, because of the pressure. Soft contact lenses can collect waterborne organisms and become contaminated, causing eye infections. If you wear contact lenses under your goggles for swimming, you need to make sure you blink a lot. Excessive starring can cause bubbles to form underneath your lenses and which may cause minor discomfort and temporary blurring of vision. Also, be sure to have a spare set of contacts (or glasses) available in case you lose a contact underwater.

Health Fund Refunds

As best as we can tell, you will be unable to claim for a refund from your health fund for the supply of corrective lens goggles. Most health funds require a medical provider item code for a claim to be successful and no dive manufacturer or dive shop we know of has this. However, you may wish to check with your health fund to see if they are more generous.

More Information

Please read our guide to buying Prescription Goggles for Swimming.

Note: Swimming Goggles are very different to Scuba Diving Masks and Snorkelling Masks. See Goggles vs Masks.



VHB 54

Wreck Dive Wreck Dive | Boat access Boat access

Outside Port Phillip Ships Graveyard Technical Rated Wreck Dive Site

Steel Hopper Barge | Max Depth: 54 m (177 ft) — Graveyard

VHB-54
VHB-54
Source: State Library Victoria

The VHB 54 shipwreck is the remains of a steel hopper barge that was scuttled in the Victorian Ships' Graveyard on 17 December 1970. The VHB 54 is a sister ship to the VHB 53.

Diving the VHB 54 Shipwreck

The bow and stern are in reasonable condition. There is a large cogged wheel in the midships area which was used to open the doors for the dredged material to be dumped.

Bass Strait Warning: Always keep an eye on sea conditions throughout any shore or boat dive in Bass Strait on Victoria's coastline. Please read the warnings on the web page diving-in-bass-strait before diving or snorkelling this site.

VHB 54 Shipwreck History

The overall length of the VHB 54 was approximately 150 ft (46 m), with a beam of 18.5 ft (5.64 m).

The VHB 54 was brought out from Holland in 1950 when the Australian Dredging and General Works Pty Ltd began a contract for dredging works at the entrance to the Yarra River. The task was to remove silt from the area to the east of the river entrance. Later this excavation would be developed into the present Webb Dock. Vessels brought out from Holland for this contract included the bucket dredge Beverwijk 19, the unpowered hopper bargesVHB 53 and VHB 54, a diesel tug, two diesel hopper barges, plus other small attending craft.

VHB 54 Sinking — Scuttled 17 December 1970

The VHB 54 was towed out to the Victorian Ships' Graveyard in Bass Strait and scuttled on Thursday 17 December 1970.

See also, Heritage Council Victoria: VH B 54, and
Australian National Shipwreck Database: VH B 54.

Heritage Warning: Any shipwreck or shipwreck relic that is 75 years or older is protected by legislation. Other items of maritime heritage 75 years or older are also protected by legislation. Activities such as digging for bottles, coins or other artefacts that involve the disturbance of archaeological sites may be in breach of the legislation, and penalties may apply. The legislation requires the mandatory reporting to Heritage Victoria as soon as practicable of any archaeological site that is identified. See Maritime heritage. Anyone with information about looting or stolen artefacts should call Heritage Victoria on (03) 7022 6390, or send an email to heritage.victoria@delwp.vic.gov.au.

Finding the VHB 54 Shipwreck

Over the years we've been provided with different GPS marks for the VHB 54. The GPS marks we know of in circulation for the VHB 54 are:

  • Book - Victoria's Ships' Graveyard GPS (verified)
    Latitude: 38° 20.588′ S   (38.343138° S / 38° 20′ 35.3″ S)
    Longitude: 144° 25.057′ E   (144.417622° E / 144° 25′ 3.44″ E)
  • Dive Victoria:
    Latitude: 38° 20.589′ S   (38.34315° S / 38° 20′ 35.34″ S)
    Longitude: 144° 25.058′ E   (144.41763333333° E / 144° 25′ 3.48″ E)

    2 m, bearing 143°, SE
  • Geoff Rodda 1:
    Latitude: 38° 20.597′ S   (38.343283333333° S / 38° 20′ 35.82″ S)
    Longitude: 144° 25.028′ E   (144.41713333333° E / 144° 25′ 1.68″ E)

    46 m, bearing 249°, WSW
  • Geoff Rodda 2:
    Latitude: 38° 20.585′ S   (38.343083333333° S / 38° 20′ 35.1″ S)
    Longitude: 144° 25.073′ E   (144.41788333333° E / 144° 25′ 4.38″ E)

    24 m, bearing 75°, ENE
  • John Lawler:
    Latitude: 38° 20.587′ S   (38.34311673° S / 38° 20′ 35.22″ S)
    Longitude: 144° 25.058′ E   (144.41763283° E / 144° 25′ 3.48″ E)

    3 m, bearing 21°, NNE
Wathaurong (Wadda-Warrung) country
Wathaurong (Wadda-Warrung) country

Traditional Owners — This dive site is in the traditional Country of the Wathaurong (Wadda-Warrung) people of the Kulin Nation. This truly ancient Country includes the coastline of Port Phillip, from the Werribee River in the north-east, the Bellarine Peninsula, and down to Cape Otway in the south-west. We wish to acknowledge the Wathaurong as Traditional Owners. We pay respect to their Ancestors and their Elders, past, present and emerging. We acknowledge Bunjil the Creator Spirit of this beautiful land, who travels as an eagle, and Waarn, who protects the waterways and travels as a crow, and thank them for continuing to watch over this Country today and beyond.

 

VHB 54 Location Map

Latitude: 38° 20.588′ S   (38.343138° S / 38° 20′ 35.3″ S)
Longitude: 144° 25.057′ E   (144.417622° E / 144° 25′ 3.44″ E)

Datum: WGS84 | Google Map
Added: 2012-07-22 09:00:00 GMT, Last updated: 2022-05-11 12:06:19 GMT
Source: Book - Victoria's Ships' Graveyard GPS (verified)
Nearest Neighbour: Victorian, 791 m, bearing 164°, SSE
Steel Hopper Barge.
Scuttled: 17 December 1970.
Victorian Ships' Graveyard, Bass Strait.
Depth: 52 to 54 m.



DISCLAIMER: No claim is made by The Scuba Doctor as to the accuracy of the dive site coordinates listed here. Should anyone decide to use these GPS marks to locate and dive on a site, they do so entirely at their own risk. Always verify against other sources.

The marks come from numerous sources including commercial operators, independent dive clubs, reference works, and active divers. Some are known to be accurate, while others may not be. Some GPS marks may even have come from maps using the AGD66 datum, and thus may need be converted to the WGS84 datum. To distinguish between the possible accuracy of the dive site marks, we've tried to give each mark a source of GPS, Google Earth, or unknown.

SALE and CLEARANCE [more]

New Products [more]

Brands [more]

500 PSI Adrenalin Air Dive Equipment Alpha Diving Products Analox AOI Limited AP Diving Apeks Apollo Scuba Aqualung AquaSketch Atomic Aquatics Atorch Lighting Australia Post AVATAR Backscatter Bare Barfell Best Divers Catahoula Manufacturing Inc Catalina Cylinders CDAA CineBags Cressi Cressi Swim Custom Divers DAN DiCAPac Dive Alert Dive Perfect Dive Rite Divesoft Dolphin Tech E-Shark Force Eezycut Faber Cylinders Fourth Element Fred & Friends Garmin Gear Aid Gear Keeper Glo-Toob H2Odyssey Halcyon Hi-Max Hollis Hyperion i-Dive (i-Torch, i-Das, i-Pix) Intova Isotta IST Proline IST Sports Kraken Sports Land and Sea Light & Motion Mac Coltellerie Mares Medical Developments Metalsub Miflex Hoses Nautilus LifeLine Neptune Sports New Holland Publishers NiteCore Northern Diver Ocean Design Ocean Hunter Ocean Pro Oceans Enterprises Omer OMS OrcaTorch PADI Performance Diver PowerDive Predator Probe Wetsuits Reef Line Salvimar Sammy Glenn Dives San-o-Sub Scuba Capsule Scuba Ninja Sea & Sea Seac Sub Seaka Shark Shield Sharkskin Shearwater Research Si Tech Sonar SteriGENE Sterling Leisure Surf Lock Suunto Tektite Termo Industria The Dive Spot The Scuba Doctor Tovatec Tribolube Trident Diving Equipment Tusa Tusa Sport Underwater Kinetics Unoflow Victorian Fisheries Authority View Swimming Gear Waterproof X-Adventurer XS Scuba

Copyright © 2005-2022 by The Scuba Doctor Australia, ABN 88 116 755 170. All rights reserved.
tel. +61 3 5985 1700 :: email. diveshop@scubadoctor.com.au :: Web site by it'sTechnical 2022