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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.



Prescription Goggles for Swimming

Prescription Goggles for Swimming

As someone who wears prescription glasses (or contacts) you already know how important it is to take care of your eyes. This care and attention extends itself to pool and ocean swimming as well. Swimming goggles are important from a safety perspective. They allow you to correctly judge walls and avoid other swimmers, but also keep harmful irritants and chemicals like chlorine and its nasty step-brother chloramines from causing itchiness and bloodshot eyes.

While you don't get the same selection of goggles as those without prescription vision, there are lots of corrective lens goggle options out there.

How to Choose Prescription Swim Goggles

If you require glasses to see clearly, you may also want to purchase goggles with corrective lenses for the pool or ocean. Luckily, there are companies that manufacture corrective lens goggles in a variety of styles.

The Corrective Lens

Prescription goggles come with ready-made spherical lenses of varying strengths known as 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 glasses or contact lenses you use every day.

For use in the water, step dioptre correction lenses are usually perfectly adequate. They are also more widely available and affordable than custom-made prescription goggles from a doctor or optometrist.

Negative dioptre lenses are the most commonly available for goggles. They are intended for those with nearsighted or myopic vision. Lenses range in dioptres from -1.5 to -10.0 and come in increments of 0.5.

Positive dioptre lenses are for farsighted swimmers, and are less common.

Finding Your Dioptre Strength

The first step to choosing prescription goggles is determining the dioptre strength that most closely matches your current prescription. There are places that claim you can plug the values on the prescription from your optometrist and give you the two values we require. But our optometrist friends tell us that this is not going to work properly.

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 eye wear 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.

How Can I Tell If The Goggles Will Fit?

For a good fit, your correction swim goggles should sit comfortably on the bridge of your nose and create a seal all the way around your eyes without any gaps. You could use a mirror to check the seal as it can be difficult to spot when you are wearing them, or ask a friend.

Another way to check the fit of your goggles before going swimming is to lean forward, so your face is facing down towards the floor. Press the eye seals into your eye sockets and let go — they should stay in place if they are a good fit. You can make adjustments to the nosepiece and spread of the eyepiece, but if the swimming goggles don't hold without the strap, at least for a few seconds, they probably will need a very tight strap to keep the water out.

Avoid making a bad fitting pair of goggles fit by over tightening the head strap. Although this may seem to work, you risk having sore eye sockets after a swim, so ideally you want a pair that keep the water out with only a low tension in the strap.

Then it is up to you to choose the swimming goggles you like the best.

All of our corrective lens goggles will protect your eyes from water and help you to see where you are going.

Choose the Goggle Model

Prescription goggles have come a long way in recent years. Prescription goggle users can now choose from lenses and goggle frames that are just as sleek and hydrodynamic as non-prescription goggles.

  • There are both recreational and racing styles of prescription goggles. Serious swimmers and lap swimmers will want to buy a racing style and should look for low profile frames, or those with "racing" in the model name.
  • Swimmers who rarely do lap swimming and just want an alternative to going without glasses in the water — such as masks or goggles with larger lenses — should look at recreational models. These have more generously padded frames and offer wider peripheral vision.
  • Some brands offer separate prescription lenses that can be inserted into specific goggle models. Make doubly sure that the lenses you order are compatible with your goggle frames. This may be a good option for swimmers whose eyes have significantly different prescriptions.
  • There are a few brands that design bifocal goggles, with just the lower half of the lens set to a certain prescription.
  • There are even brands that offer positive dioptre lenses.

Corrective lens 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 goggles to buy, please consider asking your optometrist. Once you have your goggles, it may take a few minutes for your eyes to adjust to new lens, but after a short adjustment period, you should be able to use them adequately in the pool or ocean.

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.

Shop For Prescription Swim Goggles

The ordering process with us is extremely simple, which is why we sell so many.

  • Visit the Prescription Swim Goggles page of our online shop.
  • Please carefully read the information provided, and follow the process.
  • Consult with your optometrist. They'll give you the left and right eye dioptre values you need when placing your order.
  • Revisit our Prescription Swim Goggles page and choose the model you like.
  • Select the dioptre values you need.
  • Add to Cart and then Proceed to Checkout.

Once ordered, it doesn't take long for us to fill your prescription and send your new corrective swim goggles right to your door. Before you know it, you'll be hitting the clear water with crystal clear vision!

Best Corrective Prescription Swim Goggles

Our picks for the best swimming goggles with corrective prescription lenses are:

View Swim Platina Goggles with Corrective Lenses -+ View Swim Platina Goggles with Corrective Lenses -+
RRP: $62, Our Price: $59, You Save $3 (5%).
These swimming goggles give you a whole new clear vision underwater. They are available with a wide range of +/- dioptre values to choose from for each eye. Negative dioptre lenses are available in: -0.5 dioptre increments from -1.0 to -7.0 and -1.0 increment from -7.0 to -10.0. Positive dioptre lenses are available in: +0.5 increments from +1.0 to +5.0 and +6.0.

View Swim Junior Optical Goggles w/ Corrective Lenses (6-12 yrs) View Swim Junior Optical Goggles w/ Corrective Lenses (6-12 yrs)
RRP: $62, Our Price: $59, You Save $3 (5%).
These junior swimming goggles will fit most kids aged 6 to 12 years of age. They feature a wide range of negative and positive dioptre values to choose from for each eye. Negative dioptre lenses for those with near-sighted or myopic vision are available in: -1.0 dioptre increments from -2.0 to -7.0. Positive dioptre lenses for far-sighted swimmers are available in: +1.0 dioptre increments from +2.0 to +6.0.

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