To see or not to see

RZEP17

Hi!
When few month ago I've start having problem to read fine prints, I blame it on sloppy printing job.
When few weeks ago I couldn't tell a date on my watch, I blame it on the moisture condensation cause by flooding.
Vision problem? Neeeeh!
I went to the local shooting range and kick some ass in the shooting contest.
I used iron sights on my Ak47, they all(3) had a scoped rifles. Even the fact, that they were beginners, didn't spoil my joy - my ego has been restored.
Vision problem? What you talking about!
Well, last weekend I went diving. On my way back I am checking my VR3 for the deco (I planned for the decompression dive): What the hell it is? 16? maybe 18? or is it 19 minutes? Let me tell you one thing: I was glad that I had no doubts at first digit.
So before I will be guessing: "Is it 36 or 86 minutes of deco?" or even worse:
"Is it 0.1 or 2.1 pO2 in my loop?" I am looking for an advice of another visually challenged CCR pilots what you use: contacts?, optical lenses in the mask?, Lasik? Hydroptix mask?
regards
Tomek

Scuba_Vixen

A lot depends on what your vision needs to correct it. Sounds as if you're suffering the "arms are getting shorter" aspect of aging. If el cheapo magnifiers from Walmart are all you need to read close up, then the SeaVision "Gagereader" mask will do the trick without going to a prescription mask. It has small magnifiers ground into the lower, inner portion of each lense. Several of us whose arms just seem to be too short are happy with them. I carry a second as a backup as well.



Darlene

moley

Does anyone know a supplier/optician in the Uk that will make varifocal lenses for dive masks? My own optician does not know of a supplier of varifocals, but can supply corrective lenses......this is not quite what I need.
Nobody told me when I bought my meg and VR3 that the digits would shrink with age....this is rather annoying.

__________________
You think I know nothing.....and I do!!!

EBT

Ian, try a conversation with axis optical. Google it....

/Zak

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Mdemon

Contact lenses are fine - I suggest they are the ultimate solution for vision correction when diving. If you are worried about infections then buy a box of the daily disposables. They generally stay in if you open your eyes underwater without mask too. IIRC they do some sort of varigated thing to allow for a bifocal effect? Dunno - don't use them myself.

I love the fact you casually chuck in the bit about your AK. Here in the UK they'd probably have you sectioned for having the timerity to suggest you like shooting at all - and the UK-equivalent of a SWAT team would probably be stationed at your front door for the forseeable future!

It's a funny old world...

__________________
www.southwestmafia.com

It's as easy as abc;

a) "Carry adequate bailout"

b) "If in doubt, bail out"

c) "Always know your PO2"

If you find that hard, stick to crochet.

"Once the agenda-monkeys and perfect-worlders have moved on, perhaps we can do some diving?"

Skipbreather

Welcome to middle age. A few ‘fuzzy print’ tips:

Hardware store cheaters work fine if your vision is otherwise good. Keep the 1.00s when you “graduate” to 1.50s and up in a few years- you’ll figure out why at that time. I got by for a while squinting at my computers but finally gave up and tried the stick on plastic cheater lenses in my mask. DON’T waste your money on them. They are marginal at best in warm water and CANNOT be made fog free in cold water. Bionic spit, 500PSI, tobacco, potato, soap, none of the familiar remedies work. They also have a nasty habit of floating free inside yur mask just when you need them. The only really dependable solution is real glass cheaters (reading lenses) professionally bonded into the mask- and the backup mask- of your choice. As big as I am on self built stuff, this is one thing I had done by the pros and it was, without a doubt, money very well spent. Any full service dive shop should be able to measure you and send out your masks to a professional shop.

Side note: Along the way I tried one of those masks that accepted stock drop in replacement lenses w/ the cheaters already built into their bottom half. They were better than no correction, but had a LOT of distortion at the sides. The custom fit lenses in my preferred masks do a FAR more satisfactory job and, again, for me were well worth the cost.

Hope this helps,
Ken

PS- Getting old truly sucks. The ONLY upside is that it beats the alternative………..

Marc T

You must try that or something like that
http://www.optxeurope.com/prod.asp?p=2

Very cheap ( closed to 30 euros for the pair ) but work fine

A good way is to correct only one eye ( the "director one" dont know the right word in english but the one you use on your AK47 ) so you can have a backupmask

Pat Coughlan

Tomek,
I recently had same problem reading VR3 the usual is it a 9 or a 5 a 3 or an 8???! the end result I had to get reading glasses. I was faced with a problem of what to do with my diving mask, as I like the single lense low volume one I have I didnt want to change

The solution was cut out a piece of lexan the shape I needed to fit in the bottom of the mask. The I went back to the doc and got him to cut the same shape out of flat lense glass of the same perscription, I then bonded them in place using Araldite for glass----Works a treat

regards Pat

RZEP17

Thanks everybody for cordial welcome to the Land of Too Short Arms.
At first it sounded like I am at AA meeting with one major difference: instead hearing 'You are an alcoholic!', I heard 'You are getting old!'
Deep, on the subconscious level, I was hoping for somebody to provide me with magic solution, like phone # to Mefisto (hopefully in the shape of Elizabeth Hurley) where for the price of my soul I will get my vision back.

But seriously I went to the eye doctor and he prescribe me reading glasses: +1.25 for each eye - I guess I was in denial for a long time. I have also order same lenses to be glued to the bottom half of my spare mask. I'll try it next weekend and if that gonna work I will order another pair for the main mask.
Thx again everyone for the valuable input - great help!
rgrds
Tomek
Tell me about it! I was borne at the wrong side of the fence, actually Iron Curtain - so I know exactly what the gun control means!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...NDAY%2C+BLOODY
Do you think I am overcompensating for those times?

ScubaDadMiami

I had the same experience when looking at a gauge a while back. They eye doctor actually told me that it took longer than most (I am 46) for me to get "40's eyes."

I also have the SeaVision Gauge Readers. The lenses are really well made, and they perform even better than the lenses I had glued to my (now) backup mask.

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Howard Packer
IANTD CCR Instructor
Miami Beach, Florida
CCRDiveTraining.com