Kiting with contact lenses

Enable JavaScript to get the best experience.

Create new topic

Search Subscribed Active Create new topic

> 10 years ago

General Gear Reviews Newbies The Hookup Foiling Lost & Found WA NSW QLD SA VIC TAS

onemorehuey

NSW

158 posts

onemorehuey

NSW, 158 posts

22 Aug 2009 12:57pm

Hey Folks

Does anyone out there kite with contact lenses in?

Having never used them before, i am trialing some for general wear at the moment.
I was told that loads of people wear them surfing, which at a quick consideration should have have a similar or higher dunk rate to my style of riding :)

Interested to hear your experiences

Cheers
Huey

Gone to dark side

NSW

394 posts

Gone to dark side

NSW, 394 posts

22 Aug 2009 1:16pm

Hi I have been using contact lenses for many years now most of the time they stay in just a couple of times i have lost one in the surf . Never lost one in the bay My eve sight is not to bad so i dont have to come in if i loose one not like a mate of mine. Tip buy the one uses ones they last for 6+ goes.
good luck but it does take time to get used to puting the lenses in .took me a long time to get the hang of puting them into my eve.

Burls

209 posts

Burls

209 posts

22 Aug 2009 12:29pm

I kite with contacts and don’t have many dramas, but do lose a lens once in a while. The wind tends to dry the eyes out (which is bad for contacts), and wearing sunnies seems to help keep the wind off the eyeballs. You may also want to keep some saline solution nearby in case your eyes get dry.

Important tip to maintain a long lasting relationship with your contacts: Close eyes prior to face impacting the water.

(Sounds obvious, but it aint always that easy!) I had a nice face-plant not so long ago, where I lost one of the lenses from my sunnies, as well as the contact lens in the same eye. Talk about ‘dazed and confused’!

coreyb

463 posts

coreyb

WA, 463 posts

22 Aug 2009 12:52pm

I have been using contacts for years. I dont have any problem. Like most people I lose the odd one, but it is rare. Most times its a unexpected splash in the face that does it.

I find them a bit uncomfortable if Ive had them in all day, but its better than not seeing.

robbo1111

NSW

655 posts

robbo1111

NSW, 655 posts

22 Aug 2009 5:39pm

Prior to getting laser eye surgery I kited for years only losing a few here and there. However if you're kiting in even slighty dodgy water then you need to be extremely careful of infection, so rinse your lenses and eyes thoroughly afterwards. A corneal infection can lead to near blindness within 24 hours of onset so don't stuff around.

axis

VIC

399 posts

axis

VIC, 399 posts

22 Aug 2009 5:59pm

Great info. I am now going to give them a go - never used contacts but always wondered if they'd be OK on the water.

Skid

QLD

1499 posts

Skid

QLD, 1499 posts

22 Aug 2009 8:22pm

Burls said...

....lost one of the lenses from my sunnies.....

Burls, may be worth checking out the seabreeze sunnies. The lenses on these seem like they are held in pretty good. (they pass the "squirt with the garden hose close range at full bore" test)

btw, I have nothing to gain from promoting these; just know that they are robust

kyteryder

NSW

692 posts

kyteryder

NSW, 692 posts

22 Aug 2009 10:22pm

Hi

This morning i was looking at renewing my contact prescription for the same thing. I have surfed / swam / and kitesurfed with my contacts. The optometrists don't recommend them for swimming. What i normally do when i wear them in the water, i make sure they may not be the brand newy's out of the box, but the ones that are nearly needing to be thrown out. This means if you loose one, it was going to be chucked any way.
I googled this site this morning, and wondered if anyone had bought any. This googles look very similar to Seabreeze glasses and may be a better alternative to contact wearing kiters than the Seabreeze glasses. They look good, but if anyone has tried them let us know:

barzoptics.com/new/

KR

onemorehuey

NSW

158 posts

onemorehuey

NSW, 158 posts

23 Aug 2009 12:39am

Thanks all for your advice.

Looks like it will be the go.

That is once i get used to sticking my big clumsy fingers into my eyeballs putting them in and out:)

Huey

Burls

209 posts

Burls

209 posts

23 Aug 2009 6:24pm

Skid said...

Burls said...

....lost one of the lenses from my sunnies.....

may be worth checking out the seabreeze sunnies. The lenses on these seem like they are held in pretty good.

Thanks Skid, I'll check 'em out for my next pair.

Saffer

VIC

4501 posts

Saffer

VIC, 4501 posts

23 Aug 2009 9:03pm

I use prescription sunnies. It takes away the risk of losing contacts and the sunnies work pretty well. I ordered from Seaspecs. You can order prescription sunnies through their website and shipping takes about a week.

Splaat

NSW

131 posts

Splaat

NSW, 131 posts

27 Aug 2009 10:45am

I have been kiting with contacts for 4 years, lost about 3 contacts, but at 1$ a contact lens who cares.

Get your contacts online to save a tone of cash, and get dailys if your worried about loosing them.

I have swam underwater with my eyes open a few times without them coming out. Very rare to loose a contact when kiting

~~https://www.clearlycontacts.com.au/contact-lenses/1-Day-Acuvue/prod91505.html~~

I found using monthly (contacts you leave in for a whole month and can breath) are allot better as your eyes don't get oxygen deprived and go all red at the end of the day

Please Register, or first...

Topics Reply