A day of scuba diving offers a complete sensory experience- the cold or warm touch of the water, the sound of bubbles from your regulator, the smell of the ocean breeze, and the taste of salt water. Arguably the most important and exciting sense in diving is the sight of the world beneath the waves. Divers who wear prescription glasses or contact lenses may have concerns about seeing clearly underwater, but there's no need to worry! In this guide, we will lay out what mask options are available for the best viewing experience.

• Oculus Dexter (O.D): Right eye.

• Oculus Sinister (O.S): Left eye.

• Sphere (SPH): Lens power in diopters.

• (-) value: You are nearsighted, meaning that objects far away appear blurry. Higher values mean that you need a more powerful prescription.

• (+) value: You are farsighted, meaning that objects nearby appear blurry. Higher values mean that you need a more powerful prescription.

• Cylinder (CYL): You have an astigmatism, meaning that your eye is not a perfect sphere. This number indicates how irregularly shaped your cornea is and what amount of power is needed for astigmatism correction, expressed in diopters.

• Axis (AX): Indicates the location of astigmatism in the eyes, measured in degrees. 

• Add: Reading vision for bifocals/progressives, in diopters, for the lower half of the lens.

• Prism: Indicates double vision; diopters needed for alignment.

• Pupillary Distance (PD): distance between pupils, in millimeters.

Single vision lenses contain one power, across the entirety of both lenses. They correct refractive issues, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.

Bifocals contain two powers, to address both nearsightedness and farsightedness. Folks using bifocals move their eyes to look through either power, depending on what distance they are looking to.

Readers help aging eyes read text up close. They are typically only used when reading, and have a single, low power.

Due to the way that water refracts sunlight, objects appear about ⅓ larger and closer underwater. Therefore, divers who are slightly nearsighted or have a very minimal prescription may be able to see perfectly fine on a dive without wearing contacts or a prescription dive mask.

Contact lenses are a great choice for divers who are comfortable wearing them on a daily basis. Divers Alert Network (DAN) reports that it is better to wear soft contact lenses, as hard lenses can cause blurred vision and eye pain due to gas bubbles forming between the cornea and lens.

If you are going through a certification course and will be performing mask removal skills, just close your eyes when the mask is off to not move or irritate your contact lenses. PADI also recommends carrying rewetting drops in case your eyes get dry or it's difficult to remove the lenses at the end of the day.

Many dive mask manufacturers sell stock prescription lenses, which are pre-made single-vision corrective lenses. These are purchased in addition to the mask, and are switched out with the blank lenses that come standard with masks. These corrective lenses, which address issues such as astigmatism, near sightedness, and far sightedness, can be made available on our website and in our store.

• Atomic Subframe: A great mask option for near sighted divers, with various fit, color, and skirt options available. It is available in diopters ranging -1.0 to -8.0 in 0.5 diopter increments.

• Tusa Paragon M2001S: A high quality mask for near sighted divers, available in diopters ranging -1.0 to -6.0 in 0.5 increments. Note that these lenses are compatible with the M2001S Paragon with dual lenses, not the M1007S Paragon S with a single lens. 

• Tusa Intega: A dual lens mask with options for far sighted divers. Lenses are available in diopters ranging +1.0 to +4.5 and -1.0 to -8.0 in 0.5 diopter increments. 

These masks have dual lenses, meaning that there are two separate lenses instead of one single pane of glass. The left and right lenses are sold separately from one another. This is a great, affordable option for divers with simple prescriptions. As with any mask purchase, ensure that it fits properly to avoid leaking on dives. If you would like to explore this route, contact us so that we can walk you through the ordering process.

Divers with aging eyes may have issues reading the fine print of their gauge or dive computer. Some masks offer a gauge reader option, similar to reading glasses. These lenses have a light prescription at the bottom of the lens, providing magnification when looking down at your gauge and allowing a less straining viewing experience.

• Atomic Subframe: Available in diopters +1.5, +2.0, and +2.5. Similar to the corrective lenses, these are sold separately.

• XS Scuba Gauge Reader Mask: Has a +1.75 diopter. No extra lenses to purchase with this mask- the readers are already installed!

For a fully customized prescription dive mask, we use Prescription Dive Masks out of La Mesa, California. This option gives you flexibility, as you can choose any mask to send in regardless of lens type. The experts at Prescription Dive Masks can put in any prescription, no matter the strength.

Here is what they have to offer:

Going for a fully customized dive mask is great for divers who have higher optical needs, or need a specialized type of mask to get a perfect fit. Prescription Dive Masks factors in every detail on your prescription for the best viewing experience. There is a turnaround time of about 20 days for this process, so make sure to give yourself enough time before your next dive. Contact us with any questions about this process, or stop by our store to get fitted for a mask- we'll send it in for you!

Every diver has unique needs, so choose whichever option suits you best. Make sure you are comfortable with whatever route you choose, so you can focus on safety and enjoying your dives.