Scuba Tech Tips: Prescription Lens Masks – S04E09

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Is your vision suffering from “arm not long enough” syndrome? Alec offers dive mask solutions to improve underwater vision for those who use, or may soon need, corrective lenses.

***** Alec Peirce Scuba *****

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Rating: 4.92

26 Comments
  1. B G says

    Hi your vids are fun. I enjoy your stories

  2. Bryon Schriner says

    Hi Alec, Love your video's. I got lenses for my mask from my local dive store and did not ask price before they installed them. Like you said I figured about $30.00 each. They were $80.00 each. I about fell over as did my wife when I had to tell her.

  3. Lance Rexington says

    Have you seen the Chinese made full face mask glasses for $ 5.00 on e-bay ?

  4. Joel L. says

    Hi Alec. ..
    do you have a video on full face masks.
    perticularly
    OTS Vs Ocean reef
    Pro's & Con's???

  5. Karl Marx says

    Thanks a million. I still remember the day when I walked in your store, Scuba2000 (it was always a pleasure to bug you there), and you mentioned that I can get prescription glasses in my mask. Being as jovial as you always are, I though first that you were joking, but when you repeated the same with straight face, and had shown me the options, well… That moment definitely changed the way I see under water. I was amazed, how big a difference it makes to have right amount of dioptrias in your mask. Thanks, you did change a lot that day for me. As always.
    Another small eye-opener happened when my primary mask broke (night dive at Tugs, Toby, nice simple place) and I used my spare mask (at that time without prescription glasses). But, getting out of the water, I could not see anything further than usual 5-10 meters, so my buddy (thanks, Michael) literally had to take me by the arm and lead to the exiting stairs. After that, my backup mask also has lenses in it.
    Plus, you were extremely kind of changing (for free) my broken mask. (I had used it a lot, and wore and tore it, and abused it, and it was due for a change, but still you changed it for free. You are too generous, really). I had broken at least four masks after that.
    Thus, again, you are a great source of wisdom, practicality, and the way you change people's diving IS amazing. Thanks a million. Karl Marx.

  6. Peter Paul Cornelissen says

    I haven't been able to find the IST company site. Got a link?

  7. John Poe says

    went into a scuba shop today with my current prescription and the lenses they gave me were blurry, they then went thru all the numbers on my prescription and gave me the lenses one at a time, and they were all blurry, then they went thru the negative numbers and they were blurry, then they assumed my eye doctor made a mistake, i am going to a different scuba shop on monday…………..

  8. roadwolf2 says

    Here's an example of a company that does custom made mask lenses http://www.ozbobscuba.com

  9. Alan Hunter says

    Hi Alec,
    Thank you for creating the great set of videos. They are really informative and cover so many things in details! I have a daughter who has recently begun to swim and loves snorkeling, unfortunately she was born with a visual handicap which means she requires a plus 8 and 10 diopter lens. Do you know any masks for kids aged about 6-7 years that would solve this issue or a specialist company that can create new lenses for a mask? Thanks again! Alan

  10. Alex Ceric says

    Or you can just wear contact lenses.

  11. David Cohn says

    I just started the PADI open water course (at 74) and was searching for just this type of tech tip site.  Very glad to have found yours.  It answered a lot of my questions.  Just seeing the pieces of equipment helped a lot.  Thanks for your efforts, Dave.

  12. Jose L. Ramos says

    This is my favorite channel, thanks a lot!.

  13. Ted Reitsma says

    Hi Alec, I tried the Trident dive optic you mentioned. I would only recommend it for cold water. The reason why I said this is that I followed the directions and used the glue and in warm water the glue stops working so after a mask clearing or getting back on the boat, I lost one sense and the other I got before it fell out. I did not know about all the other choices. I unfortunately needed bifocals, so some dive shops have an optometrist that will do it but it is super expensive to do. Some masks do NOT allow you to take the lens out (like the Atomic) so it has to be grinded by the optometrist while in the mask

  14. Tom Ogg says

    Would wearing contact lenses under a mask be a bad idea?

  15. MART duiker says

    Marten Koorndijk Hello i want to ask i watch much videos from you and one i like most bagage youre scuba gear you packed youre gear good it was good tip for me but where do i leaf my weightbelt and maybe also my bottle?

  16. Said Abimelec says

    I know this is unrelated as heck but you remind me a lot of walter white from Breaking bad. holy cow

  17. Jim Untch says

    Hi Alec: I found a company called "DiveOptx" that sells "readers" that are a bit concave that just suction cup themselves into place. I mainly read with my left eye, so I stuck one on the left side of my mask. I think I paid around $20(US). Now I can read my new dive computer!

  18. Alain Dumesny says

    Great video. hate to say it but when you hit 45+ seems like we all go through it: "arms not long enough syndrome" ! I was wondering how you read your wrist computer,,, one reason (and cost) I like my computer+compass console as it has a larger screen than watches do.

  19. GillMan 05 says

    Hey Peirce, don't let them get you down, you do an excellent job of your videos, oh by the way what is your advice on contact lenses?

  20. Flatdog Sound & Light says

    Very nice info that answers all my questions thanks Alec .

  21. Claudio Mauro says

    Hello Alec, one more nice and helpfull video !!.. tks again and again to share your experience !! Really cool !!

  22. troop1026 says

    Hit the nail right on the head. I will look at the IST or the glue in type. Been diving with contacts for 20 plus years. Thanks Alec. Montana Mike.

  23. Miguel Gerov says

    Alec, thanks for sharing your knowledge. Nice to know all the options we have.

  24. JBBooks4440 says

    Thanks for the video – How about a video on Dive Cameras. I still use a Nikonos V (old school) and would like see a Tech Tip on the digital dive Cameras.

  25. TheOldManEric says

    Thanks for this video, I've just turned 54 and am beginning to feel some of that "manliness" creeping on….

  26. SeikiBrian says

    I have just the opposite of "arm not long enough" syndrome; I can see close just fine, but distant objects are blurry. So I bought prescription lenses for my mask and put them in, and now I can see fine…at a distance. But now I can't see up close. I'm going to try adding DiveOptix reading lenses to the bottom of the prescription lenses, but I may have to go the custom-ground bifocal route.

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