To Goggle or Not to Goggle

[Stevie Boy]

So I have had a few problems with my eyes, no details but I am prone to a infection once in a while which is starting to affect my vision a little, ocassionally I wear contacts but when I have tried skiing with contacts especially in Florida the heat makes them softer and sometimes I end up with water underneath them, nothing like going through the gates with one eye screwed up, so would goggles help when wearing contacts or are they more of a hinderance.

Which Goggles has anybody tried, are they best Clear, Dark, Yellow, or with Red tint.

Below is what I have purchased to have a go they are made by Jobe.

 

 

[h2onhk]

No eye problems here, but I did ski with sun glasses on the earlier this week. The evening sun this time of year makes it almost impossible to see the gates or right side turn buoys. You will notice them on your face right up until your gate pull-out then not even know they are there for the next 16 seconds. My only advice would be to wipe them down real good with anti-fog. As far as color I would say clear to start until you get the feel for them and then try a color lens if it helps amplify your vision of the course.

[UWSkier]

Are they polarized? I'd think polarization helps on water more than a specific tint color.

[h2onhk]

+1 on the polarized. its a must.

[Stevie Boy]

Polarized with a hint of red the frame is rubbery with vent holes.

[Kroeks]

I started using Spex after having surgery on my eyes 9 years ago (google 'spex amphibian' and it's the first result) and love them. Never had a fogging issue, but water spots can be a problem. They sell some sort of wax for a few bucks and if you clean them with that every couple of weeks you won't get the spots and all the water beads off before the boat is up to speed.

 

As for tint, I've tried yellow and dark grey. Yellow was better for those cloudy/grey days with 'flat' light, the dark ones are better for the nice sunny days. The key no matter which colour you choose is the polarization; takes the glare out of the water's surface and really helps the bouys stand out!

[DW]

@Stevie Boy : Do you wear soft lenses? I wear gas permeables and temperature is not an issue. I occasionally use Spex goggles in the evening when the bugs are out simply to keep them out of the eyes, no solution yet for ingesting them via mouth, I do notice the water spots for a few seconds. Tether the goggles so you don't lose them.

 

To all: Thanks for tips on the polarized and lens color, I notice as my eyes are getting 'more experienced' and also suffering some vision issues, skiing the course at dusk becomes more of a challenge from the visual aspect.

[PAskier]

I have been wearing Rex Specs Morpheus III prescription glasses for at least 10 years now with out any problems. +1 on polarized and would recommend a clear pair for cloudy or late day skiing. I have found that tinted glasses in low light seem give a perception of increased speed.

[markn]

Have been wearing soft contacts ever since I started skiing and have been in Florida for 20 years. With respect to being prone to infections, you may just want to carry sterile saline solution and rinse your eyes after skiing. My corrected vision is -11.0, so my eyes are REALLY bad. Agree there are occasions when spray gets in your eye(s) and I find myself looking for an orange blob, but I prefer the non-google approach. Good luck.

[Kelvin]

Our lakes are east-west and the the evening sun (when I can ski after work) can be brutal. I have been using these Hobart Shade 5 Safety Glasses (Link Here). Best part is they float in those unfortunate situations. They do have a green tint that takes some getting used to, but they really cut down the most intense glare to allow you to see the buoys.

[skialex]

Video please B) B)

[OldboyII]

IMO. Goggles after start will be full with water which will stay in till the end of the course.

Same to glasses for kite.

[A_B]

I think he uses Bomber.

 

I use H2Optix. I think dark grey mirror polarized work the best for glare.

[ski6jones]

+1 on Spex. They don't hold water and are good in the sun. @Kelvins suggestion is good also for glare, but not polarized. I was skiing in a tournament this weekend in the rain and borrowed some yellow tint safety glasses. Shielded my eyes from the rain and also brightened everything up, but as @PAskier said the pass seemed fast. I think with a bit of practice that would go away. Clear safety glasses or goggles for the rain or spray to protect your eyes from water would work well. You can get clear safety glasses for cheap at HD/Lowes.

[A_B]

@scotchipman not the pair that I have. I have a head strap that I can tighten and put a key float on it. I have used Spex, Bugz, and Maui Jim. The absolute best glare blocking was by the Maui Jims, black grey mirrored with polarization, but they were hard to attach to a strap and too expensive to lose. I would rate the H2O's better than the others for glare, but a notch below the Maui's.

[dvskier]

I have 2 pair of Maui Jim’s but wouldn’t riskester skiing in them. $240 a pop is pricy for me.

[Stevie Boy]

Well the Jobe goggles were great, but after three passes in the Florida heat, my contacts go milky anybody got a cure for that ?

[Stevie Boy]

So now I am thinking presciption swimming goggles with interchangeable lenses clear/polarized put some sort of bouyancy on the strap anybody out there using this arrangement.

Also have read some health issues using contacts or tho I do remove them straight away and rinse after I have skied.

[blagrata]

@Stevie Boy I have used contacts to ski for 8 years. I remove them when I get home and clean them... but that's often after wearing them for 5-8 hours at the lake. I have never had a problem with any kind of infection or hypersensitivity. I have tried to find a daily wear lens that I can just dispose of.... but they seem to soak up water and interfere with skiing more. I wear 2 week disposable toric lenses for skiing (which are different than my everyday 2 week toric disposables).