Anyone wear contacts?

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jjm
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Anyone wear contacts?

Post by jjm » Tue Jul 05, 2005 1:10 pm

To anyone wearing contacts, have you found any ways of making life easier? Sunglasses, goggles, something like that? I had a spill yesterday and was practically blind for about 2 minutes blinking and poking until they went back into their proper positions.

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Post by feixaq » Tue Jul 05, 2005 1:45 pm

i wear contacts when kiting, but use a pair of sunglasses that prevent my contacts from splashing out when i hit the deck 99% of the time. zealoptics and seaspecs make "specialized" aqua sunglasses with integrated straps, but you can also use a regular pair of plastic sunglasses and secure them with croakies or some other strap at the back. just make sure to try the sunglasses + strap together with your helmet to make sure that the whole ensemble fits securely and comfortably.

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Post by OliverG » Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:51 pm

If using any glasses other than specialized aqua sunglasses, I'd recommend making sure that they are impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses, otherwise you could be in for a world of hurt on a bad spill or face plant.

Pablito(guest)

Post by Pablito(guest) » Tue Jul 05, 2005 10:44 pm

Look on the bright side -- you're learning to kite one-handed without even trying.

I wear contacts and they drive me frigging nutty. They were the biggest reason that I kept using a board lease for so long. Body dragging to the board is the worst -- you either have to close your eyes completely, or risk losing a lense and then not being able to see where your %&$% board is.

I have been considering getting some of those Aqua glasses, but I was wondering whether they would solve the problem of water dripping down your forehead and into your eyes. It seems to me that my biggest problem is not during wipeouts, but afterwards, when all the water rushes down your face.

Any experience with this? Do the special sunglasses actually seal around your eyes, or can water still go behind them?

Paul

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Post by SPAMAN13 » Tue Jul 05, 2005 11:54 pm

i wear contacts on land and i take them off. is it safe though to wear glasses on the water?

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Post by Bob » Wed Jul 06, 2005 5:30 pm

In salt water there is no issue - don't face plant and when you body drag count to ten then turn and count to ten and your board is upwind or downwind of you.

Up in the fresh water of the delta my kite chick uses "sport shield" glasses and likes em except that they need to be coated with an anti fogging stick once a year.

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Post by exsailor » Wed Jul 06, 2005 11:59 pm

That's a great point about saltwater vs. freshwater. My contacts always feel dry and uncomfortable after spending a day at Sherman, but feel fine whenever I'm in the bay.

Overall though, I find that the worst that's happened to me is having to rub my eyes for a couple seconds to have them pop back into place after a crash. I haven't even had issues after a face plant or two.

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Post by Clearviewing kiter » Thu Jul 07, 2005 10:43 am

Gives a whole new meaning to "kiting blind" doesn't it?

Actually, I've been surfing with contacts for about 20 years. Initially, I lost a few, but once I learned to be in and around the water with the lenses in, I can't even remember the last time I lost one. I guess it's all about learning the reflex of when to blink to keep the water from splashing into your eyes.

Even the higher speed impacts and bodydragging of kiting hasn't caused the loss of any contacts for me (3 years into the sport). Maybe that's more related to the squinting I have to do while being in such bright sun while kiting. There's not much problem with sunglare during Northern CA dawn patrol surf sessions!

Try it for a few sessions to see how it works out. Hopefully you don't have any serious vision issues that require expensive lenses. I buy my daily disposable contact on-line for about $22 per box of 20. Even if I lose one, it's not breaking the bank, and I keep a bunch of extras in my truck if I do actually splash one out.

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Post by Live2KITE » Tue Jul 12, 2005 9:03 am

The products that we have found work the best so far are:

Axis CP by Opticnerve
They push the spray and water better than any other lense in the water so far. In both Polarized and non-polarized versions.

Axis CP - Optinerve - Check 'em out

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Seaspecs -
The classic water sunglasses - work well.

Seaspecs - Check'em out

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Aquashades by Lava
The best fit around the face, non polarized lenses, with the best strap that you will never loose them no matter how hard to crash (we can attest to that!)

Aquashade by Lava - Check'em out

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Evan - Live2KITE
(415) 722-7884

Pablito(guest)

Post by Pablito(guest) » Tue Jul 12, 2005 9:45 am

The reason your eyes are drier at Sherman than in the Bay is because of the air, not because of the water. Anywhere in the Valley on a windy day, your contacts are going to feel like they have been drained of water (your whole body, actually). At Sherman, it's windy all the time (at least when you are kiting) and the wind is dry.

I saw one guy who had a PFD with a water supply built in because he gets so dehydrated out there on the river...

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