Contact lenses under water

[SeanB.]

I wear soft contacts and was wondering if anyone else who wears them opens their eyes under water. I've always just kept my eyes closed when under water because I was worried about my contacts getting washed out. They make such a tight seal on the eye though, that I wonder if they would stay in place.

I may just wait until it's time for these to come out anyway and then give it a try.

[GraceByDesign]

I lost a contact lens several years ago while swimming underwater with my eyes open. While they make a tight seal on your eye, I suspect all that water can wash them loose.

And while it is relatively easy to find a contact on the bathroom floor, it is impossible to find one in a pool!

[Dr. Spike]

And while it is relatively easy to find a contact on the bathroom floor, ...

For me, I just have to look under my foot. LOL! I always seem to step on them while looking for them.

[SeanB.]

That's about what I thought. I usually do wear goggles when I swim, but we will be getting a swcg with our pool, so of course, I want to see if it is easier on the eyes like everyone says - guess I'll have to do it without contacts though.

[ChuckD]

I wear soft contacts and always swim with them and always open my eyes. Haven't lost one yet.

C.

[joliecharlie]

When I wore contacts, I always swam with them because I was extremely nearsighted and couldn't make it into the pool with out them. I wore hard contacts and soft,never lost a one. I had Implanted contact lenses placed 8 years ago...too blind for Lasix...they work great BUT now I cannot see a thing under water ,goggle make it a bit clearer but not much. My eye doctor tried to explain why, but over my head!

[Dr. Spike]

I have soft contacts. I use goggles when I swim though. I have opened my eyes a few times during diving, forgetting I don't have my goggles on and my contacts stayed in. I think I was lucky though. It wouldn't take much for them to get washed away.

[subedoo]

My eye doctor said this is a "no-no." Something about bacteria or chemicals getting absorbed into the soft lenses. I suppose if you wore disposables, it wouldn't be a problem as you could throw them out when you were done swimming.

[GraceByDesign]

Maybe I was just unlucky

[Simmons99]

my doctor told me that soft contacts want to stick to the wetter surface - which is why trying to put them in with wet hands is hard. I was told not to even wear them in the pool - let alone open my eyes underwater. I have never tried it because it would cost me about $400 to replace one.