Prescription swimming goggles and complex lenses

[Agent_C]

I have a complex lens prescription - I have quite high myopia (around -6.5 in each eye) but also an astigmatism of around -5.25 in each eye, which is considered 'extreme' (about the only time I've ever been described as extreme...).

I have recently started swimming again and have been swimming in my glasses, which is pretty unsatisfactory, so I've been looking at getting some prescription swimming goggles. These seem to be available online in 'off the peg' measurements for short sightedness, for around £20. However to get a pair to correct the astigmatism as well requires them to be custom made and therefore costing well over £100, which is more than I can afford.

I was wondering whether anyone with severe astigmatism had tried goggles just to correct the short-sightedness and not the astigmatism, and whether these worked. I'm not intending to be able to read War and Peace as I swim; it would just be sufficient if I was able to avoid crashing into the edge/fellow swimmers and identify the correct changing rooms after my swim.

Also, if I were to order such an 'off the peg' pair, would I go for -6.5 in each eye or do I need to add the value of my astigmatism to this number?

[tidus]

The way to work out the best sphere only correction when you have astigmatism is to add HALF the cylinder to the sphere.

For example, -6.25/-5.50X180

Best sphere only is -9.00

I doubt you can get off the peg ones much over -8.00 however.
Also, the higher the astigmatism the less well you're going to see without it properly corrected, but it should be adequate for swimming. ;) ;)

[Agent_C]

Thanks - really useful! http://www.aquagoggles.com/index.asp do -9 off the peg goggles so I think they're the ones I'll go for - will take advantage of the weak dollar too! :)

[lolly5648]

I have used Aquagoggles and they were excellent. I only have mild astigmatism and my prescription is -7.75ish but I could see clearly enough for swimming.

[Agent_C]

Thanks, did you add anything extra on for the astigmatism? I have looked at my prescription and I was a bit more short-sighted than I thought, so following Tidus's calculations I need -9.75 for my right eye and -9.25 for my left, so might have to go the full whack and get the -10s!

[lolly5648]

I ordered mine a few years ago and emailed them with my prescription. They told me what to order but pointed out that they do not correct as such for astigmatism but as most people only wear them for less than 1 hour they should be fine.

I can certainly see out of mine, its not perfect as I am used to varifocal lenses but compared with wearing glasses which seem to retain splashes or nothing it was worth the £14 it cost me.

PS. the service was excellent as they arrived within a week.

[Sam_26]

I have always got mine from http://www.newitts.com/home and found them very good and cheap

[sophisticatedpenguin]

You can get ones that have your full prescription, including astigmatism correction, from BudgetSpex for under £50. They were even able to put in my prism! The goggles are not the most elegant eyewear ever to be seen, but they work a treat.

http://www.budgetspex.com/frame-step1.asp?FrameID=201

SP

[Paul118]

I've seen some of them goggles before! its amazing they can get your full presciption in to them. i've been wearing the ready made ones for a low minus power with a small astigmatisim, cheap and cheerfull, got them from directvision2u on a few months back, does the job!

[Paul118]

I've seen some of them goggles before! its amazing they can get your full presciption in to them. i've been wearing the ready made ones for a low minus power with a small astigmatisim, cheap and cheerfull, got them from directvision2u on line a few months back, does the job!