When it comes to outdoor activities, the right eyewear can make all the difference in the world. Whether you’re planning on swimming, diving, hunting, or even going out for a ball game, safety should always be paramount. Don’t put yourself at risk of an eye emergency; instead, invest in protective eyewear.
From function to fit, in both prescription and non-prescription, your eyewear can mean the difference between clear, comfortable vision and significant damage to your eyes.
Swimming and Scuba Diving Eyewear
Whether you’re swimming or scuba diving, your eyes are particularly vulnerable when underwater. Your tear film can’t protect your eyes like it does on land! Bacteria, debris, and more can all directly reach your eyes if you leave them unprotected.
This is why properly fitting goggles is so crucial—they help protect your eyes from potentially harmful contaminants in the water. This way, you can look around and enjoy your time submerged, without putting yourself at risk.
Swimming Goggles
Modern swimming goggles are designed to fit comfortably while giving you a clear light of sight underwater. It’s essential to find a pair with a proper seal; this helps keep water out of your eyes and lowers the risk of irritation and infection.
Look for swimming goggles with:
- Anti-fog coating to maintain visibility in changing temperatures.
- UV protection to shield your eyes against harmful rays, especially for outdoor swimming.
- Adjustable straps for a customized, secure fit.
- Wide lenses for better peripheral vision during all strokes.
- Impact resistance.
Scuba Diving Masks
No matter how deep you plan to go, a watertight seal is absolutely crucial when it comes to choosing the right scuba mask. It doesn’t just keep the water out—it offers the flexibility needed to equalize pressure during a dive to protect your eyes.
Consider the following when selecting a scuba mask:
- The fit, as the mask should rest on your face without any gaps.
- A low-volume design that minimizes the air space within the mask, making it easier to clear and equalize pressure.
- Quality lenses that provide crisp, clear vision underwater, with the option of anti-reflective coatings for better visuals.
- Prescription lens availability for those who need vision correction.
Investing in the right eyewear lets you enjoy your water activities without discomfort, impaired vision, and the risk of eye infections.
Hunting and Sports Eyewear
Spending time in the great outdoors is one of the most therapeutic ways to spend a day. But it doesn’t matter if you’re heading to a park to play baseball or into the woods to go hunting; you need to protect your eyes.
Protective Eyewear for Hunting
When you’re hunting, you’re going to be exposed to the elements—there’s no way around it. Harsh environmental factors, like wind, debris, and intense sunlight, are unavoidable.
But you need to see clearly during hunting season. Intact and unimpaired vision is crucial for your success and safety. Try to prioritize a pair of hunting eyewear with a yellow or amber tint; this helps provide optimal visibility in low-light conditions. It also enhances contrast, making it much easier to properly identify your targets.
When you’re buying protective glasses for hunting, try to look for an option that offers:
- Impact resistance to protect your eyes from small but common threats like loose branches, or a rare but potentially catastrophic threat like a round detonating out-of-battery.
- Polarized lenses to reduce glare from water, snow, reflective surfaces will improve depth perception and visual clarity.
- Camouflage patterns or muted colors that can keep your eyes obscured. Consider the old saying “wait till you see the whites of their eyes.”
There are also prescription glasses available for hunters that need vision correction, and options for a variety of lighting conditions.
Sports-Specific Eyewear
Different sports have unique demands, with varying lighting conditions, levels of physicality, and environmental challenges. Fortunately, specialized sports eyewear options are designed to address all of these.
Consider sport-specific eyewear with features such as:
- Wraparound designs that maximize peripheral vision and keep out wind and debris.
- Lightweight, shatterproof materials to provide comfort and safety without compromising on performance.
- Anti-slip technologies to ensure eyewear stays in place, even during intense physical activities.
- Tints and coatings tailored to the demands of the sport, from basketball with its indoor lighting to skiing requiring UV protection and anti-fog properties.
Whether on the court or in the field, the right sports eyewear can offer a competitive edge by reducing distractions and providing clear, unobstructed vision of the game or the goal.
Safety Eyewear
Eye injuries are a lot more common than most people think. In the USA, it’s estimated that at least 20,000 workers deal with eye injuries every year. Whether strain, trauma, or severe vision loss, these injuries are sadly often avoidable with a simple pair of safety glasses.
These glasses aren’t just for labs and construction sites. Any task or activity involving the potential for eye injury demands appropriate eye protection. Accidents don’t just happen in the workplace; many eye injuries can occur at home and compromise your vision. Home improvement projects, landscaping, working on your car—these can all pose a significant hazard to your eyes and vision.
When selecting safety glasses, consider:
- The type of work or activity, as different lenses and frames will be suited for different tasks.
- Whether or not the glasses meet the basic impact and safety requirements.
- Features like side shields, UV protection, and adjustable head straps for full coverage and a secure fit.
No matter the style, make sure that your glasses have an inscription that states “Z87” on the frame. This means that they’re up to the American National Safety Standards—they’ve been thoroughly tested to make sure they’re actually fully protecting your eyes.
Always wear safety glasses or goggles when there is a risk to your eyes, whether it’s from chemical splashes, flying debris, dust, or hazardous radiation. Remember, when it comes to your sight, it’s much easier to avoid an injury than it is to go through treatment.
Talk to Our Team About Eye Safety
Your vision is essential, and it should always be prioritized. So come talk to our team at The Vision Place. Our optometrists can guide you through the process of selecting eyewear that not only suits your activities but also enhances, and protects, your vision. Book an appointment with our team today, and let’s talk safety!