There are around 34,000 recognized species of fish swimming around in the ocean.
Plus you can’t forget about coral reefs, hidden caves, shallow shipwrecks, and many other things waiting for you in the water. You’ll see some of the greatest sights in your life while snorkeling.
But will you be able to see them if you wear glasses? I’m sure you’re wondering if it’s possible to wear your glasses while snorkeling.
Can You Go Snorkeling With Glasses?
No, you can’t go snorkeling with glasses. The mask wouldn’t fit on your face and you won’t be able to see anything with your eyes submerged in saltwater. Luckily, you’ll be able to find special optical snorkel masks that will allow you to see perfectly without your spectacles.
Off-The-Shelf vs Custom Prescription Lenses
If you have enough money custom prescription lenses are tempting. It will allow you to buy any traditional or full face snorkel mask you want. Send it to a dive shop with your exact requirements and they’ll send you back a mask that will let you see everything down below.
But it’s really expensive and not worth it unless you’re a snorkeling addict.
When you try to buy a prescription snorkel mask online there will be tons of options based on your particular needs. If you choose the closest diopter measurements to your prescription glasses you’ll be fine. It’s much cheaper and you’ll only need to wait a few days for your mask to arrive.
Traditional vs Full Face Snorkel Masks
Traditional snorkel masks are the kind you’ve seen around for decades. Full face snorkel masks are much newer to the party. We’re going to look at some of the advantages of each one to help you narrow down your search:
Traditional Snorkel Mask Pros
- A much bigger variety to choose from
- Designed to snorkel at deeper depths
- Don’t worry about water leaking inside
A much bigger variety to choose from – It’s nice to have a wide choice available when choosing a snorkel mask. If you wear glasses there are more options when it comes to traditional ones. Hopefully things will change in the future to give you even more to choose from.
It’s not just the amount of mask designs and technologies available to you. There are a large amount of near sighted, far sighted, and bifocal lenses at your fingertips. You’re more likely to find a snorkel mask that fits your glasses prescription perfectly.
Designed to snorkel at deeper depths – Full face snorkel masks aren’t supposed to be used at deeper depths. There is actually a debate about how safe they are right now. You definitely wouldn’t be allowed to go scuba diving with one.
Traditional snorkel masks are the exact opposite. They’re used for freediving and people wear them at extremely deep depths. I doubt you’ll ever go too deep while snorkeling, but it’s always nice to have options. You never know what you might find a little further down.
Don’t worry about water leaking inside – When you’re wearing a traditional optical snorkeling mask you’ll have a seperate snorkel. On a side note, I hope you’re using the best dry snorkel because they’re head and shoulders above standard ones for numerous reasons.
So if water leaks inside your mask you can swim to the surface. Probably pretty quickly if you’re wearing the best snorkeling fins. If you have a full face snorkel mask you’ll have to worry about water finding its way into your mouth. It could cause you to start panicking.
Full Face Snorkel Mask Pros
- Breathe through your mouth and nose
- A 180 degree panoramic view
- You won’t suffer from mouth fatigue
Breathe through your mouth and nose – We talked about water going into your mouth if your mask leaks, but it’s unlikely because full face snorkel mask technology is so good. It’s actually a huge bonus you can use your nose and mouth to breathe.
It’s much more natural and you’ll feel extremely comfortable. That doesn’t mean standalone snorkels are unusable, but it certainly takes a bit of getting used to in the beginning when you’re inexperienced.
A 180 degree panoramic view – Anyone who wears glasses will know what it feels like to have a limited field of vision. The same thing can be said when wearing a traditional snorkel mask. There is only so much you’ll be able to see at either side of you.
Full face snorkel masks will give you 180 degree panoramic vision. Imagine how much more sea life you’ll be able to see swimming past. It’s one of the big reasons why they’re slowly taking over these days when it comes to snorkeling.
You won’t suffer from mouth fatigue – When you wear a full face snorkeling mask you don’t need to stick anything in your mouth. A dry snorkel will have a watertight seal and drain valve, but you’ll still need to hold it in your mouth for long periods of time.
Eventually you’ll start to feel fatigued until you finally need to come up for a break. That won’t happen when you’re wearing a full face snorkel mask, so you’ll be able to stay in the water a lot longer.
Final Thoughts: It’s hard to say which one you should choose because I don’t think there is a wrong answer. Even though you wear glasses you’ll be able to get away with either one. I’m sure you already have a favorite in mind.
Different Prescription Strengths For Each Eye
Anyone with different prescription strengths for each eye might be a little unsure what to do right now. Luckily, you’ll find some companies Promate who sell prescription snorkel masks will use a different lens for each eye depending on your needs.
When you put in an order you’ll receive a unique reference number. Just email the company straight after you place the order and they’ll sort everything out. The email addresses are easy to find.
Do You Even Need Glasses To Go Snorkeling?
Have you ever been snorkeling in the past? You’ll be pleased to know some people with slightly impaired eyesight won’t need a mask. Water magnifies things around 25 percent, so everything will look bigger and closer to you anyway.
A snorkel mask lens has a higher density than the air inside your mask. Water and glass are almost identical when it comes to visual properties. So when light passes into your mask it diverges and everything grows.
However, if you do have a real problem seeing things properly on land it’s probably best to stick with the best optical snorkel mask you can find. You want to see as clearly as possible while enjoying yourself.
Can You Snorkel With Glasses On Your Face?
We’ve come to the conclusion that you can’t wear glasses on your face when snorkeling. That doesn’t mean you won’t be able to enjoy the sport as much as people without eyesight problems. You just need to try a little harder to find the right tools for the job before hitting the ocean.
If you have a copy of your prescription you can’t go wrong. Off-the-shelf corrective lens snorkel masks are filled with amazing modern technology. Order the correct mask and it will work like a charm.