Everything you need to know about prescription dive masks!
With your brand new PADI certification in your wallet, you can jump in and go for a dive whenever you like to explore all the wonderful things our oceans (and lakes) have to offer! If you normally wear glasses, contact lenses or reading glasses, you may need some help to see more clearly when you’re exploring the underwater world though!
If your vision is less than perfect, we can help! We sell negative, positive and bifocal (gauge reader) presctiptive lenses. All prescription dive masks come with the optical corrective lenses installed, so they are ready to use straight out of the box. You will also receive the original (non-corrective) lenses.
All our lenses are pre-made factory lenses. The lenses are not custom-made, which means the standard manufacturer warranties apply to your purchase and our standard return policy applies as well.
Where to start?
Unless you have a current optical prescription (less than 12 months old), we recommend contacting your optometrist. Always mention that you’re going to use the prescription for a corrective dive mask. The main thing we need is the dioptre (dioptre) value for each of your eyes. Sometimes you get a script with cylinder and axis values as well. In that case, please ask your optometrist what dioptre value you will need to order for your dive mask, as these values sometimes come into play as well and your optometrist will know best what to do with these values.
What’s next?
Once you know what your dioptre values are, you can visit our dive store or see our prescription dive mask collection online. Please note that if your results are a quarter dioptre, we recommend the next highest dioptre (as the lenses are only available in 0.5 increments), for example if you need a -2.25 dioptre, we recommend ordering a -2.50 lens.
We have prescription dive masks, snorkel masks and complete snorkel sets (including mask, snorkel and fins).
If you would like to try the different masks we sell, you’re more than welcome to swing by the store and try them all on to see which one fits your face the best.
What if I already have a dive mask?
Chances are that there are no prescription lenses available for the mask you already own, as we can only supply lenses for a small selection of masks. You can have custom lenses made for any mask on the market, but they are a lot more expensive than standard factory lenses. In most cases, it will be cheaper to buy a complete prescription mask, instead of having lenses made for the mask you already own. If you do decide to have lenses made, we’re happy to point you in the right direction.
Dive and snorkel masks that suit best are mask that take twin lenses (two separate lenses) and that can be easily disassembled for lens fitting.
What if I have an Astigmatism or Prism?
Unfortunately pre-made factory lenses have limitations and some eye issues can only be rectified by custom made lenses made to your exact prescription. In this case it’s best to talk to your optometrist to get an expert’s opinion whether you will need custom made lenses or whether factory lenses will be okay to correct your vision underwater. For most divers, a lens that is close to their prescription will be perfectly fine for diving and an expensive custom made lens with the exact prescription is not necessary.
What happens once I’ve ordered my prescription dive mask?
The average turn-around time for your prescription dive mask is 2-4 working days. Almost all masks are ready for collection (or shipping) within a week. If your job is urgent, please let us know and we’ll do everything we can to get you the perfect mask in the shortest amount of time possible.
Your prescription lenses will not need any special treatment before use. We always recommend using an anti-fog solution though.
What if I’m unhappy with the result?
Our lenses aren’t custom made, so our standard return policies apply.
Can I claim the mask on my health fund?
Usually you won’t be able to. We have heard some success stories of divers who were able to claim their corrective lenses, but most health funds require a specific medical provider item code and none of the dive manufacturers or dive centres have an item code like this (as far as we’re aware).
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Explore our Prescription Dive & Snorkel Mask Collection here!
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