donn@hp-dcd.UUCP (11/02/83)
#R:pyuxn:-31200:hp-dcd:26300002:000:1331 hp-dcd!donn Oct 30 22:42:00 1983 On contacts and swimming. I can't talk about extended wear lenses because I still wear my "antiquated" hard lenses, however hard lenses do, very occasionally, work out well in swimming. (They don't absorb *anything*.) As an experiment, I once tried to wash mine out; I couldn't, and I've occasionally swum with them since, but I suspect my experience is rare. Not unheard of however... I know of someone who (used to?) board surf with contacts in; never lost them that I know of, however somebody-or-other's law must be in effect; his father is in the contact lens business as a manufacturer, and he's now "joined the firm". Anybody crazy enough to repeat these experiments does so at his/her own risk. If you can't get a replacement lens without a lot of fooling around by the optician, you havn't the proverbial snowball's chance of it working. It is possible to get hard lenses that can be accurately replicated without a fitting at the optician, but I hear that's generally rare. I got mine from the manufacturer mentioned above; I've lost several lenses (none in the water, however) and had them replaced by mail; they all fit the first time. He does all his "fooling around" at once, and then makes new lenses that reflect the results of the "fooling around". Thats the set you end up with! Donn Terry hp-dcd!donn
rand@sequent.UUCP (11/06/83)
I also cannot speak for extended-wear lenses, but I do wear soft lenses.
I wear them all the time, including while kayaking. Kayaking is a *very*
wet sport. I have never lost a lens in the ocean or in white water, but
I did lose one once while teaching others how to kayak. The class was
taught at an indoor pool. On one occasion I had a lens *almost* get lost
in a river, but managed to keep it in my eye until I could get to shore and
re-insert it.
I think that if one is reasonably careful about not opening one's eyes
very much under water, and avoiding direct spashing in the eyes (very
hard while kayaking) that the risk is low enough to warrant wearing them
swimming. (I always wear them swimming, in comparison to kayaking, that
is like wearing them to work!) You should be prepared to have to replace
them, though. I also have no trouble with chlorine absorption or river
water, or even ocean water (very sandy). Each person is different and I
think you have to experiment for yourself.
--
{ pur-ee hp-pcd teklabs } !ogcvax!sequent!rand
Randall Dow 503-626-5700
Sequent Computer Systems, Inc.
14360 NW Science Park Dr.
Portland, OR 97229