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Wasatchman

over the hill
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Nov 9, 2017
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Wasatch and NZ
My vision has changed and unfortunately I may need to wear glasses more regularly, including potentially while skiing.

How do you folks who require corrective vision deal with this when you ski? I do not think I want to go the contacts route like most people I know due to the inconvenience, not being used to them, and the fact that my far vision correction distorts my near reading vision.

Do people wear glasses under goggles, do you get a prescription goggle lense, and if so any recommendations? My glasses prescription is a little different for each eye, so not sure if they can even do that with goggle lenses.

Potentially needing some sort of vision correction while skiing is all new to me so wanted to check in for advice from the Pugski community.

Thanks!
 

Jim McDonald

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Tokyo
I: Buy the smallest glasses you can find, preferably with flexible frame, and Smith turbo-fan googles (this is my current solution)
2: Ski half-blind and live with bad to non-existent ability to see contours in the snow in all but the best visibility (did that for many many years)
3: Prescription goggle lenses (wish I knew somewhere to get'em)
4: Lasik (friends swear by it; idea scares the hell outta me)

I also tried contacts two years ago; worked ok with my right eye but I cannot get the damn thing into my left eye.
That's all I got.
 

Philpug

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When I wore glasses, I hated skiing with them so even with my astigmatism I resorted to using contacts for when I skied. I got Lasik 2 days after 9/11 and I will say it was the best thing I ever did for myself.
 

Mendieta

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My vision has changed and unfortunately I may need to wear glasses more regularly, including potentially while skiing.

How do you folks who require corrective vision deal with this when you ski? I do not think I want to go the contacts route like most people I know due to the inconvenience, not being used to them, and the fact that my far vision correction distorts my near reading vision.

Do people wear glasses under goggles, do you get a prescription goggle lense, and if so any recommendations? My glasses prescription is a little different for each eye, so not sure if they can even do that with goggle lenses.

Potentially needing some sort of vision correction while skiing is all new to me so wanted to check in for advice from the Pugski community.

Thanks!

While I think I'll eventually do lasik, I do ski with glasses. What you need is OTG goggles. It works just fine ... except for the fogging sometimes. I hear that the best cure for fogging is to put your goggles on while in a warm place (in a car, lodge, etc) and not letting the glasses cool again.

All things said, it is a little inconvenient but not a show stopper. As long as there is snow, there is a happy day
:beercheer:

Cheers!
 
Thread Starter
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Wasatchman

Wasatchman

over the hill
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While I think I'll eventually do lasik, I do ski with glasses. What you need is OTG goggles. It works just fine ... except for the fogging sometimes. I hear that the best cure for fogging is to put your goggles on while in a warm place (in a car, lodge, etc) and not letting the glasses cool again.

All things said, it is a little inconvenient but not a show stopper. As long as there is snow, there is a happy day
:beercheer:

Cheers!

Any particular brands of otg glasses you use or suggest? Currently I use Oakley airbrake goggles and love them. If I do have to go the goggles over glasses route, I'm really going to have to be in really good shape to minimize the huffing and puffing and risk of fog!!

I'm with @Jim McDonald - not sure I'm willing to risk lasik. The risks are low, but there are definitely some horror stories with the procedure. Not sure lasik would necessarily be the answer for my particular situation either.
 

Jim McDonald

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Again, Smith Turbo-fan. I have the OTG model and they work great.
As Mendieta says, put them on before you go out (and make sure you're face isn't sweaty) and turn the fan on low.
If it's a warm, humid day, or you start sweating a lot, you might need to turn it on high for 30 seconds to clear out now and then.
On low, skiing all day 25-30 days, the battery lasts all season. If you run into conditions where you need the high setting a lot may need to replace, I'm not sure.
 

Bad Bob

I golf worse than I ski.
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I have used progressive darkening lenses for quite a few years now. In good light they work just fine. When the light goes bad I use OTG goggles, in the PNW it works but not ideally. You do want flexible hinges on your glasses.
I have wondered about the Smith Turbo fans but have not pulled the trigger. You can read in, "I'm cheap" here.
 

Eric267

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Oakley o2 Xl goggles have the best fit over glasses for goggles that don't look like the weird OTH style. I get the reflective lenses so you can't see that I'm even wearing glasses unless you look really close.

I buy cheap glasses from lens crafters specifically for under my goggles. I like the cheap wire rim with breakaway hardware so the side brackets bend in every direction. Then I keep the goggle band strapped down really tight around my helmet so that when I fall and full on rag doll everything stays in place. I usually only have issues when I eject face first and get snow blasted in my face and actually up under my goggles. At that point you just have to go back into the lodge and let glasses/goggles re temper.

The I tech cleaner for hockey masks has a defog agent in it which you can clean you glasses with if fog becomes an issue. Maybe I'm just used to it but 100+ ski days a year it only becomes an issue a handful of times and mostly when I'm hiking and really breathing heavy. I just make sure to clip the glasses to my goggle band so I don't get to the mountain and not have them. That's when it really sucks!
 

Pat AKA mustski

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I:
4: Lasik (friends swear by it; idea scares the hell outta me)
.
Be aware that Lasik will give you the same vision that contacts give you, so if you don't like that vision do not get the surgery. My issue is that my contacts are for distance so I can't read with them in which is a BIG deal when using a map at a new mountain. I get RX sunglasses (progressive) which works for me on most western days. On those super foggy, stormy, or low light days I just bite the bullet and wear contacts with a super small pair of readers in my pocket for if I need them. Luckily, I ski with my hubby who has excellent vision, knows my fears, and rarely steers me wrong. I haven't found a pair of goggles that won't fog if I am working hard.
 

firebanex

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Fairbanks, Alaska
I now wear contacts, but It used to be OTG Goggles. Other members of the patrol swear by the Smith Turbofan goggles, a couple have gotten prescription inserts, and the others just use OTG Goggles and stuff like catcrap to deal with fogging issues.
 

Magi

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I find that glasses under ski goggles work fine. Make sure you have a goggle/eyeglass pair that comfortably fits together. (I use Smith I/OX frames).

If your goggles or glasses are fogging - your face is sweating. Drop some layers/ventilate yourself more - if you can't cool down - you can't stop the fogging. I spent three seasons chasing fancy stuff (including "turbofan" I/OXs. Once I figured out where the moisture was coming from, and dealt with that - never had a problem with fog.
 

KingGrump

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You can get a small pair of glasses with flexible frame like a few poster have said. If you don't want to use the larger OTG goggles. You can modify a regular pair of goggle to fit by notching the goggle face foam at the side. This will allow the legs of the glasses to pass through the goggle seal without interference and prevent pressure points on your face.
 

Eleeski

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San Diego / skis at Squaw Valley
I ski blurry on sunny days. Storm days or flat light gets contacts. I sweat profusely - goggles are always on the edge of fogging - no way will glasses work.

I struggle to get contacts in. Many famous words in the morning. Some contacts are easier than others. Try several.

I now pull them out right after skiing - especially if I will need them the next day. Clean hands and lots of water keep the irritation to a minimum.

Eric
 

Near Nyquist

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I have Smith io/x in both turbo fan and regular
Wear the turbo fan on wet powder days in Tahoe, use the non turbo fan the rest of the time
Found I only turned on the fan on wet snow days

If you crash and get em wet it’s back to the lodge till they dry out otherwise they fog like crazy
 

Ross Biff

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You can get a small pair of glasses with flexible frame like a few poster have said. If you don't want to use the larger OTG goggles. You can modify a regular pair of goggle to fit by notching the goggle face foam at the side. This will allow the legs of the glasses to pass through the goggle seal without interference and prevent pressure points on your face.
Ditto on the small glasses and notching the foam for the temples. I also remove the foam from the top of the goggle frame and due to the close fit between the goggles and my helmet I have no issues with snow entry. This does involve trying different goggles to get the best fit with your helmet but I've only had one pair of goggles that I couldn't get to work in this set up.
 

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