Basejumper.com - archive

 
Does anyone jump with contact lenses on short delays, slider off? (i.e. 1 or 2 seconds).

Specifically, the 'soft' type of contact lenses (daily disposables).

Any issues? Probably not, but I thought I'd ask to see.

Cheers,

- A

Haven't had any problems yet... I only wear a -1.00, but if you can't see without yours, I'd bring the glasses...

I've had no problem so far doin delays 0.5-10s. If they fit properly I don't think you'll have a problem.

// percy

My vision is horrible and a lost contact would be a disaster. Try polyacrylic racquetball glasses or goggles. I have great results for all jumps using "Head" racquetball goggles. I use these on all jumps from short delays to terminal jumping. They also double as safety glasses when landing in eye-poking brush.

I've done 140 or so jumps with contacts in (with no goggles from 0 - 14 second delays and only once had a problem. The one problem was on a 13 second delay where i lost one contact. I noticed everything got a litle blurry on opening. I don't foresee having a problem on a delay as short as that.

My answer?

Get Lasik. I went from being nearly legally blind in my right eye to having 20/10 vision. It's been nearly 4 years and I'm happier than a pig in you know what. It's the best money I ever spent, and now that the procedure is so refined the cost is coming down to under $1000 for both eyes.

Contacts? HA! Maybe I'll turn my brown eyes violet with non-prescription lenses, or possibly turn them red some other way, but I cannot tell you how glad I am to not have to wear lenses any more.

Maybe I should ask about jumping with breast implants...do you use a sturdier bra for slider off jumps?

I completely agree.

I used to race GT style cars and usually wore a full face helmet and sunglasses but left the face shield open.

I had a moderate astigmatism which required my contacts to be directional (ie - the bottom of the contact needs to be on the bottom of my eye, they don't work if they rotate). Sometimes my contacts would shift and an eye would go blurry. Usually a good solid blink would settle them down and wipe them clean and I could see again.

I waffled on getting Lasik for many years until one day I was competing in an Hillclimb Open Road style race (one where the road gets legally shut down and we race for quick times up the hill) and one of my eyes went blurry on the quickest part of the course (120 mph or so) just as I was coming into the braking zone for a marked 30 mph corner. Keep in mind that this is a hill - rock wall on the right side, steep drop off on the left and no guard rails. Three cars rolled in this spot earlier in the day. For some reason this time the one or two blinks didn't fix the blur and I was left with one eye - read "no depth perception" - at a point where I really, really wanted two.

Needless to say, I got Lasik soon after. Was seeing 20/15 the next morning, found that my night vision was 10 times better than with contacts and with no starbursts.

Being a "the cup is half empty" kind of guy, I was kicking myself for not dropping the cash on my eyes many years earlier.

If you're thinking about it, think harder. Do some solid research and find out if it's right for you. If it is, go for it.

Lou

Karen,
I had LASIK a year ago, and in addition to having 10/20 vision in both eyes, it's great not to have to deal with artificial machines on my eyes anymore. This has the added advantage of being able to jump in all conditions and not risk losing the ability to see clearly. It's definitely the way to go. ;-)

 
Maybe I should ask about jumping with breast implants...do you use a sturdier bra for slider off jumps?
Now there's a debate we'd like to see - perhaps some in depth research is required - implants vs. natural. Std bra vs Sports Bra

Maybe we can get agent provocatuer to sponsor it .....

He starts to dream .....

I knew I'd find a better career than optometry eventually !!!

I'm pretty sure this one has been thoroughly researched already.

LASIK fixed your night vision? I have terrible night vision and all of the doctors I've talked with say LASIK has no effect on it whatsoever as lack of night vision is caused by lack of cones/rods (one or the other don't remember offhand)... Did you have really bad night vision?

This is a bit off the original topic, but I'll reply anyway.

My bad night vision was caused by my astigmatism. An astigmatic eye is oblong, meaning a cross section of the lense would be oval shaped instead of circular.

When you're in bright light and your pupil is very small, you're only using a small portion of your lense to focus light. At night, when your pupil is large you use more of your lense, and if your lense is oblong and you're nearsighted, your nearsightedness gets worse because you're using a larger portion of your oddly shaped lense.

My night vision was better with contacts because they were made for my astigmatism, but the contacts caused very bad starbursting.

The Lasik obviously took into account the astigmatism and reshaped my lense so that it's now circular instead of oval, so when the light gets low and my pupil gets larger the quality of my vision doesn't change. I've heard that Lasik can cause starbursting at night, but for me it hasn't, at least compared to the terrible bursting I got from my contacts.

So when those two items are combined, my night vision was greatly improved by the Lasik.

That sucks that your night vision was terrible with contacts. However, I've had no such difficulties wearing contacts.

Let's see, the suggestions have been:

1) jump without eye protection with your contacts and hopefully they won't pop out too often, especially if your vision is very bad.

2) wear polyacrylic (hard plastic) goggles that cost $10 and provide safety to the eyes especially when landing in brush or trees. Just go to Academy.

3) spending $1000 or so or on an experimental eye "surgery." (Just get rid of your contacts or jump with glasses which provide little peripheral vision) Guess what? A new nonpermanent eye correction (popular in Europe) surgery is near full FDA approval.

 
Just to add

as far as I am aware -

1. Losing a contact lens in these conditions is a rare occurence, but obviously the consequences can be pretty disastrous !!! No vision = interesting landing !!!

2. Wearing polycarbonate safety glasses or goggles is one of the safest options due to the mechanical as well as optical benefits that they provide. The downside is that they look like protective eyewear and someone might question that. But then again oakleys use polycarbonate lenses and they look prettycool. But on a cold night any glasses / goggles can fog up - which can be a problem.

3. Lasik or some similar method of surgery (PRK etc) can be the best option of all PROVIDING IT IS SUCCESSFUL. To better understand the potential risks of any surgery it is worth asking around before rushing off to have it done.

There are many successful lasik and eye operations every day, however it is worth noting that when they go wrong the results can be pretty disastrous. I have seen people who have increased light sensitivity post-surgery. I also worked in places where there were many contact lens patients using just 1 contact lens where they'd had lasik or similar on one eye and would not have the second eye done.

In all fairness the procedures are practised in increasing numbers and the technology gets better and better so the risks are getting ever smaller, but in truth the risk will never be 0%.

There was a famous incident with a climber years ago who had laser surgery and his cornea was thinned to such an extent that it ruptured at altitude and left him blinded in very inhospitable conditions.

So before deciding to go for surgery - just make sure you have all the facts and then make an informed choice.

I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination and would suggest that if you are interested in lasik or any procedure that you seek suitable information from people qualified to give you unbiased advice.

The british college of optometrists (i think) offers such advice and you can find them on the net.

Anyway what ever you choose - be safe !!!

I know - i guess I was just bored !!!

Bumping this decade old thread :)

I've been using a SORZ goggles for terminal but my contact lenses keep coming out.
Does anybody that uses contact lenses recommends any goggles? I was thinking about getting a ski goggles but don't know if the air vents on them make the lenses come out too.

Thanks.

I have a mixture but mostly use Kroops (or a horse riding equivalent) for terminal and subterminal skydiving.

Never lost a lens yet. I have soft lenses. They are disposable and last three months so they are very sticky.

The prop blast on exit is the most dangerous time for me.

I don't jump terminal BASE and I don't use goggles slider off.

using ski googles for everything terminal (and have contact lenses as well), works great, never had any issues.