Whether you’re new to wearing contacts or haven’t been to the beach in a while, you may be wondering about wearing contacts at the beach! Whether it’s a day of lounging on the sand or diving headfirst into the ocean, it’s important to think about your contacts and eye health!
And the answer to both the questions of “can I wear contacts to the beach” and “can I wear contacts in the ocean?” is yes- but with certain precautions!
As a frequent beach-goer and long time contact lens user, I can attest to the fact that you can wear contacts to the beach and be fine. My eyesight is terrible at best, so I have to wear corrective lenses to even be able to distinguish the ocean from the sand. And it’s much better for me to wear contacts to the beach rather than rely on glasses that have to come off getting into the water.
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With these ideas in mind, are my tips on wearing contacts at the beach safely:
Can I Wear Contacts To The Beach?
Yes, you definitely can wear contacts to the beach! There is slightly more risk to wearing them at the beach compared to day to day life because of the sand that inevitably gets everywhere, but that’s manageable.
The best thing to do if you’re wearing contacts at the beach is to wear sunglasses. This shields your eyes not only from the harsh sunlight (made harsher even by the sand and ocean glare), but also from most of the sand.
It’s also important to be extra careful about keeping your contacts clean. Do your best to not touch your eyes unless they’ve just been washed. If you do get sand in your eye, try to blink to get the grit out or else take the contact out and rinse it off with contact solution as soon as possible.
Keep reading: How To Keep Sand Off You At the Beach
Can I Wear Contacts In The Ocean?
The next question while at the beach inevitably becomes, how do you go into the ocean with contacts? While this is not a great idea, it is possible. Once again, you just have to be careful!
(If you can make out shapes without corrective lenses, you can choose to take the contacts out and go into the ocean blurry-vision, but this is not an option for me.)
For me, if I don’t intend on dipping my head into the water, I’ll just wear my sunglasses out and float around. This way my eyes have protection from the sun and reflection on the ocean, and reminds me to be aware of the waves and my surroundings.
If you do want to get your head wet with contacts in, but not look around under water, then just close your eyes! When I’m boogie-boarding or diving through waves, this is usually my go to – just closing my eyes if there’s a chance of ocean spray or I’m getting completely submerged.
And finally, if you want to look under the water, just wear goggles! Swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving are very do-able with contacts in. Be sure to get a good seal on the goggles, and enjoy the landscape below the surface. This is by far the best way to protect your eyes and contacts while being in the ocean.
Wearing Contacts At The Beach
Just because you need some help seeing clearly doesn’t mean your beach trip should be any less fun than anyone else’s or that you just deal with blurriness!
The key tips are: Be careful, don’t open your eyes underwater unless you’re wearing goggles, and give your eyes a break from contacts at the end of the day for a bit.
Enjoy your time at the beach while wearing contacts and being able to have clear vision of the beautiful ocean and sand!