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I would like to ask how many skiers are nearsighted?

GoGo9527

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Sep 8, 2025
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I am nearsighted with astigmatism, and I previously met a skiing friend who has diplopia. It’s definitely a bit inconvenient for nearsighted people to ski.
 

Killingtime

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Jan 16, 2018
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Long Island, NY
I use disposable contacts when I ski. Sucks sometimes putting them in when getting ready in the car. I never looked into prescription googles, I'm sure someone makes them
 

skiur

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I ski with contacts, I have a friend who skis in glasses and they fog up on him often.
 

urungus

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Dec 1, 2016
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I bought goggles that would fit over my glasses, and even tried prescription google inserts, but in each case the glasses kept fogging up so I switched to disposable contacts and couldn’t be happier
 

Razor

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Nov 15, 2005
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EMass
I skied with contacts for years with no problem. Now after cataract surgery I don't need anything. Whole new world!
 

Edd

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Ski with contacts (I’m nearsighted but it’s slowly getting more complex). Doc told me last week I’m a candidate for Lasik but not motivated to do that yet.
 

ceo

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Apr 1, 2009
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I've worn glasses since I was 8 and been skiing longer than that. For many years I wore goggles over my glasses, which worked OK, but a couple years ago I acquired a visor helmet and I couldn't be happier. Easier to manage, much more comfortable, almost no problem with fogging.
 

cdskier

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Mar 26, 2015
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I finally switched from glasses to prescription inserts for my goggles last year. Overall worked much better with less fogging...
 

speden

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Nov 18, 2008
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I wear contacts when I ski since they can't fog up like glasses do. The contacts let me see clearly at a distance, but then I can't read things close up, like my cellphone, so I keep a pair of reading glasses on me. Usually I wear bifocals, but I don't think there are any bifocal contacts. Lasik is for the young, so that is no longer an option for me.
 

GoGo9527

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Sep 8, 2025
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Ski with contacts (I’m nearsighted but it’s slowly getting more complex). Doc told me last week I’m a candidate for Lasik but not motivated to do that yet.
Laser eye surgery seems way too risky—it’s irreversible. There can also be all sorts of complications. A lot of the world’s richest people wear glasses, and with all their wealth, they still don’t get laser surgery. That just goes to show there’s still no 100% safe method out there right now.
 

SkiingInABlueDream

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the woods of greater-Waltham
I've been nearsighted pretty much all my life. Skied with glasses under goggles through my 20s. I just couldn't compel myself to do the eyeball touch-ey things needed to use contact lenses. Somewhere around 30 I decided to give contacts another try and it clicked. Now I can't imagine doing any sport with glasses. I've tried but depth perception is very different with glasses vs contacts. Also considered lasik in my 20s but once I figured out contacts I had no desire to permanently modify (and risk messing up) my eyes. And now in my early 50s I really enjoy still being able to see (for now at least) up close, at least with my bare eyes.
 

x10003q

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Laser eye surgery seems way too risky—it’s irreversible. There can also be all sorts of complications. A lot of the world’s richest people wear glasses, and with all their wealth, they still don’t get laser surgery. That just goes to show there’s still no 100% safe method out there right now.
Lots of faulty logic here. Maybe google Lasix eye surgery and do some reading. Lasix is the opposite of "way to risky". Using rich people's glasses usage as a metric is probably not a good measuring stick.
 

SkiingInABlueDream

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Lots of faulty logic here. Maybe google Lasix eye surgery and do some reading. Lasix is the opposite of "way to risky". Using rich people's glasses usage as a metric is probably not a good measuring stick.
I personally know someone who was one of that small percentage of patients who have bad results. He had to have a number of follow up procedures and even with that, there are some aspects of his vision that are still worse than before he had anything done. The risk is real.
 

cdskier

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I personally know someone who was one of that small percentage of patients who have bad results. He had to have a number of follow up procedures and even with that, there are some aspects of his vision that are still worse than before he had anything done. The risk is real.

That even small risk for something like vision scares the crap out of me. I'll stick with glasses.

And look what ad I'm now seeing at the bottom of this thread lol!

1757521559327.png
 

urungus

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That even small risk for something like vision scares the crap out of me. I'll stick with glasses.

I agree with you but it’s funny how we accept some risks (like sliding down a steep icy mountain just for fun) and not others
 

Razor

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Nov 15, 2005
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I wear contacts when I ski since they can't fog up like glasses do. The contacts let me see clearly at a distance, but then I can't read things close up, like my cellphone, so I keep a pair of reading glasses on me. Usually I wear bifocals, but I don't think there are any bifocal contacts. Lasik is for the young, so that is no longer an option for me.
Bi-focal contacts exist. My wife has them.
 

cdskier

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I agree with you but it’s funny how we accept some risks (like sliding down a steep icy mountain just for fun) and not others

True. Everything we do involves risk of some sort. There's always a personal risk/reward decision to be made. For lasik, I can't justify the risk vs reward. I've had glasses for ages and don't think it is a big deal in that context. Skiing vs not skiing, there I can justify the risk relative to the reward. There are certainly plenty of times I will skip certain trails though on a given day based on the risk of the conditions at the time not being worth it.
 
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