Can You Swim If You Have Bad Eyesight? Safety Tips to Help You

If you are long or shortsighted, you may be wondering how to swim with bad eyesight. Do you put your glasses down and get into the water when you cannot see clearly? Or is there a way that you can swim with glasses?

In another article, we saw how you can swim with goggles and contact lens. So, before you think that you cannot swim with bad eyesight, hold on a bit. Anything is possible at this age.

So, if you have been asking, can you swim with bad vision? The answer is yes. Swimming does not require you to have eagle vision.

Even when you wear swimming goggles, they can fog up easily and obliterate your vision. Thus, if you have bad vision, you can swim all right. All the same, you do need to see where you are going.

Also read this article: Best swim gloves for swimming in cold water

Here, we shall share a few actionable tips to help you on how to go swimming with bad eyesight.

How do I swim if I need glasses?

If you have bad eyesight, you are most likely a glasses’ wearer. Thus, you could be asking how you can swim if you need glasses.

And we say… Swim with your glasses on. Yes, that is right. Water will not particularly damage your glasses.

But there is a small problem. Your glasses will slip off your eyes, fall into the water, and sink. But that is a small problem to solve. You just need an elastic holder for the glasses that go around your head.

The elastic holder is going to hold your glasses in your eyes. They will not drop into the water, even when you swim vigorously.

While your glasses will get drenched with water, your vision will still be better than when you swim without glasses.

How do swimmers with bad vision swim?

Swimmers with bad vision swim while wearing their glasses. As we have already explained, one of the ways to swim with glasses is to keep them in place with elastic holders.

Swimmers with bad vision can also swim using special goggles made for glasses wearers. These are called prescription goggles.

If you are looking for optical swimming goggles, you might want to try the Dr. B Barracuda Optical Swim Goggles that you can buy on Amazon.com.

These goggles come with silicone straps, so they are not going to irritate your skin even if you wear them for a long time.

Since they keep the water out of the eyes, you can even use these goggles for swimming under the water.

They have a mirror coating that keeps direct sunshine out of your eyes. Just because you have bad eyesight, it does not mean that you should get water in your eyes.

Is it okay to wear glasses while swimming?

Yes, it is okay to wear glasses while swimming. However, it is also equally important that you wear the glasses with elastic holders, which we have already discussed.

Are there swimming goggles that go over glasses? Of course, there are. This is the age of technology, where we have just about anything. Thus, there are large rubber glasses that can fit snugly over your prescription glasses.

However, if you think that this combination is going to feel too bulky, there is an easier option for you. You can order swimming goggles with prescription lenses. You just have to tell the supplier what kind of eye problem you have.

They will ship goggles that have prescription lenses that match your needs. This is a much better option than wearing swim goggles over prescription glasses.

How do you swim if you are short-sighted?

Believe it or not, about 40% of the American adult population suffers from shortsightedness, also called myopia. If you fall in this category, you might ask: How do you swim if you are shortsighted?

First, you will swim alright. Again, the solution here is to buy a pair of prescription swimming goggles. That way, you can see the clock to see how long you have been in the water. You can also see the other swimmers so that you can avoid collision.

Just order a pair of swim goggles with prescription lenses. That is going to help you see the far end of the pool. They will also keep the water out of your eyes.

You might also get contact lenses. However, as a general rule, your contact lenses should not come in contact with the pool water because they can cause irritation and infection. Thus, wear swim goggles with your contact lens.

Can you swim with bad eyesight without special goggles?

In some circumstances, you do not need to wear your glasses or get special goggles to swim with bad eyesight.

If you are alone in the pool, and you can see where you are going, albeit blurry, you can swim without eyewear.

However, make sure you swim slowly, and if possible, ensure you can see the other end of the pool. That will prevent you from shattering your wrists.

Another way to go swimming with bad eyesight without wearing glasses is to swim in a straight line. It will be hard, but try to maintain it.

You might also want to keep your swimming speed low. That way, if you collide with anything, you will not suffer too much harm due to the low speed.

Conclusion: How to swim with bad eyesight

Once you know how to swim with bad eyesight, you will never miss a session in the pool on account of poor eyesight.

As you have seen here, you can opt to swim with your glasses by securing them with elastic glasses holders.

You can also swim with prescription swimming goggles. The choice is yours.  Our recommendation is to get a pair of prescription goggles.

That way, you can protect your glasses from harm. Besides, prescription goggles do not cost too much, and they can last a long time.

These goggles also protect your eyes from the swimming pool water. The chlorine in the water can irritate your eyes.