Contacts and hockey

[Chappie 0]

So I just got contact lenses last week. Up until then, I literally played in glasses and found helmets or modified them to work with my glasses. Wondering if anyone has any experience playing in contacts and what you do before or during games. I know one big thing is that I can't get processed water in them, and I think I may end up sucking it up and going to a cage if necessary... not sure yet. May try to make it with the Oakley VR910 visor, just haven't decided.

[noodle3872 40]

I've worn contacts during hockey games for ages. At times the breeze in my face from skating can make my eyes water more than normal but nothing too crazy. I'm not sure what you mean by processed water but I try not to get water from the drinking bottles on the bench in my eyes just for safety sake to avoid eye inflections.

Mike

[NextBobbyOrr 0]

Been wearing them for a year or so. Like Mike said, the breeze feels a little awkward. For me, it's also just plain going from hot outside, to a cold rink. That just changes the feel a bit, so I'll blink for a few seconds. Also, if I've been driving for more than 1 hour or been napping I'll carry the solution in my bag and squirt it into my eyes.

[Chappie 0]

Processed water = anything not naturally made, IE anything no rain/river/sea. Tap water and a lot of bottled water have a certain type of microbody that kill bacteria that is used in treatment plants. Ingestion is fine, but if that microbody gets trapped against your cornea it will actually eat away at it. It can cause severe vision loss later in life.

As for your play, do you wear a visor or cage?

[noodle3872 40]

Ahhh, I get ya now. I don't wear a cage or a visor (although, SWMBO says I will wearing a visor be soon). I've tried visors in the past and they fog up too much for my tastes.

I think keeping a bottle of re-wetting drops in your bag is a good idea like Orr suggested.

[thorbs 2]

I like to use eyedrops if my allergies are acting up or my eyes feel dry at all, but beyond that it's all good.

[NextBobbyOrr 0]

I wear a cage for league play. But whenever I'm coaching or reffing or free skate and such, I'll go nothing. And yeah, I've been a little paranoid ever since I lost a contact in the middle of the game just because they were too dry. I ended up blinking it out on the ice, finished the game half blind!

[Chappie 0]

Ahhh, I get ya now. I don't wear a cage or a visor (although, SWMBO says I will wearing a visor be soon). I've tried visors in the past and they fog up too much for my tastes.

I think keeping a bottle of re-wetting drops in your bag is a good idea like Orr suggested.

Yeah definitely thinking that's what I'll be doing. I'm super paranoid about that kind of stuff, lol.

[Massivesun 0]

Shouldn't be a problem, never had a problem myself or heard of anybody having anything different than without contacts in

[Shark#81 0]

2nd shift into tonite's game...boom. Our team captain caught a high stick. One of our players is coaching staff for the BCHL so he attended first aid. I drove him to emerg. An hour drive to see a specialist in the morning.

I read this thread today and once again did an inventory of the players without eye protection- about 1/2 our team. I have always worn contacts and a visor, I hate it but have kept it on. Tonite I am bummed out.

[ndlancer95 0]

I wear contacts, and I always keep a bottle of rewetting drops in the trainers bag. Never lost a contact during a game, fortunately. Like NBO said, if you nap before icetime, it takes a while to adjust to the light and to re wet your contacts. Always carry a spare pair for any reason, better to be safe than sorry

[pass the bisk 0]

I have worn contacts for years and have never once had a problem with them on the ice

[DevilsFan38 0]

Shouldn't be a problem, never had a problem myself or heard of anybody having anything different than without contacts in

Same here. I've been wearing contacts for 12 years now and never had one fall out or had any issues whatsoever playing sports with them (including hockey, skiing, and scuba diving). I do keep some rewetting drops in my hockey bag, which are especially nice for the late night games when I've had my contacts in all day, but otherwise it's a non-issue. And I wear a cage.

[danno25nh 3]

I use rewetting drops right before putting my helmet on. It helps a lot. If I don't I have problems with the left one drying out during warmups. I wear a visor because I suffered an eye injury that resulted in me wearing a patch for 6 months along with some corneal damage. I should be wearing a cage but just can see the puck.

Today's contacts are good enough that you should have no troubles if you take care of them properly.

[tareatingrat 4]

I used to wear glasses and a visor. Switched to a cage for the protection and because my glasses would fog up like crazy along with the visor and that was stupid. Took a few good strides on the ice before they cleared up.

Switched to contacts about a year ago...much better all around. Never had a problem with them falling out on the ice or anything...but I only put them on about an hour before the game and take them off within an hour or two afterwards. I really only only wear them for hockey.

Contacts are great because you'll have better peripheral vision...my stickhandling improved because I could catch the puck out of the corner of my eye much better and could keep my head up more.

[shotty 7]

i have been wearing corrective lenses all my life. when i was really young (and before the big breakthrough of soft contacts for astigmatism) i wore glasses under my cage. when i got contacts, my game significantly improved, aside from the aformentioned watery eyes from the wind, whenever i would throw or recieve a hit, my lenses would spin around on my eye and it would take take me a couple seconds to settle them down. as you can imagine that loss of focus (literally and figuratively) was a downside. eventually i got sick of contacts in sport and life, switched back to glasses, and now i play without any corrective vision at all and my game is fine.

[Chappie 0]

This is all awesome to hear. I was really not expecting this much positive feedback... Don't know why, lol. Thanks guys. I definitey agree with the greater peripheral sentiment too. I notice it everywhere, especially while working and driving.

I have an astigmatism too and these things are great. My vision is so much better.

[Shark#81 0]

Few tips maybe there are better ones: visiondirect.com buy up by the box load for pretty good prices. I use the 1-days.

Also try not the handle the lense - i use my pinky to pull from the case, turn over touching the edges, irrigate the eyeball contact side with solution and straight into the eye. The less handling better the comfort I find.

[Chappie 0]

Yeah I try to do the same.

My neighbor actually works in an optometry office and she gets em for me for free. Same with the solution. It's very convienant.

[Chadd 916]

I can't imagine trying to play in glasses. I've been wearing contacts for years.

[boconnor811 0]

People complain about visors fogging, I'd imagine glasses being even more difficult to keep from fogging as they are so close to the heat given off by your face. Have been wearing contacts as long as I've played the game. Never had any issues while on the ice.

[Chappie 0]

Never had a fog issue. Only problems I had were with trying to keep them properly on my face, lol. Some pairs were easier than others.

[NextBobbyOrr 0]

I can't imagine trying to play in glasses. I've been wearing contacts for years.

Haha I should try and find an old hockey picture of me. For 2 years I wore goggles. It became my nickname and everybody who played hockey would know me by that, whether they knew me or not. Downsides? Well, it was pretty annoying getting asked if I was going swimming. And I had little to none peripheral vision.