Can You Wear Contacts Skydiving?

Can You Wear Glasses or Contacts Skydiving?

If your eyes are opened, you’ll see things worth seeing – Rumi

There’s no other way to experience skydiving, than with eyes wide open – to take in the breathtaking views in freefall and to experience the wonder of flight under parachute. However, what about those who are visually impaired and need glasses or contacts to see the wide-open world?

Can you wear glasses or contacts skydiving? The short answer is yes! You can wear either, glasses or contacts. Most skydiving centers provide goggles designed for those that wear glasses or contact lenses.

Let’s break down these facts into a bit more detail:

Glasses vs Contacts when Skydiving

It is truly up to you in which you prefer to wear, but you can wear glasses or contacts skydiving. Here’s how it works:

Unlike some SCUBA masks, goggles aren’t built with prescriptions. Therefore, if you choose to wear glasses skydiving, we will offer you larger-than-normal goggles that will fit over most pairs of glasses.

If you choose to wear contacts skydiving, it will be important that the goggles are nice and snug to prevent air circulating through them. Be sure to let your instructor know that you wear contacts so he can make the correct adjustments for fit.

What About Lasik Eye Surgery?

If you’re one of the few lucky ones who’ve had a Lasik eye procedure (or other similar procedures), we recommend that you wear the goggles snug and opt to add a strip of tape on the vent ports on the goggles. A side effect of these procedures is dry eye and doing these steps will help block a majority (but not all) the air flow.

Are Goggles Necessary for Skydiving?

Yes! Goggles are the staple of every skydiver’s ensemble as their main purpose is to protect your eyes. Falling at 120 mph and opening your eyes is similar to driving down the highway on a motorcycle at high speed – yes you can see, but it will be blurry and will dry your eyes out.

Goggles are even more important if you wear contacts or glasses while skydiving as they will keep your glasses on and contacts in place.

What If I Don’t Want to Wear My Contacts or Glasses Skydiving?

Look at everything as if you’re either seeing it for the first or last time. – Unknown

If skydiving is on your bucket list or a once-in-a-lifetime experience, you’re not going to want to miss a second of it! Seeing the earth from an open door of a plane, 13,000’ up in the air is an unforgettable moment. It’s worth seeing it all to take it all in.

If you’re wishing to learn to skydive, you’ll definitely need your glasses or contacts. When tandem skydiving, your responsibilities are limited and missing out on the view is the ultimate detriment. If you choose to progress to the solo program, you’ll be in charge of monitoring your altitude by checking your wrist altimeter, responsible for pulling your parachute, navigating it and landing. Then further down the line, you’ll be jumping with others. All of these responsibilities require not only good decision making, but the ability to see clearly.

If you know you need your spectacles in your day-to-day, like driving – then we certainly recommend you wear either your contacts or glasses for skydiving!

If you would like to know more about other Frequently Asked Questions, click HERE. For more details on first time skydiving or booking your first jump, click HERE.