Living in Manitoba provides us with a bounty of lakes and waterways for us to spend our leisure time. Whether you’re kayaking down the La Salle River, or taking a canoe all the way up to Hudson’s Bay (as many campers do each year), there is one common thread: safety.
Safety is paramount when working or playing on the water and it goes without saying that having the ability to see while using a kayak or canoe is key as you need to navigate smaller channels, avoid obstacles, and set up camp.
As a person requiring vision correction, you need to be careful about when and where you do these activities to avoid losing or damaging your glasses or contacts, or even dealing with a potentially dangerous situation without strong eyesight. Cleanliness also poses a major risk for contact-wearers.
Kayak
The kayak is an incredibly fun workout in addition to providing transport and a water-tight mode of getting around in the water. The ability for an experienced kayaker to simply roll their kayak back around in the event of it flipping over means these little boats are tough, but also that the user may find themselves upside down in the water while still seated. It’s easy to see how glasses or contacts could get lost in a roll-over and end up finding a new home at the bottom of the lake.
Canoes
While a capsized canoe is far less common than a kayak, it does happen from time to time. Canoes are typically built with foam ends fore and aft so it will not completely sink if filled with water. Your glasses, however, would look pretty strange with foam all over them.
Because canoes are more stable than a kayak, many tend to travel longer distances in them, which is where the risk of bringing glasses or contacts comes from. With portaging being a common activity for the long-haul canoe enthusiast, the real fear is losing your glasses out on a trail or on the water while you are literal days away from home.
Contacts require cleanliness and it can be difficult to truly clean your hands or face when roughing it in the bush.
Paddleboarding
Likely the least risky of the paddling activities, paddle boarding is a newer leisure activity typically done at resorts or in groups in places like lakes or coastal towns. Its rise in popularity means more people from all walks of life are getting into it. While you won’t ever find yourself paddling for 10+ kms, you do still have a much higher chance of falling off your board and into the water, which can be daunting with prescription glasses or contacts.
The Plus
You may not have to worry! You may have the ability to avoid the fear of losing or breaking frames/losing or dirtying your contacts during any of these or your other favourite spring and summer activities. With laser vision correction, many patients report their vision to be clearer than ever before while totally removing the need for prescription glasses.
Book your free assessment today and move towards a life without boundaries!
Can we say something about looking forward to summer, and planning your next adventure, this is a good time to plan for your next life changing experience… laser eye surgery… etc.