 Poster: A snowHead
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A few weeks back I really struggled in skiing off Piste in flat light with my Oakley OTG goggles, I wear them over prescription glasses, but because you need some airflow or speed to get the goggles/glasses to clear, I was completely blind and unable to get any definition of where I was skiing.
I can't wear contacts, and my glasses are photo-chromic which are great in sunny conditions.
I am thinking of getting yellow lens prescription sunglasses for flat light, dumping the goggles, and swapping photo-chromics for sunnies depending on the prevailing conditions.
I note that the prescription sunglasses manufacturers (Bolle, Oakley) are not too specific about lens colour, but I assume that yellow is optimum.
Does any Snowhead have a similar experience, and what is the best solution?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Does any Snowhead have a similar experience, and what is the best solution?
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yes, and I don't think there is one. Yellow lenses help a little but sometimes you just can't get any definition and that seems to be the end of it.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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DavidYacht, I just alternate between prescription sunglasses and goggles over glasses or contact lenses. But then at my standard of skiing ability, it doesn't cause me too much of a problem as I'm not likely to be tackling anything too horrendous
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DavidYacht, if you were skiing in proper flat light (which I can't abide) you might find this:
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I was completely blind and unable to get any definition of where I was skiing.
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Was unavoidable and down to the conditions rather than the goggles.
I use a combination of prescription sunnies and contacts with goggles for days that the sunnies won't cut the mustard. When you say you can't wear contacts, it might be worth qualifying 'can't wear' with your optician. I am not allowed to wear them full time, but my optician has no problems with part-time use during a skiing holiday providing I take them out for a few hours in the evening.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Thanks for the heads up, I have a stigmatism, which in the old days consigned me to hard lenses, I have tried soft lenses more recently and found that I can live with the specs, for almost everything including very competitive dinghy sailing. The only area I have a problem with is when I need the definition in flat light, and then find the lenses will not clear. I love skiing, but when this happened a few weeks ago, I wish that I had not been on the mountain.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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DavidYacht, if it's just a case of fogging, then you might find prescription inserts for the goggles better - I never had problems with fogging, with them. But there were still times when there was absolutely no definition, even with yellow lenses - it's not nice, even on piste. Sunglasses would be worse, I'd imagine.
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I've found that sometimes a film of water on the lenses is preferable to constant fogging, enough to get out of trouble and into the warm to dry out.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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and getting back on topic. I find that my normal prescription glasses on their own are best in flat light.
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DavidYacht, If you can wear the contacts you might find a box of 30 an acceptable compromise for skiing. I have astigmatism and you can buy toric soft disposable lenses that will deal with a certain amount of it. They are what I use for skiing - It might be worth looking into as advances are made all the time.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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DavidYacht, I take two pairs of OTG goggles. A pair of Uvex yellow lensed flat light goggles, and much darker lensed Bolle goggles for when it is sunny. I will swap and change the goggles depending on the conditions. I also carry a spare pair of glasses, and I have loads of tissues in a thigh pocket just in case of a crash and snow getting inside the goggles (or very humid conditions.)
I find it is essential that the goggles are not too tight. If is not damp then I will put them on the helmet whilst in the gondola or on the chairlift. I was always suffering before I started wearing a helmet - I find this crucial.
If it is snowing and I am on a chairlift then I hold them off my face. I find that I cannot stop for too long on extremely humid days. If I have to wait around for too long on very humid days then my glasses will steam up - until I am moving again. Sometimes you can see more without the goggles, so I just pop the goggles up.
If it is flat light (above the tree line) then I find that closely following the mountain guide and matching him turn for turn to be the best option.
I really do not find wearing glasses and OTG goggles to be lots of hassle. I cannot ski in just sunglasses (and a helmet), my eyes water up completely - it also looks really dodgy (Helmet and sunglasses) and should not be allowed!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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DavidYacht, having had problems myself with various goggles, I now have a pair of Scott OTG's which are fantastic they have photochromic lenses, and are wonderful, especially in flat light, which I used to struggle with, bought then in 2011, the model which is similar is now called the Storm. The other great thing is that they aren't extra large standard OTG's , and you avoid the sunglasses helmet issue!
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You know it makes sense.
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DavidYacht, I use Oakley with gold iridium prescription lenses. They are as good as I have ever used in flat light - but the real answer lies in how relaxed you are and how much you feel the terrain because nothing really unflattens flat light.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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+1 for Megamum, if you can contacts are the way to go.
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Poster: A snowHead
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+1 for Oakleys with prescription lenses, polarised black iridium for sunny days and swap then lenses on flat light days. I just bought some polarised persimmon ones for flat light and I am very impressed with them. Also the iridium would be great for sailing!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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About to invest in a pair of prescription polarised photochromic ski sunglasses, the production time is 3 months so will be able to give thoughts on this new brand for next season.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I too have astigmatism, and used to hate and struggle in flat light. Wearing topic contacts was one of the biggest changes in my life for sports (both skiing and sailing) allowing me to wear sunglasses with the most appropriate lenses for the conditions. However until about a year ago, I still struggled in flat light conditions to see adequate definition of the changes in the snow.
Now I feel that I can cope with these conditions much better, and I was enjoying the skiing in Tignes last week despite flat light and falling snow.
The change, as Bode Swiller, said, was to learn to relax and feel the snow, and not rely on vision to cope with the changes. We have been on a couple of courses with Snoworks and the changes to my technique transformed how and what I could ski.
Having been a vision obsessive, I would say that one of the bet things you can do is improve your technique and discover how being more relaxed and feeling what is underfoot rather than relying mainly on vision. That made the biggest change to my skiing.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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vipul, I've never seen those before, but those are the sort of goggles that I've always imagined could be made. Now all they need to add is a toric option and make them 'look' a bit more 'fashionable' and I think they would be onto a winner!!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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DavidYacht, I have had this exact issue too - I have slightly short sight, so in misty conditions I potentially have foggy eyeballs, misted specs and damp goggles - plus mist outside!! There are times I have been skiing backwards and not known. I also can't wear contacts (large eyes; I apparently don't blink fully so my eyes are as dry as dust) but my solution has been to buy a pair of ESS V12 Advancer goggles with prescription inserts. They are designed for the military so are quite tough and practical. Also, are very cost-effective. The down side is, they are smaller than conventional ski goggles - and can give you real panda eyes in the sunshine.... On ebay, these cost me £20 altogether.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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vipul, Those prescription goggles only go up to 4.5 dioptres, not much use if like me you need almost 10 dioptres  correction!
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Alastair Pink, if the frame isn't too curved a helpful optician should be able to glaze them for you. 10 dioptres ha amateur 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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OK, let's see if anyone's has a solution for this one. I've got a problem overheating and the resulting fogged up glasses/inserts inside my ski goggles. I'm riding with OTG Smith Knowledge goggles with Turbo fan, and I have prescription inserts. I ski pretty hard and by the time I get down to the chair after my first run my head is hot and my inserts start fogging up. I ski at Snowbird whenever I'm not working. Before you recommend anything I've already tried: Fog sprays and wipes, and contacts (don't work on me). I wear a fleece cap, fleece neck gator and don't like wearing helmets (too clunky). I think I'm just getting too hot and the moisture has no where to go. I'm tired of holding my goggles away from my face until I get moving again and putting my goggles on my forehead seems to only get them even foggier. When I do that the inserts (used to do it to my glasses) ice up. After 4-5 runs I'm so frustrated I take out the inserts and ski without them hoping the next small dark spot in the powder before me is just a tree tip and not a fixed rock. ANY SUGGESTIONS?
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drelder, You generate a lot of heat when you ski (like me - I'm normally steaming when I stop) so your most important thing when looking for is ventilation. The thing that really worked for me and stopped pretty much all of my steaming-up issues, and there were MANY, was when I switched helmets from Protec to POC (ok know you don't do helmets but the principals are the same). POC lids have excellent ventilation.
Try skiing bare-headed and lose the neck gaiter for a few runs and see if the problem eases, try opening pit/pants vents.
BTW try to avoid putting your goggs up on your forehead as its wet and sweaty and that dampness just makes the problem worse.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'd lose the neck gaiter immediately and consider dropping the hat. In my case losing the gaiter dealt with the bulk of the problem. Otherwise, don't allow the insert to get wet. I can get away with putting the goggles on the helmet provided it is dry but hat or forehead will not work.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I don't know where you're skiing... but its usually 20 degrees and windy. I'd get frostbite if I didn't wear a hat.
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drelder, -6 and you get frostbite? You need to eat more Readybrek!
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You know it makes sense.
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Readybrek? 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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20 degrees f is -6 Celcius.
Readybrek - popular UK porridge-like breakfast cereal advertised as "Central heating for kids"
Forgot my manners, Welcome to Snowheads!
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