Nearsighted (Myopia)

If you’re nearsighted, distant detail goes blurry. Negative-diopter lenses bend incoming light outward before it reaches your eyes, so far-away subjects like reefs, fish, and boats snap into focus. About 1 in 3 Americans are nearsighted. Correcting myopia also improves overall clarity across typical dive distances, not just “far away.”

Farsighted (Hyperopia/Presbyopia)

If you’re farsighted, plus-diopter lenses aren’t only for close-up. They shift the focal point forward so the eye doesn’t have to work as hard. That small change in the angle of convergence helps your retina receive a sharp image across a wide range of distances: gauges at arm’s length, your buddy a few meters away, and the reef beyond. In short, farsighted RX masks improve overall clarity, not just close-up vision.

How RX lenses help overall?

Whether your correction is “minus” or “plus,” the lens is simply bending light in the direction your eyes need so the focal point lands on the retina. That brings the whole scene into focus across common dive and snorkel distances. The nearsighted/farsighted labels just indicate which way we’re bending the light, not a limit on what you’ll see clearly.