Been there and done all that! #1 opt for contacts. Take them out and rinse them as soon as you are out of the ocean.You will not lose them when you wipe out as you automatically close your eyes,you will lose them paddling,your eyes are open and a splash can knock one out. To remedy this wear Kurtis USA goggles. I have had two retinal tear surgeries,one with a detached retina, ,and a vitriectomy,and a cataract surgery. My retinal surgeon said the only way I was going back surfing was by wearing eye protection.I have tried every single goggle available,the rigid frame ones gave me a black eye in big waves.The ones that were tight fitting were uncomfortable and fogged up.The Kurtis goggles are a god send to me.Check them out @ Kurtis USA.com.They are flexible,light and comfortable .I wear mine almost daily,on small days,glassy sunny days,big and bigger winter days,blown out days,and doing down winders on my one man outrigge canoe.When everyone has a hard time catching the wave or making the drop because of stiff winds,I have a big advantage.They come with a leash, and you can duck dive with them,and you get this wax that keeps them from beading. I modified mine by sewing the velcro so as not to lose them because of the big waves here.Pterygiums are NASTY,you get those from a lifetime of being on or near the ocean,sun and wind screw your eyes up.Most lifeguards I know have pterygiums.Do you wear sun protection?what about your eyes,they absorb as much sun as your skin,even more so on the ocean.Did pre contact Eskimos wear eye protection from the sun,and up until today?
#2 I had LASIK,the results are wonderful,truly, to this day.But I would not have gone that route had I known I would be needing retinal surgeries,and cataract surgeries.The LASIK procedure makes any subsequent eye surgery a lot more delicate for the surgeon,and makes picking the right implant for the cataract surgey a lot trickier,I speak from experience.And how do you know that down the line you won’t be one of the poor suckers like me that will need cataract or retinal surgery?My retinal problems were not due to any kind of trauma,just the unlucky person,blame it on genetics.You are more at risk if you are short or near sighted.
#3 Another reason to wear eye protection is simple safety.Surfboards,kite boards,windsurf boards and SUPs do come back and smack you,and poke you in the face.You surf all your life,it’s bound to happen to you or someone you know.While a broken nose or jaw and split lips can heal,not so with your eye. I know some unfortunate people.Do you wear eye protection with power tools? I feel safer with those goggles I mentioned.I first saw Gerry L. wearing them over here, that’s how I found out about them.So,if one person profits from my experiences,I’ve done my part.Aloha.