I'm in the same boat as you, ( have terrible eyesight), just stick the back and use your arms to protect your face and stay away from large packs. Sucks if you are a strong swimmer (which I am not) but at least keep you from losing your lenses.

Also, on a side note, during IM Mont Tremblant, during my pre-race warm up swim I took my goggles off and dislodged my lenses, luckily the lens the lens got stuck to my goggle and I was able to run to a race official who use a smart phone as a makeshift mirror. I was saved and able to race! but almost had a heart attack!.

Quite keen to hear other's view on this. I use sunglasses with clip-in Rx inserts (Smith Pivlocks, they're pretty ace) but with my first IM coming up, I'm looking at contact lenses as an option - if only to save the weight on the nose of the optical glass, and take advantage of helmet visors?

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ZONE3 - We Last Longer

I wear contacts and mine have never came out in a race or even once in swim practice over the last 5 years.
I keep a spare at T1 just in case - but thats about it.

I have had them come out like once when i was playing in the pool with my kids - but that was from opening my eyes underwater a bunch of times....

I wear contacts and never have had an issue in the water. Though, at Wildflower one year, descending down into T2, I blinked and both lenses popped out. I didn't have back up in T2, so had to do the run (Olympic) without, not fun. Carry backup, either glasses or lens, in your transition bag!

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Chris
*********************
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Grab the one a day pairs - that is what I use. I cant use the monthly ones anymore - they feel like sheets of plexiglass in my eyes.
Throw a pair in ur Tbag. Throw one of those little makeup compacts in there too with the mirror. and bingo. It might take an extra 2-3 mins of trans time but well worth it to not ruin the next X+ hours

Your contacts will not come off as easily as you think if your goggles get knocked off. And, you have some time to react (i.e. close your eyes). So, between the risk of getting your goggles knocked off (low if you have any sense of self preservation and avoid getting kicked in the head) and then having your contacts come off, the odds are really good so swimming with them is well worth the risk.

I've worn contacts for decades and never had an issue swimming with them. It is smart though to have a back up set in transition. And if you need a little travel mirror and some saline to get them in in case of emergency, just pack those too!

Great idea, I bring a makeup mirror!

Yeah forgot about the saline, solution you can buy a small airport bottle. Good to you know you haven't had any issues, I'm going to take the risk. I swim in the pool with contact lenses at the moment and have had no issues, but that's not with hundreds of swimmers around. @moment I use spectacle googles early in the morning before work. I just wanted to get a general feedback on my post, being positive so far. I use daily disposable contacts.

i wear contacts and they usually survive.

but i too am paranoid and usually bring a spare set into T1

I have worn contacts for every single race I have done. I have only had my goggles knocked off 1 time so I agree with others that the risk of losing one or both is pretty low. I have more issues on the bike than anything else, especially looking behind me as the wind hits at the side of my contacts. It was even worse when I switch to a helmet with a visor. I now wear my run sunglasses underneath my helmet visor. The visor stays on for the aero benefits but the glasses are what are really keeping the wind out of my eyes.

I wear contacts and have used them during countless triathlons over the past 18 years, including 16 IMs. Once I lost a lens when my goggles leaked badly during a HIM. Now I always keep a spare lens with my transition gear, just in case. I also carry a spare lens with me on the bike, just in case.

I raced triathlon for 12 years with contacts. Probably 50 races.
I only ever almost lost a contact once when some water got into my goggles and dislodged it during the swim.
I managed to put it back in place in T1.
Wear your contacts and don't worry about it.

And I just have to say GET EYE SURGERY (if you can).
If you can afford triathlon you can find the money for eye surgery.
It's the best money I have ever spent.
It is seriously life changing.

What type did you get Nordic? I’ve been looking into this as well.

I wear contacts; practically blind without them. I've never had any issue in a race, swim practice, etc. while wearing goggles. I don't even bother bringing spare lenses to races, although perhaps I should.

I've also never had goggles knocked off my head during the swim. One suggestion that may help. Wear goggles beneath your swim cap. It would take quite an assault (or a seriously strong wave) to remove them from your head at that point.

Never had a problem with contacts racing. Can't see worth beans anyway due to the retina surgeries (slow me down on he bike) But things are improving.

Got some new True Eyes 1-day daily contacts this past week, because the -15.0 s ;) were NLA available in Accuvue 2's.

True Eyes are great! Highly recommend. Better material, super clear, comfortable and they don't shift!

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All-laser LASIK with the use of "femtosecond" lasers. That's as much as I can remember.
Fast healing. Perfect vision.
I paid $3200 CAD for both eyes. Prescription was -6.5 before. It also fixed a very slight astigmatism.

I'm now wearing my lenses race day!

You really shouldn't wear contact lenses when swimming. I used to, then got acanthmoeba keratitis. Google it, its very unpleasant. I wear prescription googles and prescription sunnies on the bike / run. If you must wear contacts then daily disposables are best and you should bin them as soon as you finish the race. Acanthmoeba lives between the lens and eye and can eat into the cornea. Longer you leave the lens in, bigger the risk.

This is a rare thing but it happened to me and can happen to others and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I was lucky and it was caught early, dealt with and I recovered with no lasting damage. It can be much worse.

The downside is the choice of prescription googles is crap, and as you say sunnies don't work when looking over your shoulder. I've been thinking about laser surgery, but not sure I will be able to because of the scaring from the keratitis.

The problem for me as yourself is prescription, sunnies are hopeless. Laser surgery I tried about 15 years ago and was knocked back due to my pupil circumference been more than 8mm. At the time this was quite common, not ever person can get Laser Surgery. Will need to investigate again at some stage.

I have worn contacts in about 160 of my 190 triathlons, and every single triathlon since 1989 . . . that includes 27 IM races. Astonishingly I have never, yet, had a problem . . . still waiting for that day to come. Good swim goggles and good protective sunglasses seem to be the key.

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

In riding a bike or running I've never ever had lenses fall out or had problems luckily, like yourself, that's great to know with some much experience as yourself in triathlon. Myself I'm a cyclist new to triathlon, out of interest what brand of swimming googles do you use?

I have been wearing contacts for over 13 years and in that time I have finished 9 Ironman, over 30 half-Ironman events, and countless other olympic and sprint triathlons. Knock on wood, I have never had an issue with my lenses in a race or training. I also swam (goggles) and played water polo (no goggles) through high school and college while wearing contacts and never had an issue.

That being said, I am still conscious of the "what if" scenario that would have me loose a lens in the water and leave me blind to the point of being unable to finish my race. For me, I put any extra set of contacts in each of my transitions bags at Ironman races; or simply leave a set of lenses at my transition area for 70.3s or local events. It gives me the piece of mind that if a disaster strikes I have them waiting for me. As a bonus if I don't need to use them (again, never had an issue) I can easily retrieve them post-race.

Hope this helps and best of luck in your race!

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Never had any issue with contacts as well, I do try to to keep a daily disposable on hand just in case (tool bottle,tribag ect)
Cant imagine it happening during the swim

One thing... Learn to put lenses in without a mirror. I have worn contacts for 9 years and quit using a mirror years ago. Must remember to put a set in transition.