Surfing with ease with Night Lenses
We caught up with 18-year-old surfer, Benjamin Griffiths. Benjamin surfs out of Portrush in Northern Ireland.
A high myope (-4.5D) Benjamin all but gave up surfing in his early teens as he couldn’t see the waves and didn’t want to surf in prescription googles!
He started using night lenses at 14 and hasn’t looked back. His surfing has taken off.
When he was younger and couldn’t see the waves he would surf by feel. He now surfs with ease, is loving life and is about to embark on a gap year to visit surf spots around the world.
Photo: Sea Air Surf Photography, Portrush
Q: So, Benjamin, what was the first day like with nothing in your eyes?
A: It was almost surreal, best way to put it. I looked out of the window and my mind was blown! I had no glasses on and could see naturally. Amazing.
Q: You’ve had night lenses now for a few years now. What is life like without glasses? And would you ever go back into them?
A: I’d never go back to glasses in a million years. The lenses have blended in with my life. It’s natural to go to sleep and let them do the work. I don’t really think anything about it. The idea of having glasses on my face during the day is a bit weird now.
A: The idea of having to put lenses into my eyes in the morning and then have to take them out when I go surfing, or to remember to close my eyes when I go under, is a really odd concept to me. Right now I head to the beach and don’t worry. I can open my eyes underwater. I don’t worry about getting sand in my eye, which I think is a problem people with contact lenses have when they go to the beach. Also, if my day lens fell out or got damaged I wouldn’t be able to see for the rest of the day right? It doesn’t make sense. Night lenses are easy. It does the job overnight when I’m asleep and during the day I have nothing in my eyes. It’s brilliant.
Q: How is surfing different with night lenses?
A: I can see the waves! When I was young my dad used to push me onto waves because I couldn’t see them and so I learned to surf by feeling the wave. I couldn’t see the shore or much around me so it was a bit worrying when the waves got big and the weather was bad. Now I can see everything. I love hanging out in the lineup, watching the sea and the world go by. I occasionally see dolphins and seals. It’s my happy place!
Q: Would you recommend night lenses to other surfers?
A: 100% recommend them! They are hassle free – I wake up, pop my lenses out and can see perfectly all day. I drive to the beach, get in, surf and have no worries. No glasses to take off or day lenses to watch out for. My surfing has improved because I can judge the break better. My sight was getting so bad I probably would have given up surfing. If you’re a regular surfer still using day lenses, switch to night lenses, it makes sense.
