Single Vision (Distance) Prescriptions

• Right Eye is also referred to as OD
• Left Eye is also referred to as OS
• Sphere this is the measurement of nearsightedness (a negative number) or farsightedness (a positive number). A regular prescription is from +4.00 to –4.00; in most cases spheres above +/- 4.00 are considered a special order* (see below). For dive masks and swimming goggles, spheres up to –8.0 can usually be accommodated in Stock Rx lenses, however, our on-line form will not allow you to input spheres greater than +/-4.00. Please contact us if your prescription is greater than –4.00 sphere.
• Cylinder is a measurement of astigmatism. Again, it is important to enter the appropriate sign, "+" (plus) or "-" (minus). If you don't have astigmatism, this field may be blank or it may say “SPH”, “DS’ or “PL” all of which mean the same thing. For our online form, you can either leave the field blank, you can enter 0, or enter PL for plano. Cylinders greater than +/–2.00 are considered special orders*. Please note that Stock Rx lenses do not correct for astigmatism.
• Axis is a number between 0 and 180 . If you don’t have a cylinder value, there will be no axis value since these two go together.
• Pupillary Distance (PD) is a measurement of the distance between your eyes, used to determine the center point of the prescription lens. If your prescription shows a "distance" PD and a "near" PD, enter the distance PD value. If your prescription shows a value such as 34/32 (known as the monocular PD), then add the two values together to get a PD of 66. If your PD is a decimal value such as 61.5, round the number down to the whole number. PD is usually between 50 and 70. Any PD outside that range is considered a special order*. Please note that though PD's are not required for Stock Rx lenses for dive masks or swimming goggles, our online form requires that a value be inputted.

Bifocal/Progressive Prescriptions
The Add power is your reading prescription for bifocal or progressive lenses. In order to properly do a progressive prescription, the segment height is needed. This is determined by how the frame fits you. Because this measurement is unique to each frame, you will need to find the frame you want locally and have an optician measure the segment height, then give us this measurement along with the rest of your prescription information. If you are not able to find the frame locally, we can send you a sample which you would need to bring to a local optical shop to be measured (you would pay the round trip shipping charges). Most of the models on our site are only available with a single vision prescription, but some manufacturers, such as the Bolle, Panoptx, Sea Vision and Serengeti offer bifocal lenses, usually in a progressive (no line) option. Our online Rx form does not accept a bifocal prescription so please contact us by phone at (877) 539-1775.

Need Help?
If you are having trouble entering your prescription or are unsure how to read the values provided by your doctor, please call us. We can be reached toll free at (877) 539-1775. We also request that you fax your prescription to us for our records. Our fax number is (818) 817-9568.

* Special Orders: For prescriptions that fall outside the normal parameters stated above, please either call us or send us an e-mail at info@AthleticOptics.com. Include your prescription information as well as the frame/model you are interested in. We will let you know if we can accommodate your order and what the additional charge, if any, will be.