I wanna get my eyes lasered - anyone have any negative experiences of it (like going blind or whatever). I just heard your eyes can go quite sensitive and what with all that salt water blasting my eye balls and sun zapping them all the time I wondered if it really was a good idea.

Had it done in 1995 and generally all good. Took a few months before the eyes stopped 'drying out' during sleep (they did so occasionally). Am guessing you would have to lay off the kiting for a few weeks afterwards at least to let them settle down. I am sure my eyes (one of them in particular) are a bit more sensitive to the sun but not prohibitively so. Wear sunnies when kiting and it's generally not a problem. Beats wearing contacts. Another option may be prescription sunnies.

Note: results of surgery may differ from those advertised.

I was going to get mine done 2 summers ago..
They said I was going to be off the water for 6 weeks..
I told them to piss off and bought another kite !!

Most guys know to stay away from me on the water..
I had one contact stuck behind my eye while surfing, so prefer not to use them.

Ian you do have a small habit of asking to wear every one elses glasses when trying to spot wind patterns and gusts.. Ow and the occasional trip home in the car.
I would recommend some form of divine intervention..

4 hours at Takapuna today !! Bring on the Easterlies tomorrow ..

Oh yeah - I had Excimer Laser surgery. I believe the more common one now is Lasik which is less painful afterwards. I had to pretty much have my eyes closed for about 2 days afterwards. They were as dry as the proverbial.

Had mine done last year and what a difference!
A couple of weeks off the water and a few days of dryness but after a month no worries!
Haven't managed to "knock off the flaps" with all those underwater kite loops i keep doing either!

Sun wise mine are maybe a touch more sensitve than before but small price to pay.

Ps did it the Lasik way, quicker healing time

F--K it all, went for teh pre-op tests last week at Eye Institute, but my corneas are too thin (420 microns, 500 is the min) so I'm a 4eyed geek for teh rest of my life. Anyway - go lasik - you can see good 10 minutes later, unlike the PRK that Brad had when they torch your eyes from teh outside. One mate just had it done in Russia - $2500 instead of $5000 and the balance paid for the trip.

Hey Ian
My girlfriend has just had lenses implanted in her eyesshe had shocking eye sight. Apparently it is way less intrusive and can be taken out at a later date if necessary..She now has 20/20 visiona very happy girl.

Hey wattij, is she still your girlfriend now? ha..ha..ha