Dry eyes on a boat

Boats are hard on eyes: steady wind at speed, salt spray, and sun glaring off the water all pull moisture from the eye’s surface and make you squint. Polarized sunglasses with a retention strap, a hat, and keeping your face out of the direct wind help most. Store eye drops in a shaded, dry spot, not a hot console, and rinse salt from your hands first.

Why your eyes get dry on the water

Running at speed, a boat creates its own wind on top of whatever is blowing. That steady stream of air over the eye speeds evaporation from the tear film, and the effect is strongest at the helm behind a low windshield, or on the bow. Add salt spray landing on your face and lashes, and sun reflecting up from the water, and many boaters come in with eyes that feel gritty, stinging and tired.

Glare off the water

Sunlight reflected off a calm lake or open water hits your eyes from below as well as above. It makes reading the water, spotting markers and watching a line harder, and you end up squinting for hours. Polarized lenses cut much of that reflected glare. Wraparound frames block wind from the sides, too.

• Choose polarized sunglasses with side coverage.
• Use a retention strap so a wave or a quick head turn doesn’t send them overboard.
• Wear a hat with a brim, ideally one with a dark underside to cut reflected light.
• Bring a spare pair in a hard case in the cabin or dry box.

Fishing trips: long hours watching the water

A day of fishing means hours of looking at a bobber, a rod tip or a sonar screen with very little blinking. That focus is part of the fun, but it leaves the tear film exposed for long stretches. Every now and then, look at the horizon or the shoreline and blink fully a few times. Use your drops at set points, such as at launch, at lunch and on the ride back, rather than when your eyes are already burning.

Where to keep eye drops on a boat

A center console or dashboard glove box in full sun gets very hot. Quell’s label gives a clear storage range: Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F). A sealed compartment on a dark boat in July can go well beyond that. Better options:

• A small dry bag in the shade under the console or in the cabin.
• A soft cooler with your food, kept cool but not resting on ice.
• A zip pocket in a life jacket or fishing vest if you’re in the shade, though bring it in when you dock.
• Not loose in a cup holder, where it can roll overboard or bake in the sun.

If a bottle may have overheated, check it before use. Quell is Product appears as a milky brown solution, and that’s normal. If the color has changed, the label’s “do not use” line applies: If this product changes color. Can you leave eye drops in a hot car? explains how fast enclosed spaces heat up in the sun.

Salt on your hands

Hands on a boat collect salt water, fish slime, bait, sunscreen and engine grease. None of those belong near your eye or the tip of the bottle. Before you use a drop, rinse your hands with fresh water and dry them, or use a wipe and let it dry. Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination, so keep the cap on until the moment you use it.

• Rinse and dry your hands.
• Slow down or idle in calm water, or sit in a sheltered spot.
• Brace yourself, tilt your head back, pull down the lower lid and squeeze one drop.
• Close your eye gently for a moment, then do the other eye and cap the bottle.

Spray, wind and after you dock

Salt spray drying on your face can sting if it runs into your eyes. A quick rinse with fresh water on your face (with your eyes closed) after a spray-heavy run helps. After a long day on the water, many people find their eyes feel driest that evening. Point fans and AC vents away from your face at home, and save one of the label’s three daily drops for the evening. Dry eyes for outdoor workers has more on long days in sun and wind.

When to see an eye doctor

Sun, wind and salt can cause more than dryness. If your eyes are painful, very light-sensitive or your vision changes after a day on the water, see an eye doctor. The label is plain about it: Stop use and ask a doctor if you feel eye pain or changes in your vision, if irritation or redness continues, or if the condition worsens or persists for 72 hours.

Stocking up before the season

Quell ships within the United States from Brentwood, Tennessee, and no delivery date is promised. Order a couple of bottles before boating season or a fishing trip, so one stays at home and one goes in the boat bag. Shipping is $10.00, or free with 3 bottles. Order here as a guest.