I wear glasses. But am really too blind to go without them even for the swim. I wouldn't be able to site the buoys.
I went to my eye doctor and told him the problem. He did manage to fit me in some soft contacts. They are good enough to drive and ride but I can't really read or do anything close up with them.
in the past I had worn some hard contact lens but never really got good eyesight with them.
My prescription is -10 with astigmatism. We managed to do my left eye with a normal lens and the right lens is weighted (toric).
I know that you said that you can't wear contacts, but maybe you haven't completely pursued that? Sorry if there's just no way.
"Being retired from Biking...isn't that kinda like being retired from recess?" Stephen Colbert asked of Lance Armstrong