When you dive into the pool, having the right equipment can make all the difference in your swimming experience. Swimming goggles are an essential accessory that offer numerous benefits for both competitive and recreational swimmers. These specialized eyewear pieces not only protect your eyes from chlorine and other irritants but also enhance your underwater visibility and overall performance. In this article, you'll discover the various types of swimming goggles available, learn about key features to consider when selecting a pair, and gain insights into proper fitting techniques and maintenance practices. Whether you're a seasoned athlete or a casual swimmer, understanding the importance of swimming goggles will help you make informed choices and elevate your aquatic adventures.
The Purpose and Benefits of Using Swimming Goggles
Vision Enhancement
Swimming goggles play a vital role in enhancing your underwater vision. As humans cannot see well underwater, goggles create a barrier that prevents water from entering your eyes. This allows you to clearly spot obstacles, other swimmers, and pool walls, ensuring a safe and enjoyable swimming experience.
Eye Protection
One of the primary benefits of wearing swimming goggles is the protection they offer your eyes. Pool water contains chemicals like chlorine, while saltwater can also cause irritation. Goggles form a watertight seal, shielding your eyes from these irritants and preventing stinging, redness, or infections.
Boosted Confidence
Wearing goggles can significantly boost your confidence in the water, especially for beginners. Children often feel more at ease opening their eyes underwater when wearing goggles, as it eliminates any discomfort. This newfound confidence helps develop a love for swimming and encourages them to practice more frequently.
Improved Endurance
By preventing eye irritation and increasing your confidence, swimming goggles can indirectly improve your endurance in the water. When you feel comfortable and can see clearly, you're more likely to stay motivated and swim for longer durations, ultimately helping you get in better physical shape.
Types of Swimming Goggles (e.g. Competitive, Recreational)
Competitive Swim Goggles
Competitive swimming goggles prioritize hydrodynamics and performance over comfort. They feature smaller, rounded lenses that minimize drag and fit snugly to the eye sockets. According to Swimville USA, these technical goggles have anti-fog lenses with UV protection, adjustable nose bridges, and secure straps to prevent slipping. Lens tints like mirrored, smoke, and amber enhance visibility in different light conditions.
Recreational Goggles
In contrast, recreational swimming goggles emphasize comfort and wide vision over speed. As LoneSwimmer notes, they use flat lenses fitted into a socket frame with larger silicone gaskets. While less streamlined, they remain comfortable for extended wear, even in rougher open water conditions. Prices and features vary widely from basic models to premium polarized options.
Specialty Goggles
Some goggle styles cater to specific needs like open water swimming, triathlons, or youth activities. SwimSwam explains that open water goggles maximize panoramic sighting with larger lenses, often polarized. Prescription goggles incorporate corrective lenses, while customized options optimize the fit. Kids' goggles have smaller sizes and bright colors for fun. The latest smart swim goggles even display training metrics.
How to choose goggles for swimming?
Considering the Purpose
The purpose for which you'll be using swimming goggles is a crucial factor in determining the right type. For regular training and pool use, look for durable training goggles with features like anti-fog coating, adjustable nose bridges, and secure straps. If open water or triathlon swimming is your aim, open water goggles with larger lenses and easy adjustability are better suited.
Prioritizing Fit and Comfort
Getting the proper fit is essential for comfortable wear without leakage. Try on goggles before buying to ensure the seal provides a snug yet not overly tight fit. Look for adjustable nose pieces and split straps that prevent pressure points. The goggle frame should match your face structure for an optimized fit.
Enhancing Vision and Protection
Lens clarity is vital for optimal underwater vision. Consider anti-fog coating, UV protection, and tint colors suitable for indoor or outdoor conditions. Clear lenses are ideal for low-light pools, while amber or smoke tints reduce outdoor glare.
Well-fitted swimming goggles with the right vision features for your swimming environment can elevate your training and performance in the water. Take the time to find the perfect pair that meets your specific needs.
Features to Consider When Choosing Swimming Goggles
Proper Fit and Seal
Achieving the right fit is crucial for swimming goggles. They should create a slight suction without being too tight, preventing water from leaking in. An improper fit can lead to discomfort and impaired vision. Competition goggles often have a sleeker, lower-profile design for reduced drag. Look for adjustable features like split straps and customizable nose bridges to ensure a secure, comfortable seal.
Clarity and Vision
High-quality optics are essential for clear underwater vision. Anti-fog coatings prevent lenses from fogging up, while UV protection shields eyes from the sun's harmful rays. Lens tints like clear, amber and smoke optimize vision in different lighting conditions. Prescription goggles are also available for those requiring vision correction.
Comfort and Durability
Goggles that cause irritation or excessive pressure on the nose and face can ruin a swim session. Silicone gaskets and adjustable nose pieces enhance comfort. For extended wear, look for durable construction with scratch-resistant lenses. Anti-fog sprays and cases also help prolong the life of goggles.
Purpose and Activity
The intended use should guide your goggle selection. Open water and competitive swimmers need different features than recreational lap swimmers. Open water models prioritize visibility with larger lenses, while racers want low-drag designs. Consider smart goggles with head-up displays for tracking metrics.
How to Properly Fit and Adjust Swimming Goggles
Finding the Right Fit
Properly fitting swimming goggles are essential for comfort, preventing water leakage, and protecting your eyes from chemicals in pools. The right fit starts by measuring the distance between your eyes to select goggles that match your face shape and size. Goggles come in various sizes, so trying different pairs in-store can help test the seal and ensure the eye cups and nose bridge feel comfortable against your face.
Adjusting for a Secure Fit
Once you have the right size, position the head straps about 1 inch apart and adjust them until the goggles fit snugly but without excessive tension. The goggles should form a gentle suction around your eyes when pressed without the strap, ensuring they stay secure with no water seeping in. Loosen the nose bridge if the eye cups pull inward, and tighten it if they angle outwards.
Customizing for Optimal Vision
Consider tinted or mirrored lenses for outdoor swimming to reduce glare, while clear lenses are best for indoor pools. Colored lenses can also help with unique lighting conditions. If you need vision correction, prescription goggle lenses from retailers like Eclipse Optics are available. Applying an anti-fogging agent can prevent condensation build-up, ensuring clear underwater vision.
Caring for and Maintaining Swimming Goggles
Proper Care After Use
Rinsing your swimming goggles with fresh water immediately after use is crucial to prevent damage from chemicals like chlorine and salt water. Failure to rinse can cause deterioration over time. Once rinsed, thoroughly dry the goggles with a clean microfiber cloth to absorb any remaining moisture and prevent mold or bacteria growth.
Deep Cleaning
Periodically, your goggles will require a deeper clean to remove built-up dirt and grime. Soak them in a solution of lukewarm water and mild soap like baby shampoo for 20-30 minutes. Gently scrub the straps and skirt while avoiding the lenses. Rinse thoroughly and allow to fully air dry before storing.
Preventing Fogging
To keep your vision crystal clear, replenish the anti-fog coating as it wears off using an anti-fog spray or towelette designed for swimming goggles. Apply sprays before entering the pool and rinse, while towelettes are fast-drying for convenience. Properly adjusting the strap and exhaling through your nose can also help minimize fogging.
Storage and Replacement
Always store your goggles in a ventilated case between uses to protect the lenses from scratches. Avoid leaving them in direct sunlight or heat, which can cause damage. Inspect regularly and replace if you notice consistent fogging, leaks, cracks, loose straps or loss of shape. With proper care, quality swimming goggles from Eclipse Optics can provide years of clear underwater vision.
What is the difference between pool and open water goggles?
Vision Needs
Pool goggles are designed for clear, still water in indoor pools with consistent lighting. Their lenses are often clear, lightly tinted, or mirrored to handle bright artificial lighting. Open water goggles, however, come in a range of tints and polarized options to adapt to changing outdoor conditions like sun glare. Their lenses may curve or have facets for better peripheral vision.
Fit and Design
Standard pool goggles have a sleeker, lower profile design to reduce drag. Open water goggles wrap around more with oversized lenses for a wider 180-degree field of vision when sighting. They also have thicker, more durable straps to withstand rougher conditions.
Environment
While pool goggles prioritize hydrodynamics, open water goggles emphasize visibility and protection. Their tighter seals prevent leaks from waves and debris. Some are fog-resistant, an issue in murkier natural waters versus treated pools. Overall, open water models are built for the unpredictable elements of lakes, oceans and rivers.
What goggles does Michael Phelps use?
Leading Swimming Brand Collaborations
For his Olympic triumphs from 2004 to 2012, Michael Phelps had an exclusive endorsement deal with Speedo. He wore their renowned Speed Socket 2.0 goggles, praised for their wide field of vision and anti-fog lenses. This partnership proved lucrative, with Phelps receiving a $1 million bonus after winning 8 golds at Beijing 2008.
In 2013, Phelps switched to Aqua Sphere and co-designed his signature MP Xceed goggles. These curved lens goggles offered an unrivaled 180-degree underwater view, allowing Phelps to spot walls and fellow swimmers without turning his head.
The MP Xceed Advantage
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Phelps raved about the MP Xceed as his best goggles ever. Key features included patented curved lenses for distortion-free clarity, ultra-soft gaskets ensuring a leak-proof fit, and exo-core technology blending rigidity and flexibility.
The MP Xceed's hydrodynamic low-profile design minimized drag, while its compressed micro gasket and silicone strap delivered waterproof comfort for endless training hours. No wonder Phelps called them a "competitive edge."
Titanium Mirror Lenses for Sunny Days
For outdoor training, Phelps opted for the MP Ninja Silver goggles with titanium mirror lenses. These enhanced warm colors and contrast while blocking glare, making them FINA-approved for competition.
With unmatched vision, hydrodynamics and anti-fog coatings, it's clear why the most decorated Olympian trusts his own MP goggle designs from Aqua Sphere.
Did Splash swim goggles get a deal on Shark Tank?
According to multiple sources, Splash Place Swim Goggles did indeed receive an investment deal after appearing on ABC's hit show Shark Tank. The founders, Ashley Carson and her mother Karen Walker, pitched their innovative fabric-strap goggles to the panel of investors, seeking $200,000 for a 5% stake in their $6.1 million company.
The Successful Pitch
After delivering an impressive pitch that earned applause from investor Mark Cuban, Carson and Walker landed a deal with Lori Greiner. Greiner agreed to invest in their business, but at a higher equity stake of 10%.
The founders had started Splash Place Swim Goggles in 2017 after Carson's son broke his goggles before a family vacation. Their product's unique selling point was its durable fabric strap, designed to prevent the goggles from easily breaking or slipping off during swimming.
Post Shark Tank Success
The Splash Swim Goggles website proudly displays an "As Seen on Shark Tank!" banner, suggesting their successful deal. After their episode aired on April 5th as part of Season 15, sales for the company skyrocketed.
Carson and Walker continue working closely with Greiner and her team, leveraging their expertise to expand their product line and retail presence. Their innovative swim goggles, like the Shark Attack design, exemplify their commitment to providing high-quality, functional eyewear for swimmers of all ages.
Conclusion
In conclusion, swimming goggles are an essential piece of equipment for both competitive and recreational swimmers. By protecting your eyes and improving your vision underwater, goggles allow you to swim more comfortably and effectively. When selecting goggles, consider factors like fit, lens type, and intended use to find the pair best suited to your needs. Proper adjustment and care will ensure your goggles perform optimally and last longer. Whether you're a serious athlete or casual swimmer, investing in a quality pair of goggles will enhance your time in the water. With the right goggles, you'll be able to focus on your technique and enjoy your swim without eye irritation or impaired vision.