How To Get The Most Out Of Your Swim Goggles.

Everyone at one point or another has had problems with their goggles – sometimes they leak, sometimes they fog, or other times they don’t stay on very well.  This isn’t a big deal if swimming in the pool, but what about your longer open water swims?  Or when you’re doing a triathlon?  Luckily, there are some simple solutions to remedy your basic goggle issues. 

Leaking

Leaky goggles are caused by not having a good fit around your eye socket.  This can be for a number of reasons.  You may need new goggles but chances are the leakiness can be fixed by adjusting the goggle strap and nosepiece.  First, tighten the strap a little bit.  You may already have it tight but remember, those goggles are putting up with a lot of resistance travelling through the water, in order to function properly, they need to be tight.  Next, look at the plastic nose bridge.  There are usually groves that allow you to widen or narrow your goggles based on the width of your nose.  If you have a narrower face, try using the using the smaller setting and vise versa if you have a broader face.  If this doesn’t work, it may just be best to replace your goggles.  If you do decide to replace your goggles, be sure to try them on at the store.  As a rule of thumb, a good fit can be determined in the store.  Adjust the nose piece to where you think it best fits you, then without putting the goggle strap on, try to ‘suction cup’ the goggles over your eyes.  If they stay on for a few seconds independently then you can assume that is a reasonably good fit. 

Fogging

Goggles that fog are caused by you – the harder you work, the more they fog.  As you perspire (yes, even around your eye socket) you warm up the air in the goggle making it warmer than outside while at the same time raising the moisture content.  This moisture sticks to the inside of the goggles and won’t dissipate until you regain equilibrium with the outside – but that’s not going to happen anytime soon unless you take your goggles off. 

There are 3 easy tricks you can use to help with foggy goggle syndrome. 

1.      Spit – simplest and oldest. Just get a little spit inside each eyepiece and rub it around. I know, doesn’t seem the most hygienic but it will work for that swim workout.   
2.      For a less bacterial intensive solution, you can use anti-fog drops. Most goggle manufacturers make their own. They’ll even tell you that their anti-fog drops ONLY work with their goggles.  For the most part this is false, but we found it actually is true for AquaSphere.
3.      Shampoo. A nice substitute for anti-fog drops.  Since goggles sit so close to your eye, I would even suggest using baby shampoo. Just dab a little on the inside of each goggle and rub it around.  Just remember, a little goes a long ways.

Generally, it’s a good idea to keep your fingers out of your goggles.  By touching the inside of your goggles, you’re spreading dirt and oils from your skin.  It may not seem like much, but these tiny dirt and oil molecules actually attract moisture and will cause your goggles to fog quicker. 

Luckily, fogging is temperature dependant.  While this may be a problem you struggle with a lot in the pool, it happens less frequently when in the open water. 

Strap doesn’t stay on very well

I’ve heard from many people that their goggles don’t leak when worn correctly, but they have a hard time keeping the straps in the right place.  Like leaky goggles, I suggest tightening the strap.  If this doesn’t work, try wearing your goggles under a swim cap.  The cap will help keep your goggles in place.  If this also doesn’t work, you might want to get new goggles.  There are many kinds that offer split or double straps to get a better fit. 

Event Swimming

If you’re participating in an open water swim race or triathlon, I suggest everyone wears their goggles under their swim caps – you don’t want to loose your goggles midway through a race!  You never know what’s going to happen, you may accidentally run into someone on the back half of their stroke and they catch your goggles with their pinky and slip them off.  If this happens, stay calm, pull up and reapply your goggles.  You’ll be glad you had them on under your cap.

Also, don’t worry about learning how to swim without your goggles.  We’ve all heard the story of Michael Phelps winning one of his eight gold’s in Beijing with goggles that had flooded, but you’re not Michael Phelps.  Nor are you in the 200-meter fly in the Olympic Finals.  You’re swimming a distance event in the open water; your time will be more affected by not correcting your goggle problem than by trying to swim through it.  

Prescription Goggles

If you’re like me, you have the unfortunate situation of being optically dependant.  Sorry about that, I feel your pain.  And as a swimmer, I’ve always just swum ‘blind’.  I can’t stand contacts but I’ve heard they are hard to wear under goggles anyway.   A few weeks ago, a friend of ours turned me onto this site where I was able to find prescription goggles for less than 20 bucks!   I had always assumed they would be expensive and never looked into it, but I am overjoyed to report that I can now see when I’m swimming!  Now I can’t wait until my next open water event!   All you need to know is your negative diopter number.  Then, come find me in the lake and join me for a swim.  I’ll be the one who can tell where he’s going!

Happy swimming!