About Competition Swim Goggles

Competition swim goggles are designed to help you see in the water as you race. However, while that is their main purpose, they also need to detract from your speed as little as possible. When you select goggles for competition, you must balance your need for speed with the necessity of visibility.

Function

Goggles are designed to help you see underwater. They also protect the eyes from irritants like chlorine. While some swimmers train without goggles, almost all prefer to wear them to keep sensitive eyes from becoming inflamed.

History

Swim goggles were originally nothing more than a teaching tool. They were used to help children learn to put their faces in the water. However, it soon became clear that goggles would also help competitive swimmers since they would be able to see more clearly, turn at walls faster and swim straighter.

Types

There are several different types of competition goggles. Swedish goggles are made of hard plastic and held on the head by strips of rubber. Swimmers like these because they cause very little drag in the water. For outside swimming, mirrored or smoked lenses protect eyes from being dazzled by the sun. Other competition goggles are held in place with rubber liners around the edges of the goggles that suction them to your face and prevent them from falling off while diving or swimming.

Features

Competition swim goggles create a smooth, fast profile.

Competition goggles are more aerodynamic than other types of goggles. While practice goggles may stick fairly far off your face and give your eyes plenty of room to breathe, most competition models fit so close to the face that your eyelashes may brush the lenses. Competition goggles also have thinner straps and fit the head more tightly than regular goggles.

Considerations

When you are selecting a pair of competition goggles, you must balance wearability, visibility and drag. You want your goggles to help create a smooth profile that will help you slip through the water, but you need to be able to tolerate them while you are swimming. Many swimmers wear lined goggles in practice, but opt for Swedish goggles, which are hard plastic tied together with bands of thin rubber, for races. Swedish goggles can be very uncomfortable, but they add little drag to your body. However, others cannot stand these goggles and swim slower because they find them so unpleasant. You will need to strike the balance that works best for you.

Benefits

Competition goggles are often better made than practice goggles. If you select a model of competition goggles that are comfortable enough to train in, you can improve your racing by getting more comfortable with your gear by wearing it all the time. Competition goggles also tend to stay on better;t his is largely a product of the tighter rubber bands that hold the eyepieces in place.

Resources

• Visit the U.S. swimming website.