Goggles

As a coach the question i have had to answer more often than anything else is “which goggles are best?”. My answer has usually been, “how should I know?”

The reason being that everybody’s facial features are different so different goggles will suit different people. So unless you are buying the expensive ones that you buy fitted to your face (Do they work? I don’t know) you will have to try them on first.

However, from personal experience, I do have 2 (possibly 3 pieces of advice) concerning goggles.

1. If you find a piece of goggles that you like and that fit, stick to them. In fact, actually go out straight away and buy one or two extra pairs in reserve. Therefore as soon as you lose, snap or the seals wear out your next set is ready waiting for you.
2. This one is more for Open water swimmers, a lot of these and triathlon events are early morning. The only issue I have had OW is In an Iron Distance triathlon swim and was completely dazzled by a low sun and not quite cleaned properly goggles Since then I always look for properly tinted, polarized lenses (on my go-to goggles.)
3. In the IM swim mentioned above rather than mess about fiddling with my goggles I just took them off and did the swim without. I was only able to do this because of not using goggles when playing water polo and because, when coaching, i would spend 10 minutes of every session shouting at kids for fiddling with goggles! If my goggles failed in a session or i forgot them then I swam without. The advice is don’t fiddle with goggles in training and if your goggles leak just get on with it!

The morning session I forgot my goggles!