Swimming goggles are actually really important, if you want to become an experienced swimmer. Sure, you can swim without them and there are plenty of really strong swimmers out there who seem to do ok, but have you ever seen a professional swimmer without a pair of goggles on? Probably not, unless they’re out of the water. Naturally, there are reasons why the pros wear goggles, for the most part, though, it’s increased performance that is in the crosshairs.
Variety
As with most things there are different types of goggles, but if it’s been some time since you took a look at swimming goggles, you might be quite surprised to see what’s on offer. The cheaper one size fits all types that you might have gotten from your local swimming pool are still available, you know the sort, when you pull the rubber straps to tighten them onto your head and one, or more parts go ‘snap’.
Either that or, there’s a pretty much constant drizzle of water entering your sight of vision, probably meaning that you either just gave up swimming altogether or, ditched the goggles and just went at it, likely, struggling to see where you were going, for some time. There are 2 main varieties of goggles, open water goggles and pool goggles. A decent set of either will make all the difference and, you never know, the cheap ones your parents used to buy you as a kid might have been the very reason why you aren’t a pro swimmer yet.
The great thing is that you can spend as much or as little as you want depending upon what sort of quality you are hoping to obtain.
Pool Swimming Goggles
The most well-known type of goggles are pool goggles, they are probably what comes to mind when you think about goggles because they have been around for so long and are really common around the pool.
Pool goggles come in a variety of forms and designs, but they are typically of a more streamlined design, with safety in mind. Comfort is just as essential to competitive lap swimmers as the amount of drag generated by the goggles. When swimming, you want something that is smaller around the eye-socket and generates less drag (think of the aerodynamics of a sports car) Less body mass and resistance means, moving faster.
Open Water Goggles
The range of vision is perhaps the most significant distinction between the two types of eyewear. Sight is the most critical factor for open water swimmers (together with comfort). Because you’ll be lifting your head and sighting along your journey, you’ll need a goggle with a broad field of vision and the ability to take in a more panoramic, 180-degree perspective.
Because of the necessity for increased visibility, open water goggles are sometimes built with an over-sized lens. They also have larger, more comfortable, and make use of more robust straps, allowing them to survive longer swims in tougher circumstances. The enhanced lenses are another noticeable characteristic of most open water goggles, if you are really serious then you could get a prescription pair made, or get a unique level of lens tinting, the great thing is that, you can choose. Stay reserved, or go mad as you like.
