Choosing the Right Goggles for Different Water Sports

Choosing the right goggles, whether for open water swimming or to use in a pool can be confusing as there is such a huge range available.  At Sharks Swim & Triathlon, we stock all leading brands which are suitable for all types of water sports, including open water and pool swimming.  Here’s what you need to think about with some of our top recommendations.

Goggles for Open Water Swimming

Some of the most frequent questions we are asked when it comes to choosing open water swimming include:

• Do I need polarised or tinted goggles?
• What does photo-chromatic mean?
• Are wraparound lenses better or something more streamlined?

In answer to these questions, we usually advise that:

• Tinted lenses are designed to help you see in different light conditions
• Mirrored lenses reduce brightness and help cut out glare
• Smoked lenses reduce bright light and glare
• Amber lenses reduce some glare while also enhancing visibility
• Pink/violet lenses are designed to reduce glare in moderate light.

Importantly, if you will be using your goggles in the pool as well as outdoors, consider a lighter tint.

One step up from tinted and mirrored lenses are polarised lenses. They work the same as polarised sunglasses, reducing glare while also making everything look sharper. These Goggles are good for swimming in bright sunlight, reducing glare off the surface of the water – and also exploring underwater!

Photo-chromatic lenses vary their tint from clear to smoked to adjust to the light conditions. They can handle any conditions – from night swimming to full summer sun.

Open water goggles are usually larger than pool goggles. Though some swimmers prefer a small eye socket, larger and curved lenses give greater all-round visibility.

Top Three Open Water Goggles

Our top three recommendations for open water goggles include:

• Aqua Sphere Vista Smoke Lens: ideal for open water swimmers, the Vista features the best in Aqua Sphere technology, with a comfortable, leak resistant skirt and a ­contoured, stylized frame. Retail price: £32
• Speedo Aquapulse Max 2 Mirrored goggles: high performance triathlon, open water and training goggle with mirrored lens and IQfit™ technology. Retail Price: £33
• HUUB Brownlee race Goggles with Dark Smoke Mirror: these open water goggles give ultimate clarity.  With market-leading clarity and peripheral vision, combined with the perfect marriage of eye socket to lens. Retail Price: £28

Goggles for Pool Swimming

Choosing goggles to wear when training, racing or exercising in a swimming pool can also be a minefield with lots of different shapes, sizes and lens colours!

Whenever possible, we always recommend that you try all goggles on before you buy them to see how they fit , how they feel on your face and whether they have a good seal. In a nutshell:

• For racing, you need goggles which are streamlines with smaller eye gaskets to minimise water drag and to give a secure fit for dives and turns.
• For training, fitness and leisure goggles, particularly if you are swimming for long periods of time, comfort will be your main priority. Swim training and fitness swimming will involve swimming many lengths in one session and you should therefore choose a goggle that feels comfortable around the eyes. If you are just having fun at the pool, you will also want a goggle that feels comfortable so that you can concentrate on having a good time in the water.

Top Three Swim Goggles

Our top three recommendations for swimming pool goggles include:

• Tyr Nest Pro Goggles equipped with embedded anti-fog, these latex free goggles retain clarity without the need for traditional anti-fog spray application and re-application. This performance goggle features a unibody design to fit various facial types, as well as a wide peripheral range for optimal sighting. Retail price: £19.99
• Orce Killa 180 Goggles are multipurpose ergonomic goggles for enhanced comfort and speed through the water whether training or racing. This goggle is  versatile and suitable for a range of weather conditions. Retail Price: £20
• Speedo Racing Fastskin Elite Mirror goggles are designed for the world’s top athletes and are perfectly engineered for racing and training. Its low-profile, hydrodynamic design minimises drag for maximum speed through the water, while Speedo’s most advanced goggle technology ever, IQfit™, ensures a leak-free, secure fit and reduced marks around the eyes. Retail Price: £48

Sharks Swim & Triathlon

Sharks Swim & Triathlon offers a huge range of all types of goggles, suitable for all types of swimming and in sizes to fit adults and children alike.

You can order any of these goggles from our online shop www.sharksswimshop.com or you can now pop into our shop in Gorseinon if you want to try them on first.