Here’s How Goggles Can Make You a Better Swimmer

If you’ve ever seen a pro swimmer then you know they’ve always got a pair of goggles strapped to their head. It’s not just a fashion statement, goggles are a valuable swimmer’s tool that let you navigate the ocean or pool more safely and comfortably. If you’re out at sea, you can better see what’s around you and spot any friendly (or unfriendly) creatures. If you’re swimming laps in a pool, goggles will help you swim better and longer than before. 

Behind every serious swimmer is a pair of goggles that lets them do what they do with ease. If you want to take your swimming to the next level, here’s why you need goggles with you on the journey. 

If the fact that all Olympic swimmers wear goggles isn’t enough to convince you, then these four reasons will. It doesn’t take much to show the great benefits of wearing goggles! 

One of the most obvious benefits of wearing swimming goggles is that they'll shield your eyes from the harsh and irritating effects of saltwater and chlorine. Neither of those things will kill you but they sure do sting! And let's be honest, in many public pools it's not just chlorine you have to worry about - it’s everything else that could be in there (we’re talking dirt, bugs, band aids… )  We've all had burning red eyes after a swimming session. Goggles give you and your kids the protection you need so that swims can be all fun and no pain (or exposure to gross stuff).

Here's obvious benefit number two: goggles let you see better underwater. If you've ever opened your eyes while swimming, you'll know it mostly looks like a blurry mess. Our eyes aren't designed to see underwater, but goggles give you crystal clear vision so you can navigate the water like a fish. If you're a competitive swimmer, this means you'll have better depth and distance perception. You can see the wall ahead of you more clearly, better judge your flip turn, and dodge other swimmers by staying in your lane. This is why all pro swimmers wear goggles - it's super important to get the clarity you need to win those competitions. 

If you’re swimming in open water or at the beach, having better vision underwater can give you peace of mind - you can see any and all creatures that may come your way. If you’re a lover of underwater creatures, then goggles let you enjoy the beautiful display as you swim. 

Goggles can make you feel more comfortable when swimming, encouraging you to swim for even longer distances. With your eyes protected from the harsh saltwater or chlorine, you won’t have to jump out of the water early to give them some rest. And with better vision to see your underwater surroundings, you’ll feel more relaxed while swimming.  

If you’re one of the many Australians who wear prescription contact lenses, you’ll be happy to know that you can keep them on when wearing goggles. You can also buy special prescription goggles that let you see underwater without contact lenses. 

The short answer is that nobody needs to wear swimming goggles to enjoy a dip in the water. But ask any experienced swimmer and they’ll tell you that goggles are a must-have when swimming. Sure, they’re not 100% necessary, but if you want a comfortable, safe, and efficient swim then you need goggles. 

Firstly, there’s the improved vision. Goggles give you clear underwater vision, and this alone makes a large chunk of the population more comfortable with swimming - especially children and those who are scared of water. For them, goggles are a necessity. 

Then there’s the cleanliness factor. If you’re swimming in a public pool without goggles, then you’re potentially exposing your eyes to leaves, bugs, dirt, sweat, sunblock, hair, perfume, and potentially even pee (you know it’s true!) On top of that, there’s a whole lot of chlorine and other chemicals. Now who wants an eyebath with all those substances in it? Nobody! Anyone who’d prefer to not expose their eyes to such things needs swimming goggles. 

Take a look at any Olympic swimmer and you'll have your answer… Goggles absolutely make you swim faster! No professional swimmer would jump into a pool without them. Now we’re not saying that anyone who pops on a pair of goggles is suddenly going to speed down the pool, but they will help to enhance your performance when swimming. Here’s how: 

• Goggles let you see the black line at the bottom of the pool more clearly (thanks to your improved underwater vision), so you can stay in the middle of the lane and not veer off to the side. 
• They also let you see the wall ahead of you more clearly, so that you can better judge your flip turn (which is especially important when doing breaststroke). 
• And they stop your eyes from getting irritated. Any kind of discomfort when trying to exercise is going to take away from your performance and speed. 

So there you have it. If you’ve mastered your swimming stroke and know how to use goggles to your advantage, you’ll almost certainly see an improvement in your lap times.

If you’re new to the world of swimming goggles, you might run into a number of issues like foggy or leaky goggles. You might feel like the strap is too tight or struggle with the goggles slipping off your head while swimming. Seasoned swimmers will be easily able to tackle these problems, but they can be disheartening for newbies. Don’t be discouraged! These problems are easily solved - read ahead. 

Goggles are supposed to give you better vision, so it can be annoying when they suddenly fog up mid-swim. Especially if you're doing laps or in swimming training, foggy goggles can mess up your rhythm. Even worse if it happens during a race! For kids and beginner swimmers, foggy goggles can be scary as vision is disrupted and they have to stop to take them off. Lucky, you don't have to fall victim to foggy goggles. There are a few things you can do to stop that from happening. 

The best thing you can do is stop the issue before it even happens. When you’re shopping for goggles, try to go for ones with an anti-fog coating. This coating prevents the lenses from steaming up during a swim, but it’s not completely invincible - the coating can be damaged if lenses are scratched or bumped. Make sure to take care of your goggles if they have anti-fog coating, or you'll have to start looking at some of our other tips below. 

If you don't have goggles with anti-fog coating, then you can still buy anti-fog sprays that let you spray on your own shield. There are many different anti-fog sprays available on the market, all helping to keep steam away so you can swim with clear vision. You'll have to spray the coating on your goggles and then rinse it out before putting them on. 

This is a 'home remedy' for foggy goggles and a secret weapon of many professional athletes. Just rub a generous amount of toothpaste onto your goggles lenses before swimming, and it will help to prevent condensation from forming. Note: Be very, very careful and gentle when rubbing on the toothpaste, you don't want to rub off any existing coating your goggles may have. 

Sometimes the best remedies are free - like your own spit! Believe it or not, some say that spit is a miracle anti-fog spray that works by adding an extra layer to your lenses. Basically, your spit stops moisture particles from connecting to one another and creating fog. We’ll be honest - some people swear by this method while others think it barely lasts 15 minutes. All we can say is, it’s free to try… Here’s what to do: spit on your lenses, give them a rinse, and pop them on. 

This is another way to add an extra layer of film to your goggles, only without that layer having to come from inside your own body… If you have any baby shampoo or other gentle conditioner around, you can use this to create your own anti-fog coating. Just rub a tiny amount on your lenses (very gently) so that you create a thin layer of film over the top. This layer will stop your goggles from fogging up. Again, you probably want to give your goggles a rinse before you put them on, unless you want to see what happens when baby shampoo gets in your eyes… 

Sometimes the best tricks are the simplest. Try splashing your face with cold water a few times before you put your goggles on and see how that works as an anti-fog treatment. Some say that the reason your goggles fog up is because your face emits heat when coming in contact with the coolness of the water, the result being fog. As the theory goes, if you splash your face with cold water beforehand then there'll be less of a reaction between your warm face and the water i.e. no fog. 

If there’s one thing that’s worse than foggy goggles, it’s leaky goggles. There are a few different reasons why your goggles could be leaking. A couple are an easy fix while others not so much. Have a look through these potential problems and see if you can bust the culprit. Nobody deserves to suffer leaky goggles!

The first thing you should check if your goggles are leaking is if they're the right fit. If water is flooding your goggles from around your nose, then they might be too big for you, or put on too loosely. If the water is coming in from the sides, then the goggles may be too small or on too tight. If you’ve adjusted the straps and still have water leaking, then your goggles may be the wrong fit for your face. 

This can be pretty disappointing if you’ve just purchased a fancy pair of new goggles, but there’s no way to get around it other than getting a new pair that better fits your face. We’ve tried to fix this issue here at Ninja Shark by creating goggles that come with four interchangeable nose pieces, for a precise and customised fit.

Another reason why your goggles may be leaking is because something is stuck in the seal and causing water to leak through. Have a look at the seal around the edge of your goggles and check that there is no sand, hair, dust, or other fine particles trapped in there. If there is, give your goggles a good rinse and try to remove it. This can be all that’s needed to fix a pair of leaky goggles!

If you’ve had your goggles for a good few years and they’ve only just started leaking now, there’s a good chance that they’re nearing the end of their life cycle. A good pair of goggles should last a lifetime, but if your goggles are just a fun pair that you bought on vacation then they may not last as long. Wear and tear, sun exposure, saltwater, and chemicals from sunscreen can all contribute to breaking down the seal on your goggles. Over time, the seal can become dry and less able to fit snugly against your face, letting water leak in. If this is the case with your goggles, it’s time to say goodbye… 

Before we get started on how to fix leaky goggles, let’s get one thing clear: if your goggles are leaking every time you wear them, then they’re either not the right fit for you or too old. You should really consider buying a new pair rather than trying out the following tips. On the other hand, if your goggles only leak from time-to-time you may find these tricks handy. 

This method can help reshape goggles that have been bent or twisted out of shape. ONLY do this if you’ve given up hope on your goggles and want to try one last thing, as this can otherwise damage a perfectly good pair of goggles. 

First check your goggles for any signs of disfigurement in the seal or eye frames. If you spot something that doesn't look right, you can give the boiling method a go: 

1. Boil a pot of water and then dip your goggles in for a few minutes. 
2. Remove them with a pair of tongs and let them cool down for a bit until they're still warm but not too hot to touch. 
3. Press the warm goggles onto your face and try to mould them to your face shape. 
4. When they've cooled down, you can remove them. 

This trick can help with remoulding goggles that are leaking due to wear and tear. Afterwards, make sure to always store your goggles in their case to prevent them from twisting out of shape again. 

A common reason why goggles leak is because they’ve been put on either too loosely or too tightly. You want the strap to be tight enough to stop the goggles from slipping off your face, but not so tight that the goggles are inflexible and can't move. If your goggles are too loose, water will enter from the nose area. If they're too tight, water will be leaking from the sides. Adjust your goggle strap so there are no holes between your face and goggles, and adjust the nosepiece if necessary. We’ll be talking more about how to adjust your goggles later in this article. 

Give this one a try if you haven’t had success with any of the other tips above. Sometimes water can leak in through your goggles if you squint your eyes or change your facial expression while swimming. If you’re swimming with determination, then your face might be showing it too! Try to keep a neutral facial expression when swimming and see if that helps to keep the water out. 

Don’t hold on to that pair of goggles, let them go when it’s time. A big reason why goggles leak is simply because they’re past their prime. As stated above, the silicone can start to break down and dry out over time, and the frames can bend out of shape. If your children wear goggles then you may need to replace them more often to fit their growing heads! 

Goggles are not bad for the eyes and wearing them will not harm you. The only thing to be careful of is that you’re not strapping them on too tightly. Having your goggles on too tight, especially for long periods of time, can cause headaches and increase the pressure in your eyes (IOP). If you already have signs of glaucoma or elevated IOP then you definitely need to be careful not to strap your goggles on too tightly. If you fancy a bit of reading and want to explore this subject further, you can check out this study about the effect of wearing swimming goggles on eye pressure.

A lot of people just throw their goggles on and jump in the pool without sizing them correctly - and then they give up and toss them aside because they start leaking, feel uncomfortable, or fog up during a swim. Don’t let yourself be one of those people! Learn how to wear goggles properly so that they’re comfortable and you get the best use out of them during your swim. And learn how to take care of your swimming companions so they last a lifetime. 

Adjusting your goggles before putting them on will make them more comfy and stop them from slipping off your head as you swim. Here’s how to make sure your goggles fit properly: 

Start by adjusting the head strap of the goggles so that it fits the shape of your head. Keep in mind that we will want the strap to be held at a 45 degree angle and not directly at the back of the head (this helps your goggles from slipping off). Make sure that the strap isn't on too tight - you definitely don't want to end up with panda marks around your eyes! You want the fit to be firm but still comfortable, with not too much pressure. 

Adjusting the nose bridge on your goggles will stop water from leaking in while you swim. Our Ninja Shark goggles have an adjustable nose bridge that comes with four interchangeable pieces. You can clip on and off the different sizes until you find one that’s the right fit for your nose - you’ll generally want a smaller one if you have a small nose and larger one if your nose is broad. Again, make sure your nose bridge isn’t too tight or too loose. To see if you have the right size, place the goggles over your eyes and see if you can feel any suction. If you do, then it’s the right fit! 

It’s finally time to put on those bad boys. You can put on your goggles any way you like, but if you wanna do it like a pro swimmer, here’s how: 

1. Hold the goggles in your open palms (like you're praying), with the strap folded under each thumb and placed behind your hands, 
2. Place the eye cups over your eyes and softly press in to create suction, 
3. Pull your head strap back over your head and place it at a 45 degree angle. 

It should be fairly easy to tell if your goggles aren’t the right fit. If they leak water when you dunk your head in, then you need to adjust the fit. If they leave red marks around your eyes after a swim then they’re on too tightly. If they constantly slip off while you’re moving in the water then they may need to be adjusted. 

You’ll know your goggles are the right fit if you feel suction when you place the eye cups over your face. If the eye cups stay in place when you remove the head strap then it’s a good size. 

Reckon you have the right fit goggles but they still can’t stop moving while you swim? We’ve all been there. In fact, pro swimmers have a trick that will help hold your goggles in place no matter how much kicking around you do in the water. First, wear your goggles over a swimming cap, and then put another swimming cap on over the top. The two swimming caps will hold your goggles in place so they don’t move around or fall off while you swim. If it’s good enough for Olympic swimmers it’s good enough for us!

To keep your goggles working correctly and fitting right, you need to make sure you give them a little TLC. Here are our best tips for taking care of your goggles so you get the most of them. 

After using your goggles, always rinse them with cold freshwater and leave them somewhere safe to air dry. A few notes about cleaning your goggles: 

• Try not to rinse them with seawater as this can cause damage over time. 
• The same goes with soap or detergent - don’t use any chemicals when cleaning your goggles as they can remove the anti fog coating. A light rinse with cold freshwater is all your goggles need. 
• Always use cold water and never warm or hot water, as this can melt or warp your goggles. 

Try to buy goggles that come with a storage bag or case that can keep them safely protected when not in use. This will stop the lenses from getting scratched and the frame from being bent or twisted out of shape. Our goggles at Ninja Shark come with a slick portable case that can be thrown into your bag without a worry. Note: Always make sure that your goggles are fully dry before you put them in their case, otherwise they can sometimes start to grow mould. 

If your goggles are foggy or dirty, don’t try to clean them with anything other than water. This includes fingers, towels, and cloths - no! It might seem like a good idea to rub your lenses clean, but you can actually damage them in the process. The lenses on goggles are easily scratched, and the anti-fog coating can easily be rubbed off if you’re not careful. Try to resist the temptation to rub and just stick to cleaning your goggles with water. 

Try not to let your goggles ‘air dry’ for too long before you put them in back in their storage case. Prolonged sun exposure can harden the silicone frame of goggles, causing it to become dry and brittle. This will make your goggles less flexible and more prone to breaking. The eye cups will also become less soft on the face and feel more uncomfortable.