GOGGLE CARE

Caring for your swim goggles

You might be surprised to know that your swimming goggles actually need just as much care as your training swimsuit and high performance racing swimsuits. The team at blueseventy.com.au have developed the following goggle care guide to ensure you get the most use out of your goggles.

Don't rub the inside of the eye cup lens

Most swimmers will use their fingers, a towel or even lick the inside of the eye cup lens with their tongue to clean the lens or wipe away fog. Rubbing the inside of the goggle lens will cause damage, scratches and may even remove the anti-fog coating. This rule is particularly relevant for those of you who wear your goggles in the surf.

If your goggles are foggy simply dip them under the water and tip the lens up so the water runs out. This should clear the fog.
 

Rinse after every use

After you have worn your goggles in training or in your race make sure you rinse them in cold fresh water and lay flat to dry. Goggles are not made to withstand heat, so do not use warm or hot water to rinse them as this will cause damage to the strap, clips and lens.

Cold fresh water is your best option. Don't use detergents or other chemical products to wash your goggles as these will also cause damage. 

Chlorinated water is not your friend

The more you dip your goggles in the chlorinated pool the less the anti fog will last, put them on dry and keep the inside as dry as possible, if you get chlorinated water in the goggles simply rinse with fresh water as soon as possible.
 

Dry after rinsing

After you have rinsed your goggles, the best thing to do is lay them flat to dry. Don't throw your goggles into your wet gear bag or wrap them up in a towel; this enables bacteria and mould to breed causing potential damage to the goggles. Never leave your goggles out in the sun as the straps, clips and eye cups will dry out and break.

Fit & Removal Of Swimming Goggles

In order to ensure an effective fit you will need to adjust the head strap and nose-bridge strap before wearing your goggles in the water. The following tips will guide you in fitting and removing your swimming goggles.
 

Adjust the head strap

The head strap wraps around the back of your head holding the goggles in place. The strap is normally quite stretchy for comfort and ease of use. However, while the strap is stretchy, don’t fall into the trap of pulling the strap tighter believing that it will stretch a little once the goggles are on your head. Making the strap tighter does not necessarily mean a better fit; often is causes discomfort and marking around the eyes, and we all know this is not the most attractive look! The correct adjustment can be obtained by tensioning the head strap until a firm but comfortable fit is achieved.
 

Adjust the nose bridge

The nose bridge allows for support between the goggle eye cups.

To avoid water intake, ensure you select the correct nose bridge for both comfort and a water tight fit. Swimming goggles come with a range of nose bridge designs, most with adjustable.  Some are simply an elastic strap across the nose which can be easily tightened by pulling each side. Other nose bridges will require you to actually thread a small piece of rope through the eyelets in between the eye cups. Another type of nose bridge is the clip in and clip out pieces. These normally come in three standard sizes and are easy to clip in and out.

The nose bridge should fit comfortably over the bridge of your nose. If you have a small/narrow nose, you may need to tighten the nose bridge. Similarly, if you have a large/wide nose you may need to loosen the nose bridge.

If the nose bridge is too tight you will be able to feel the eye cups of the goggles pulling in towards the centre. This means the outside of each eye cup is likely to lift off your face allowing water to seep in. Similarly, if the nose bridge is too loose you will able to feel the eye cups of the goggles pulling outwards. This means the inside of each eye cup is likely to lift off your face allowing water to seep in.

A good test to use when trying to work out the size of the nose bridge is to place the eye cups on your eyes and if they provide good suction, even for a moment you know you have the nose bridge adjusted to the correct size.

The eye cups of your goggles should sit comfortably around your eyes.
 

Putting your goggles on

  1. Place your thumbs under the head straps so that your left thumb is under the left side, the right thumb is under the right and your remaining finger and palm are holding the eye cups. Hold your goggles out in front of your face so you can see the inside of the eye cups.
  2. Place the eye cups on your eyes and press the cups into your eyes gently.
  3. Slowly slide your thumbs around the head strap whilst placing the strap over your head. It should wraps comfortably around your head.
Putting on goggles step 1
A
Putting on goggles step 2
B
Putting on goggles step 3
C


Clearing water from your goggles

While the purpose of goggles is to keep water out, it is inevitable that at some stage a small amount of water may seep in. To clear water or fog from your goggles, take a firm grip on the eye cup and tilt the lower edge of the eye cup slightly away from the face. Once you have cleared the water or fog, you can then place the cups back onto your eyes.

Never pull eye cups away from face as they may spring back and cause damage.
 

Removing your goggles

To remove your goggles, place your thumbs under head strap on each side of your head. Slide your thumbs under the straps and lift the strap from the behind your head to the front. They eye cups should simply pop off your face at this point in time.
 

WARNING:

  • Never pull eye cups away from face as they may spiring back and cause damage.
  • Goggles may be used for competitive racing start from the starting block BUT should not be used for any other forms of diving.
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