Favorite Goggles for Training and OWS?

[colby]

I always swam in the pool with your garden variety Speedo goggles. They leaked, I didn't like it, lame. So, I bought some more fancy garden variety Speedo goggles. Can swim in open water with them, sure, but I wasn't sure they were the best.

Last year, I bought an AquaSphere Seal mask, which I think is slightly tinted. That was much nicer for open water, but it could have been the fit and tinting of the goggles, not necessarily just the "mask" (though the peripheral vision is nice?).

Unfortunately, now they fill with mist, fog, and spots after about 30 minutes in the water, pool or open. Lame. I can't see where I'm going at all. I suppose I could try putting cat crap in them, but I'd need to buy a second pair anyway in case I ruin them (I've seen the bad side of cat crap ;)). This makes me unhappy because I am of the opinion they should have lasted longer - they've been fogging for at least the last 6 months, I just lived with it for Ironman.

As an aside, I tried really hard to find tri gear reviews online, and it was hard. I guess this is content you get by word of mouth or if you happen to catch the right magazine with all the gear reviews in it ;)

What kind of goggles are you gals using? How do you like them? Mask or regular swim goggles? Same goggle for open water and pool swim?

[KnottedYet]

Well, I'm no help. I like my Seal mask so much that I'd be happy to buy another if mine went bye-bye. http://www.teamestrogen.com/products.asp?pID=11901

Not too happy with the tint, so my next one wouldn't be tinted if I had my druthers.

[teigyr]

I'm not much of a help either. I have Speedo goggles. Not all of them work for me except for the low end training ones and those aren't perfect. They started fogging no matter what I did and they sometimes gave me a headache.

I just picked up some Aquasphere Kaizen ones. Will let you know how they work out. I tried them on, I almost drove with them home from the store just to see how they fit. I didn't.

I wonder what makes goggles fog when they start wearing out?

[kelownagirl]

I've tried three different brands as well as the anti-fog spray and they all still fog up after 400m swim. I find that licking them helps a bit.

[kermit]

I have Nike goggles that I really like. They are a little bigger than speedos but are really comfy. As far as fogging, yeah they fog. Down here in Miami its so humid I expect it. An old diving trick that I use may help you guys. Spit into your goggles, wipe it around and rinse. It works great on dive gear. Theres also an anti-fog spray, it kinda works.

[colby]

I think the Kaizen are smaller than the Seal, but the Seal is smaller than some of the other masks... I thought about trying those, too.

Spitting and licking - must be something in our own saliva that prevents fog!? How cool, and strange. Maybe I'll try that for my next swim and see if I can extend the life of my current Seal - even just for training in the pool where I can't see my watch without stopping and taking them off.

[dex]

I have some TYR goggles with little skulls on them. Since I'm not going to be fast, maybe I can just look mean. Heh. :D;)
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d22/dexocracy/skull_gogglebling.jpg

If you take your swimming seriously, you'd probably want something nice. I just want something that makes me laugh a little every time I put them on. (And that fit my face ok and don't fog up too quickly...since I already mentioned that I'm not fast. :p)

[HillSlugger]

I like the AquaSphere Kaiman goggles. I have had some fogging lately, but a licked finger seems to take care of it pretty well.

[ginny]

I am SO glad this thread has been posted. I have goggle problem after goggle problem. I have tiny little head (I actually wear children's baseball caps). I find a good pair (but don't really know they are any good until I swim in them, by then, I have forgotten what I bought), they start to wear out and fog up, so I go back to the same store, describe said goggles, they have no idea what I am talking about, I buy a new pair, take them to the pool and realize they SUCK! I wish there was a code - you know, little tiny heads and faces work with these goggles. I am actually in the midst of goggle hell at the moment - I bought a pair for OWS - more peripheral vision than regular goggles. They have leaked since day one! I have to get them so tight that by 1200 meters I have a screaming headache! I have had this problem since I swam on a team as a child. What to do???:mad:

[KnottedYet]

Try calling Team Estrogen and chatting with the chickies about what they carry that might fit best.

I've had great conversations with Molly and Aubra (sorry if I got your names wrong!) about different things I've considered ordering, when I've been worried about fit.

The Aquasphere Seal ows goggles I love so much are from TE. They fit my goofy head great, and if they hadn't fit TE would've had no problem with me sending them back or exchanging them.

I looooooove TE customer service! :D

[Connie]

Have you tried putting spit on the inside of the lenses? Smear it all over then dip them in the water to rinse. It's something I learned during scuba diving lessons. If I don't put spit all over the inside my lenses will fog up. I use Speedo goggles and love them.

[Kimmyt]

Aquasphere Kaimans here, with a dab of the tongue prior to swimming to keep them fog-free.

[spindizzy]

I'm not a triathlete. Prefer to stay on land. But I am seeing Sable Water Optics goggles fly off the shelves here.

http://www.sablewateroptics.com/

[flash]

I'm partial to Speedo's kids goggles ... in bright froggy green. Some good friends tease me, but they really fit well and are pretty bombproof. My current pair has been around for 2 seasons ... in and out of hot cars, sandy beach bags, skanky workout bags, used in outdoor pools, indoor pools, and OW. I'm a former competitive swimmer & have tried lots of traditonal goggles (never tried the larger mask styles)...as long as they fit properly, I don't care so much about peripheral vision.

[ginny]

flash, I just bought kids speedo goggles... I think I may have a winner here. I'm with you, I grew up swimming competatively, and I just don't care all that much about preipheral vision (I hear once you have it in OW, you really like it though). Anyhoo... keeping fingers crossed that the new kiddo goggles work on my little pin head :D

[KSH]

Love my Speedo Pro's. The fit on the OUTSIDE of my eye socket and have cushion around them, versus just a plastic liner that digs into your eye.

I have worn them for about 20 years now. I'll die if they stop making them.

They do start the fogging business after 3 months though. Then I just get out a new pair. I've been stock piling them like a nuclear war is going to come.

[withm]

If Mark Phelps can smash world records wearing goggles that are filling up with water... oh why do I even bother to try to swim? Those guys swim 3-4x faster than I ever did on my best day.

[colby]

It's fun to watch, though, they are so sleek. The distances they are going are much shorter, but he swims something like 6 miles a day in the end with all of the warmup/cooldown and racing he's doing. Someone said he has to eat 8-10k calories a day. :eek:

Back to goggles.... ;)

I didn't mind so much the water in my goggles when I was pool swimming, even competitively. In open water it's terrible, though. (See, I tried to get it back on topic...)

[wavedancer]

I have the Aquasphere Seal XP mask. It fits my small face well and has excellent peripheral vision. I also like the Kaiman goggles (youth size), but they give me raccoon eyes. I have used a bit of baby shampoo which seems to work pretty well to prevent fogging.

[colby]

Well, I tried the spit technique out of fear of changing something else on race day, and still got serious fogging. I'll try to perfect my spitting. ;)

I also bought a pair of the Kaimans which I'll try out next time I OWS to see how I like them. They will always be good in the pool either way, and if I figure out the Spit Technique I can go back to the Seal for OWS.

I wish you could try goggles before you buy ;)