GEAR

CLEAR SIGHTED
Optical or prescription goggles are a good choice for short-sighted open water swimmers. We test some of the options

ALL THE BEST EQUIPMENT FOR A BETTER SWIM

On a clear day you might be able to see France from England, but not if youre a glasses wearer. More importantly, for open water swimmers, you might not be able to see very much at all with normal swimming goggles. The consequences, for both leisure and competitive swimmers can range from frustrating to disastrous. Its annoying if you cant enjoy your beautiful wild swim surroundings and dangerous if you cant follow a line of buoys in a race. The possible solutions are: eye surgery or wear glasses, contact lenses or prescription goggles. Realistically, wearing glasses is only an option for casual breast stroke swimming perhaps for an impromptu dip when you dont have your kit with you. As glasses can be expensive, consider tying them to your head with a shoelace or similar. Contact lenses oer a more practical solution. They can be worn under normal goggles and have the advantage that you can still see when you remove the eyewear. This might be useful for example if you are competing in a multisport event. Its also

possible to swim without goggles when wearing contact lenses. However, lenses can fall out and the combination of dirty water and contacts lacks appeal. For swimmers who dont like contact lenses, prescription goggles are the best bet. Fortunately, the choice while not as wide as for normal goggles is reasonable and should cater for most preferences. We cant comment on eye surgery. However, when we say prescription, this isnt quite true. All the goggles we tested were o the shelf, corrected for short-sightedness only and necessitated taking the nearest available rather than an exact prescription.

Some models oer dierent prescriptions for each eye, others give you the same for each eye, which may mean one eye is over or under corrected. In most cases then, correction is good enough rather than perfect. People with more complex needs than simple short sight may want to consult an optician. Remember also that goggle choice is quite personal. Some people like close ing socket-type goggles while others prefer larger lenses. Some work perfectly for some people and leak for others. You may have to try a few pairs to nd the ones that suit you best. These are the ones weve tried. system that you can tighten once you have the goggles on, making them very secure. Two, the large lens size allows great visibility and sits comfortably around the eyes. The Eagle is a standard open water goggle from Aqua Sphere and reasonably priced at 16.25. However, glasses wearers need to buy additional lenses at 9.25 each to match their prescription, so the overall package is pricy. You then have the slightly alarming job of ripping the lenses out of a brand new pair of goggles to insert the optical lenses.

AQUA SPHERE EAGLE

-1.5 to -6 in 0.5 increments Dierent powers for each eye 35.25 from aquasphere.com/uk Out of those tested, these were our favourites for open water racing for two reasons. One, the strap uses a ratchet

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KIEFER OPTICAL GOGGLES

-1.5 to -8 in 0.5 increments Same power for each eye: 25 from: prescriptionswimming-goggles.co.uk Basic in looks but functional, available in blue only with clear lenses, this Kiefer option does exactly what it says it will. However, the model has been redesigned by Kiefer recently. The old model had a weak and easily breakable clip connecting the strap to the goggles. The new version has improved on this, but the eyepiece is slightly smaller and less comfortable.

SUTTON SWIMWEAR OPT

OFF using code H2Open12 at swimsupplies.co.uk/H2Open SABLE WATER OPTICS

-1.5 to -8 in 0.5 increments Dierent powers for each eye 59.99 from triathloneurope.com These snazzy looking goggles boast excellent clarity of vision, and the range of colours and tints means you can nd the perfect for shade for most weather conditions and tastes. The competition version has a slightly lower prole and wider eld of vision, but we found the training version perfectly adequate. The only weakness was the rather lightweight clip that connects the strap to the goggles, which we broke. However, the clip could be removed and the strap connected directly to the frame. Comes with a choice of four nose pieces.

SWANS FO

-1.5 to -8 in 0.5 increments Same power for each eye 29 from mailsports.co.uk A standard looking pair of goggles, but comfortable and robust, with good visibility. We had some problems with fogging but this was xed with anti-fog spray. Available in smoke only, and with a choice of three nose pieces. Basic, but we liked them.

OPTICAL

-1.5 to -10.0 in 0.5 increments Dierent powers for each eye 17 from prescriptionswimming-goggles.co.uk The cheapest goggles on test, the Su on Swimwear are delivered in kit form with a choice of nose pieces for varying width faces. We found the nose clip dicult to change once ed (but not impossible) so hopefully get the right one rst time. Available in either blue or black, both with a light tint to the lense. Seal so ness is somewhere between the two Vex models, so comfort good but not outstanding. A good choice for training.

VFLEX HYDRUS OPTICAL

-2.0 to -8.0 in 0.5 increments. Dierent powers for each eye 27 from: prescriptionswimming-goggles.co.uk Designed as a racing goggle, these are smaller than the Vex Active, have a narrower seal and t inside the eye socket rather than around. A choice of three nose pieces means these should t a range of faces. We found the seals quite hard and wouldnt want to wear them for extended periods. Available in light smoke colour only.

VFLEX ACTIVE OPTICAL

-1.5 to -8.0 in 0.5 increments Dierent powers for each eye 25 from prescriptionswimming-goggles.co.uk The Vex Active Optical has a large so comfortable seal that and creates good suction around the eyes. The all-in-one moulded design is robust, which is a denite selling point for open water. However, the single size nose-bridge is a li le on the broad side and cant be changed. Although they didnt leak, they felt too wide for our tester and as if they were going to leak, which was a li le disconcerting. The lightly smoked lenses are good for both overcast and clear days, but not so eective in bright sunlight. The come in a strong plastic case thats useful for storing glasses while swimming.
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