Open Water Swimming Goggles: An In-Depth Guide to the Features You Need

Open-water swimming goggles must be able to cope with challenging outdoor environments and weather conditions. That’s why their features are different to your average swimming goggle. In this guide, we look at the key features you need to look out for when choosing a pair for your open-water swimming. So, you can swim with confidence while training or competing.

Wide Field of Vision

Your goggles need a wider lens or a curved lens to enhance your vision. This is super important in most outdoor swimming environments. As you need to be aware of your surroundings and navigate yourself safely through the water.

You may need to be able to spot obstacles or other swimmers, landmarks, and navigation markers. Having this broader field of vision will help you to stay on track. Enhanced peripheral vision will also allow you to see more at the edges of your vision, without the need to turn your head excessively. Making sure you can concentrate on other considerations like technique and your safety.

Having a wide field of vision also contributes to a sense of openness, mimicking your natural sight. Reducing the feeling of tunnel vision and a beneficial psychological boost.

UV Protection

Swimming in the outdoors exposes you to harmful ultraviolet rays. Having lenses with UV protection is a must-have on your open-water swimming goggles. Not only does this protect your eyes from the damage sunlight can cause. But it also reduces glare, which can bounce up from the water's surface. This again makes visibility better so you can stay aware and safe.

Mirrored and Polarized Lenses

Polarized lenses in your open-water swimming goggles will effectively reduce glare, minimize reflections, and enhance contrast. Providing you with clearer vision in bright outdoor conditions. They have a special filter that blocks out horizontally polarised light, such as light bouncing of the water's surface. This helps to reduce the intensity of glare and minimise reflections. The filter also blocks out certain wavelengths of light, which enhances contrast and can make objects stand out more distinctly. All of which help to optimise your visibility while you swim.

Mirrored Lenses will reduce glare, and provide UV protection as well as privacy and style. There are options for darker and lighter mirrors to suit different brightness levels. The mirror effectively reflects a significant amount of incoming light, protecting your eyes and enhancing your visibility. They are well suited to bright sunny conditions. The mirrored lenses also hide your eyes giving you some privacy and can be good when you are competing. This sleek and stylish look can also give you an air of confidence on race days.

Leak-Free Seal

Having a comfortable, leak-free seal is obviously a very important aspect of any swimming goggles, including open-water goggles. With no water leaking in, your vision is not affected, you are not distracted, and you can simply concentrate on your swimming. With a good seal you can swim confidently without the need to break your rhythm and having to stop to adjust.

A soft silicone seal is regarded as a popular choice, because of its water resistance, comfort, flexibility, durability, and easy maintenance. But choosing a goggle that suits the specifics of your face and its contours can take some trying on. We always suggest trying on goggles where possible as there are many variations and brands offering different types of seals.

Tips for checking the seal on your face when trying on. Use a mirror or a friend to examine all around the gasket making sure it is in contact with your skin all the way around with no gaps. You can also test the suction by placing the goggles on your eyes and gently pushing them against your face. You should then tilt your head forward slightly and let go to see if they have created a seal and stay in place.

Easy Adjustable Straps

Having a quick and easy method of adjusting your straps is useful when swimming outdoors. This is because you will encounter changing weather conditions and water environments. Such as strong currents and waves that can displace your goggles or cause them to move. Being able to quickly readjust will help secure your goggles in place, this security keeps your vision intact so you can swim in confidence and safety.

Durability and Impact Resistance

Some open-water goggles come with impact-resistant lenses to help protect your eyes during your swims. Swimming in the elements and with the potential for crashes/impacts with waves, rocks, surfboards, people and more.

If you plan on swimming in the sea, in busy water environments or in competitive races, it is important to choose goggles with a solid durable build.

Anti-Fog Treatment/Coating/Technology

Your lenses should have some anti-fog properties to maintain the clarity of vision. As previously mentioned, having clarity of vision allows you to have an awareness of everything that is going on and helps you swim confidently and safely.

Most quality goggles will have anti-fog, but it is worth checking as this feature is a must-have. If your goggles fog up and impair your vision, it will make swimming dangerous and make you feel frustrated. You can always pick up anti-fog sprays to reapply anti-fog as it depreciates over time.

Bright Colours

Choosing a pair of brightly coloured open-water swimming goggles is practical and fun. It will provide increased visibility, making it easier for others to spot you and help to keep you safe. Also great for training and competitors, it makes identifying your goggles super easy. Before the race/training but also for teammates and coaches during sessions. Helping them to easily identify who you are, especially in harsher conditions.

Finally wearing a bright colour can bring some personal style to your swimming gear and bring some fun to training and racing.

Summary

You should consider the features that you believe are most important to your needs when choosing your open-water goggles. Hopefully, this guide has highlighted those for you and empowered you to get the perfect pair. So, you are prepared and filled with confidence before your next training session, leisure swim or competition. Good luck!