I do. I have been doing my training swims with TYR special ops and i have been racing in Aqua Sphere Kayenne's for the past several years - they just work for me. I put the TYR's on in training a few months ago just to see if i was missing something. They're fine, but i don't dare risk what i already know work's when it comes to racing.
I think it's fine as long as you test them out 1-2x before race day. I've bought the same model of goggles and find that they all fit a bit differently. You may have to fine tune the adjustment to make sure they are comfortable and not leaking.
i have dedicated race goggles because even with good goggles I find that as the silicone ages they are more prone to leak. Plus, eventually goggles get cloudy and visibility decreases from all the use in chlorinated pools. I have a dark tinted pair for sunny races and a yellow/orange? pair for low light mornings. They always look crystal clear on race day since they get little use.
I'm no expert swimmer by any means. I've got two pair of Aquasphere Kayennes that I rotate thru. For me - and my peace of mind - I always have two pairs at a race for "just in case" situations. Makes it easier for me to have two of the same models!
I'm not crusading, but I actually don't wear goggles in freshwater races anymore. I had lasik eye surgery in 2003 and I don't have to wear contacts to see almost perfectly. When I was a kid many years ago and swam on a team (the 1960's) goggles hadn't been invented, so a couple of years ago when I got to a race with dark goggles on a very overcast morning, I couldn't see a thing. So, I decided not to use them. I could see everything clearly when I lifted my head during the race. Of course, I wear goggles when I train in a pool now. I remember the chlorine, etc and the tearing eyes when I was doing my homework at night after swim practice. I think goggles came on the market my sophomore year in college in 1970. Anyway, you may want to try swimming in a lake without goggles to see if that will work well. Going goggleless (a new word) eliminates getting them knocked off, leakage, fogginess, broken straps, or any other unexpected problem.
I have a pretty bad glasses correction that is not correctable by contact lenses...the problem is a very strong astigmatism. You can get inexpensive goggles that correct the near-signtedness, but not astigmatism.
A year or so ago, I invested in a pair of real-live prescription goggles. As "just plain goggles", they kind of suck. The seal is old style so you have to wear them very tight (uncomfortable) and they are not exactly hydrodynamic (e.g., diving in the pool with them on a typical pool start is very difficult). But that said, they changed my life in terms of being able to stay on course and see what I was doing. I'm sure they saved me minutes in all my races of at least Olympic distance. In that sense, they are like race wheels or something: free speed! :-) ...additionally, of course, I can see a lot better going from the water to T1.
Anyway, if anyone reading this is in my boat (bad vision that requires glasses) and is on the fence about dropping $150-200 on goggles.... do it if you can afford it.
Is it a good idea to keep a dedicated pair of goggles just for racing?
I do. I actually have two, one for bright sun, and one for overcast. Both were freebies from Tyr given out an some IM or other. Once I found they fit well during swim warm up before the race, I kept them with my race stuff. I think's it's helpful to have goggles which aren;t scratched, or losing their ability to fight fog (new high end goggles usually have a coating that works as long as it is not cleaned off with something). And to know they are "battle tested" in terms of being able to avoid random leaks in open water.
I'm no "swimmer" either, but I train with a pair of small (inside the eye socket type) Speedos that work fine. However, I found sighting in OWS difficult in them, so I got a pair of slightly larger (just outside the eye socket) type of Speedos that are marketed for OWS. I find them much easier to sight with....just more peripheral vision without that edge obscuring the periphery. I save them for races, using them once in the pool just before the race. They were $20-30 at most.
Comments
I do. I have been doing my training swims with TYR special ops and i have been racing in Aqua Sphere Kayenne's for the past several years - they just work for me. I put the TYR's on in training a few months ago just to see if i was missing something. They're fine, but i don't dare risk what i already know work's when it comes to racing.
I have a dark tinted pair for sunny races and a yellow/orange? pair for low light mornings. They always look crystal clear on race day since they get little use.
I'm not crusading, but I actually don't wear goggles in freshwater races anymore. I had lasik eye surgery in 2003 and I don't have to wear contacts to see almost perfectly. When I was a kid many years ago and swam on a team (the 1960's) goggles hadn't been invented, so a couple of years ago when I got to a race with dark goggles on a very overcast morning, I couldn't see a thing. So, I decided not to use them. I could see everything clearly when I lifted my head during the race. Of course, I wear goggles when I train in a pool now. I remember the chlorine, etc and the tearing eyes when I was doing my homework at night after swim practice. I think goggles came on the market my sophomore year in college in 1970. Anyway, you may want to try swimming in a lake without goggles to see if that will work well. Going goggleless (a new word) eliminates getting them knocked off, leakage, fogginess, broken straps, or any other unexpected problem.
I have a pretty bad glasses correction that is not correctable by contact lenses...the problem is a very strong astigmatism. You can get inexpensive goggles that correct the near-signtedness, but not astigmatism.
A year or so ago, I invested in a pair of real-live prescription goggles. As "just plain goggles", they kind of suck. The seal is old style so you have to wear them very tight (uncomfortable) and they are not exactly hydrodynamic (e.g., diving in the pool with them on a typical pool start is very difficult). But that said, they changed my life in terms of being able to stay on course and see what I was doing. I'm sure they saved me minutes in all my races of at least Olympic distance. In that sense, they are like race wheels or something: free speed! :-) ...additionally, of course, I can see a lot better going from the water to T1.
Anyway, if anyone reading this is in my boat (bad vision that requires glasses) and is on the fence about dropping $150-200 on goggles.... do it if you can afford it.
Thanks all. Confirmed my thinking, so went ahead and order a new pair.
I do. I actually have two, one for bright sun, and one for overcast. Both were freebies from Tyr given out an some IM or other. Once I found they fit well during swim warm up before the race, I kept them with my race stuff. I think's it's helpful to have goggles which aren;t scratched, or losing their ability to fight fog (new high end goggles usually have a coating that works as long as it is not cleaned off with something). And to know they are "battle tested" in terms of being able to avoid random leaks in open water.
Good discussion. Certainly ran the gamut. From $200 to $0.
I'm no "swimmer" either, but I train with a pair of small (inside the eye socket type) Speedos that work fine. However, I found sighting in OWS difficult in them, so I got a pair of slightly larger (just outside the eye socket) type of Speedos that are marketed for OWS. I find them much easier to sight with....just more peripheral vision without that edge obscuring the periphery. I save them for races, using them once in the pool just before the race. They were $20-30 at most.