Swimmers - how to dive in with goggles intact?

Alan May

Seeking help from swim gurus:

My favorite sprint tri has a time trial start where you can either jump or dive into the water.  I tried diving in this time and ended up with goggles around my neck.  Should I have the goggles beneath the cap?  How much tension should be on the strap?  Any other tricks to keep them in place on entry?

Thanks!

Alan May

FYI: I've been using TYR socket rockets (like Swedish Goggles but with a small layer of padding) since I have fairly deep set eye sockets and larger goggles seem to leak pretty consistently

Dave Campbell

Straps under the cap. Straps as tight as you are comfortable with. Right before you go, take the palms of your hands and push in out the goggles. This will seat them, pressing out some air and creating a suction. That's how I started off the start blocks for years in pool meets. Never had a leaker or lost any. Now I use the kaimens and they have a great seal

jamison.gaddy

Nobody talks about the guys who dive in. Do a cannonball. I' ve found that if mine are too tight they leak. Loosly fitted with a little palm pressure works fine. Sometimes when worn under a cap the edge will put uneven pressure on the goggle rim causing a leak. Practice first.

Alan May

Thanks guys... I'll keep experimenting with it. I appreciate your feedback!

Paul Hough

@ Alan - great quesiton! Unless mine are on really tight, they may slip just running into the water. On a sprint tri I don't bother to reset them if they fill up with water but it's annoying as hell. Diving in is just plain hopeless. Hope some more good pointers show up on this thread!

kurshing

If you tilt your chin towards your chest a little as you enter, that helps too.

DanJacquemin

Posted By Jamison Gaddy on 29 Sep 2011 05:30 PM

Nobody talks about the guys who dive in. Do a cannonball. I' ve found that if mine are too tight they leak. Loosly fitted with a little palm pressure works fine. Sometimes when worn under a cap the edge will put uneven pressure on the goggle rim causing a leak. Practice first.

 

Agreed--do the cannonball! It will only cost you a few seconds and be a fantastic picture!

That being said: put your goggles on before your cap. Work the palm press against the goggles before jumping in. Use proper diving form: that is stack your hands properly (non-breathing side hand on bottom, other hand on top, thumb of top hand wrapping around the outside edge of the bottom hand, fingers straight and not interlaced. Arms straight over your head. Squeeze your ears with your upper arms--streamline!!! You know, the way you push off the wall after a turn.

The key is to have your hands enter the water first, you head and shoulder follow them into the water. Image a hoop a few feet away from the dock (side of the pool) and you're trying to get your hands and hit in the middle of it, and your whole body to enter the water without touching the hoop. Don't look where your going, there is nothing in front of you but water, so keep your head neutral and between your upper arms! 

Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL9bxYjGUuI (and the whole series)

And send pics of the cannonball!!!

Word.

William Jenks

Good for a chuckle... the slight chin tuck is the secret. If you can practice off blocks at your local pool, you'll never have a problem on a beach start. ;-)