Swimming dramas - my endless quest to find the perfect goggles

I started swimming around 6 years ago. At this point I maybe did max 50 lengths, breast stroke, head above water, stopping every 10.

This required no specialised equipment beyond a swimming costume (at this stage I probably wore the dreaded tankini)

At a year in, I decided goggles would be quite helpful to stop other people's splashing causing chlorine blindness, and so for this purpose, any old goggle would do.

It was around 4 years ago that things got serious, I was swimming 4 or 5 times a week (although it took another year for me to be able to swim front crawl properly), and my hair, skin and eyes were suffering.

After MANY ear and sinus infections, I decided that it was time for a swimming cap, ear plugs, and nose clip to add to my swimming armoury - which at this stage only consisted of goggles and now a swimming costume.

It was at this point that I realised even all these items were not made equal.

I had ear plugs that fell out, degraded after a weeks use; nose clips that pinged off after the first length and snapped when placed back; swimming caps that disintegrated on contact with chlorine, developed holes with the stretching needed to get it over my hair, tugged said hair and rode up so I resembled Tommy Cooper by the end of my swim; and goggles that left indents so deep they looked like bruises or didn't suction so leaked and rendered them pointless.

After much research I found various solutions

Ear plugs

No contest - Speedo ergo ear plugs. They last ages even if they do discolour slightly.

Nose clips

Yet again, they have discontinued my favourites. I managed to bulk buy a few from America but sadly not enough. It was the Speedo liquid comfort nose clip - check regularly as sometimes the Ebay listings reappear!

I have had to go back to the Speedo universal nose clip, which works well, but loosens fairly quickly. Not a patch on the liquid comfort though.

Swimming caps

I now only wear long hair swimming caps. There is a strange extra bump at the back which your bun fits nicely into. This means that your hat and hair stays in one place, isn't tugged or damaged, and if your hair doesn't move, your goggles don't move.

I used to be a die hard fan of the ishka long hair swimming caps but they have since been discontinued. I have found an amazing alternative by TYR which is available from Proswimwear (where I make many swimming purchases)...here

Googles

This is an ongoing quest. The issue with swimming for long periods of time on a regular basis, is that the constant force of plastic on sensitive areas (around the eyes) will lead to some nasty looking dark circles, and long term, can actually move the fat around the eye and create permanent indents, as well as creating extra tension on the delicate skin leading to wrinkles.

I therefore decided to switch some mask goggles which instead exert the pressure over the cheeks and forehead which can take a lot more force with no long term negatives (you just look like a bit of a wally during the swimming time)

For four years I was in a monogamous relationship with my Aqua Sphere vista goggles. However around 9 months ago when I changed to a new pair (perfectly normal, the rubber degrades with all the chlorine after 6-12 months of use), and they leaked. Usually the first wear of a new pair of goggles is a joyous experience so this shocked me.
I wondered if I had a dodgy pair. I ordered FIVE more. They all had the same issue.

I concluded my face has undergone some sort of meltdown and have since tried EVERY PAIR OF GOGGLES THAT EXISTS ON THE PLANET. I have only found 2 that work. The goggle marks are slightly worse than the Aqua Sphere but they fade and cause no lasting damage.

My new faves are:

Nabaiji Swimdow goggles (in small - because I have the head of a 5 year old)

Costumes

Speedo Rippleback. They are comfortable, don't ride up your bum, stay in place and cause minimal resistance but they are SKIMPY so beware. The alternative for good hydrodynamics is to do a full triathlon suit. Either is fine.

Hair and skin protection

As I discussed in my hair care post, I use a leave in mask (Sun Swim Gym) before I swim, and always do my first shampoo with the Paul Mitchell Shampoo 3

I use my Snowfire ointment as lip balm every time before swimming without fail , my lips are always protected and love me for it.

I apply something on my skin before swimming to protect it. This seems to have helped not only with dryness but also with recovery from the goggle marks and with acne. Seems drying out spots with chlorine is not a valid acne treatment.

I have tried many things. What to avoid.

1. Anything oily
2. Anything fragranced
3. Anything tinted - including tinted SPF, it mixes with the water, destroys your goggles, clogs your vision and stings
4. Anything acidic - vitamin c, AHA's or BHA's

I have found my La Roche Posay Toleriane fluid and the No7 Line Correcting Serum perfect. It means my skin gets a little treat on the way to the pool and is protected during my swim. 

I also protect my eyelashes with a strengthening serum  - I like Revitalash and LiLash. 

After my swim, I wash my body with the chlorine shampoo because regular body wash still leaves your smelling of chlorine by the end of the day. I then moisturise with a heavy duty moisturiser. 

Enjoy your swim, please feel free to ask any questions, I have tried A LOT of swimming products.