Quick goggle question

allanl16allanl16 Miami, FloridaMember
edited June 2017 in Beginner Questions

I'm competing in a Key West swim soon and was wondering if I should smear my face with zinc and channel grease in the goggle region or if I should use something lighter. Would it affect the seal in any way? I wear swedish goggles.

Another not-so-important question: does anyone use bungee straps? Curious.

Thanks!

Comments

  • pavlicovpavlicov NYC USASenior Member

    Channel grease is to help agains chaffing ... so unless you scratch yourself on the face, I would not put channel grease on the face area ... I put it on my neck (I chafe there), under my arms and groin area (the end of swimming suits) etc...

    I do put zinc on my nose and my left cheek bone (I breath only to the left, so my right side of the face never gets out of the water). I make sure to avoid goggles area because it might cause your goggles to leak or it might get into your eyes and irritate them.

    allanl16
  • allanl16allanl16 Miami, FloridaMember

    pavlicov said:
    Channel grease is to help agains chaffing ... so unless you scratch yourself on the face, I would not put channel grease on the face area ... I put it on my neck (I chafe there), under my arms and groin area (the end of swimming suits) etc...

    I do put zinc on my nose and my left cheek bone (I breath only to the left, so my right side of the face never gets out of the water). I make sure to avoid goggles area because it might cause your goggles to leak or it might get into your eyes and irritate them.

    Oops I should have been more specific! I meant zinc only. Some areas are going to be very shallow and with the white sand reflecting on my face I don't think I can really avoid zinc on my face. I plan on testing it myself soon but curious to see if a heavy coat of zinc affects the seal. Thanks pav!

    pavlicov
  • pavlicovpavlicov NYC USASenior Member

    I put desitin on my face but still I do avoid very carefully eyes area.

  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member

    What would the bungee straps be for?

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • timsroottimsroot Spring, TXCharter Member

    IronMike said:
    What would the bungee straps be for?

    I use Sporti swedish goggles, and in addition to the regular rubber strap, there is a bungee strap included as an alternative. I've seen people use the small (something like 1/8" OD) bungee strap instead of a 1/4" flat rubber strap. Personally, I've not tried the bungee strap to be able to speak to any differences from one to the other.

    IronMike
  • jendutjendut Charter Member

    I have worn swedish goggles for up to 23 hours at a time and I have found that the Worst Day Ever is when I get any type of lotion (zinc or other sunscreen) under them. Regular sunscreen might be ok if you let it sink in for a good amount of time prior to putting on the goggles but I would definitely not use zinc or desitin anywhere near my eyes. As an aside, I have tried the bungee with them and did not care for the sensation but many swimmers use them. Of course, race day is not the time to try :D Good luck!

    pavlicov
  • wendyv34wendyv34 Vashon, WASenior Member

    Like others have said, be very careful about getting whatever sunblock you use into your eye sockets or anywhere near your goggle seal (for those who use larger goggles) and apply early to let it soak in/dry. I use SolRx dry zinc on my face and I try to avoid going near my eyes. My goggles won't seal if there is sunblock under the seal. The greasier the formula, the worse the problem is. I got a tiny bit in my eye at Saguaro Lake (and my goggles were too tight); it was painful and slowed me down, so I took my goggles off for a spell and swam without them.

    As to the bungee cord straps, I've found them to be too stretchy for my taste and they don't stick to my cap very well. there have been a few times when I was smacked in the head hard enough by a wave or another swimmer that the strap slipped off my head. I use TYR Racetech goggles, which come with the old school split single strap and use dual side retainer clips to stay adjusted. I throw those straps away and use the single strap with the retainer clip at the back, like the type on Speedo Vanquishers. Sporti sells those for a couple of bucks and they are superior to the stock strap on my goggles.

    allanl16flystorms

    It's always a bad hair day when you work at a pool.

  • JaimieJaimie NYCMem​ber

    @allanl16 just put your goggles on first and put the zinc as close to the goggle line as you can, this will make sure the zinc doesn't get under the goggle and affect the seal. You will definitely want 40% zinc desitin for Key West! It's a beautiful swim - hope you enjoy!

    allanl16
  • allanl16allanl16 Miami, FloridaMember

    Jaimie said:
    @allanl16 just put your goggles on first and put the zinc as close to the goggle line as you can, this will make sure the zinc doesn't get under the goggle and affect the seal. You will definitely want 40% zinc desitin for Key West! It's a beautiful swim - hope you enjoy!

    Thanks Jaimie! Did you use tinted/polarized goggles? Was thinking of starting off with my clear goggles and then switching to tinted/polarized goggles to help with glare.

  • swimmer25kswimmer25k Charter Member

    allanl16 said:

    Jaimie said:
    @allanl16 just put your goggles on first and put the zinc as close to the goggle line as you can, this will make sure the zinc doesn't get under the goggle and affect the seal. You will definitely want 40% zinc desitin for Key West! It's a beautiful swim - hope you enjoy!

    Thanks Jaimie! Did you use tinted/polarized goggles? Was thinking of starting off with my clear goggles and then switching to tinted/polarized goggles to help with glare.

    Try to start with one pair and keep them on the whole time. Try to keep zinc and other stuff off if your face. I usually had someone put sunscreen on my neck, ears and nose. Fiddling with your goggles will slow you down and you'll risk getting that crap in your eyes.

    Go with what goggles work best for you. I've never been a fan of Swedes; even when I wore them in college. I use Speedo Sprint goggles exclusively. They're pretty cheap, but they fit me perfectly. I will never wear one of the mask-type goggles because they look ridiculous. Always look cool. Some people have said that they like the masks because they can see their surroundings better. All you need to see is your escort. I've never lost to a swimming "tourist".

    wendyv34
  • JaimieJaimie NYCMem​ber

    @allanl16 - I wear TYR Special Ops Transitions so they actually change color depending on the light conditions. I've worn them continuously over 28 hours and they are great throughout the night into bright daylight. It does depend on the shape of your face though so I'd go with the goggles that fit you best. If you need to change when the sun sets/rises if you're wearing the same goggles it should be fine too, just be careful when you remove. (Just grab the googles by the front and switch them out, I did this for long swims at each sunrise/sunset before I found the Special Ops and it worked just fine.)

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