Hi everyone:
I'm a newby to masters, having had a 30-year break from competitive swimming back in my younger days. Back in the day, I never wore goggles during competition, & now that I have a meet coming up (feeling the butterflies already!), I am wondering if there are any tricks in the trade as far as keeping your googles in place during the start. I notice straps both under & on top of the cap. Is the strap tightened so that it feels like your eyes will pop out?
I'm also interested in what brand/type of goggle is your favorite... thanks!
As long as you're head is down (chin tucked to chest) and you're hand/arm/head position is such that your hands break the water tension first for the rest of your body, you should be good. If you hands are too far apart and/or your head is up, you're liable to lose them.
Have a great meet and enjoy the experience of a masters meet! Try to practice some starts before the meet from the blocks, and try for yourself if goggles over or under the cap work. I generally just need to tighten my straps (I use the same goggles in practice as I do in meets) a bit and don't find any problems. I wear either the Kiefer or Sporti optical goggles without an issues.
Better yet, wear two caps with goggles in between the two layers. I also spread a think layer of Vaseline around the eye sockets where the goggles seal on my face. Not only does this protect the skin from irritation, the goggles also stay secured without leakage. In addition, pull the top cap over the top edge of the goggles before your race to keep it in place, and make sure to tuck your chin and look back at your feet before you hit the water on your dive. Don't forget to squeeze your upper arms to your ears, too!
These were all recommendations by Ande that I adopted, and they have worked great! :agree:
