OK I was just in the absorbent towel thread and after reading the post that reminded me of the Sammy inventor...
I was wondering what are some of the coolest swimming inventions? Now, not the fads, but all the other stuff...
Sammy towel
goggles
lycra
keep going I know there is a lot more...
Shall I throw a challenge down as question if the new shark skin body suits are not all that they are cracked up to be? Have they been around long enough to have an impact on the sport yet? Are they a fad or the next wave of technology for swimming...
Former Member
Regarding prescription goggles:
I use them. Great things!
You can get prescription goggles that are 100% accurate to your prescription through your vision service provider, but you'll pay an arm and a leg for them, and from everything I could find, they are HUGE on your face.
But you can also get ones from catalogues like Kiefer.com that are very reasonably priced. The problem is that they only measure in "diopters" and are therefore not likely to be very accurate (and also won't take into account things like astigmatism, which is a major issue for my vision correction.) So in my case they only correct about half my vision needs. It's good enough that I can see the pace clock from any lane in the pool now, and I can see BUBBLES! (Being able to see the clock is really all that matters to me... Before prescription goggles I could only BARELY see the pace clock from the first two lanes.)
Still, at about $19 bucks a pair, getting half way there is barely more expensive than just buying a regular pair of goggles anyway.
FYI, you can get 100% vision correction simply by wearing contacts and regular goggles, but I have never in my life been able to work up the guts to put foreign objects into my eyes deliberately. I get the willies just thinking about it now. We all have our particular wussiness, and this is one of mine. I'll thank everyone in advance not to taunt me about it! :) :)
as a backstroker/freestyler, i totally dug when colorado invented the aquagrip touchpads. they made backstroke starts so much easier than the old slippery "shower curtain" touchpads. since they've got grip to them, your feet don't slide off everytime you go to do a start...
Originally posted by Guvnah
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FYI, you can get 100% vision correction simply by wearing contacts and regular goggles, but I have never in my life been able to work up the guts to put foreign objects into my eyes deliberately. I get the willies just thinking about it now. We all have our particular wussiness, and this is one of mine. I'll thank everyone in advance not to taunt me about it! :) :)
That's what I do - no willies here. Of course I started wearing contacts at 15 years old (20 years now). Never lost a contact yet. (Of course I'll probably lose one right away the next time I'm in the pool!):(
Originally posted by laineybug
I agree with Jean, et al! Prescription Goggles at that! I lived with foggy vision when I was a kid... no sooner did my vision clear from one swim, than it was time to get back in the water.
OMG!!! Me too!! They're UNBELIEVABLE!!! I was born with cataracts and had them removed when I was just an infant, BUT... for twenty-plus years (Since age three, when I learned how to swim) I swam with unclear, blurry vision (Lacking the chrystaline lens in my eyes made it even more difficult too!) It's been a month since I bought my prescription goggles and I love swimming even MORE now that I'm able to see my environment!
I was amazed at how much I've improved in my streamlining, starts and overall strokes since I've gotten them!!!
I will second goggles.. They have been around a lot longer then you may think.. but I will say they were only really accepted for kids years ago and "exercise oddballs" as most people lounged in chairs did the Hollywood heads up *** stroke or Tarzan heads up crawl. or sun burned around pools. Today we are all in it for serious fitness which swimming is great for.. Jack La Laine was a 1960;s "exercise oddball"
but hes still at it! No white flour and sugar for him! Bless you Jack!
Originally posted by lapswimmr
I will second goggles.. They have been around a lot longer then you may think.. but I will say they were only really accepted for kids years ago and "exercise oddballs"
I can remember buying a pair of goggles back in the 50s and how all the swim team kids laughed at me - with good reason as it turned out as they leaked like sieves and were totally useless.
bathing suits that fit and stay on. I remember (way back...) as an age grouper and using a shoelace to tie the shoulder straps of my suit together so they didn't slip down. And remember those cute little front panel skirts?
I’m surprised that no one has mentioned the USMS Discussion Forum as one of the coolest swim inventions.
Kudus to United States Masters Swimming and web master Jim for such a wonderful toy!
