Why children should wear swimming goggles
Goggles can be a great tool for beginner swimmers all the way to experts. Goggles help swimmers see clearly underwater, minimise glare, increase comfort and protect the eyes from water and any chemicals. If your child is just starting to learn how to swim, let them help pick out their first pair of goggles and wear them in the bath to get used to the feel of having them on in the water. Goggles aren’t a necessity for all swimmers but most children feel more comfortable in the water with a pair of goggles on. It is also easier for them to learn in class as they are not being distracted by irritated eyes or closing their eyes underwater and not being able to see where they’re supposed to swim.
Make sure you find goggles that fit
Goggles need to be tight enough to not leak and let water in but not too tight so your child is uncomfortable or their swimming is hindered. Try them on if possible and check there is a light suction that comes off when the goggles are removed from around the eyes.
Straps & glass tints on goggles
Straps should be placed at eye level or above. Most goggles have one strap that splits in the back for comfort. Try to find goggles with a thicker strap so that it will last longer. Goggles also come in many different tints, including UV tints for outdoor swimming, coloured tints for fashion reasons and glare-reducing tints. Goggles can come with prescription glass too so that you don’t have to try to wear contacts in the water.
The cons of goggles
There are many more pros to goggles than cons. Goggles can help children with water confidence, improve visibility for safety and keep them from getting red irritated eyes. But it is a very important swimming safety school that your child learns to swim without goggles too. If your child happens to fall to into water they will most likely not be wearing goggles. If they’re used to wearing goggles al the time in the water this will make their situation even more dangerous as they will stress out and not be able to see as clearly as they usually would. If your child’s eyes do get irritated from water/chemicals which causes them to always wear goggles, get them used to not wearing goggles in the bath first. Additionally, show them to blink instead of rub eyes when they get water in them. Rubbing will only irritate it more.
Overall, it is required that students at Aquastar Swim School wear goggles while in class. If they’re not wearing goggles, students can tend to close their eyes underwater, hindering their sight and ability to get their technique right.