Goggle Fog: 3 Ways to Prevent It
Competitive swimmers have been facing one persistent issue since the inception of the sport: foggy goggles. As land-dwelling mammals, humans aren’t great at seeing underwater. Therefore, goggles provide us with the visionary assistance we need to navigate aquatic terrain, in a pool or the open water. However, since we began relying on them whenever we want to take a gander below sea level, foggy lenses have proven a pesky issue. For swimmers, it’s a lot more than a mere inconvenience; it can be a huge impediment to your swim teams success.
Foggy goggles can be a distraction at best and have a hugely negative effect on a match’s outcome at worst. Also, since it accumulates inside the lenses, swimmers can’t quickly swipe it away. Goggles are, to swimmers, just as indispensable as custom team towels. Simply put, there’s no competing without them. However, there are a few reliable ways to eliminate goggle fog and stop it from having any disastrous consequences on your team’s success.
1. Anti-Fog Spray
Who knew?! Countless swimmers employ the DIY approach when it comes to preventing goggle fog. However, while those techniques do work, there are spray solutions available formulated specifically for this particular issue. Usually, they come in compact spray bottles to store in swim bags or dangle on a keychain.
These anti-fog sprays operate by instantly diffusing surface tension on the lens. As a result, it’s nearly-impossible for the tiny water droplets that make up condensation to gather. Anti-fog spray’s quick-and-easy spray-and-go approach gives it a significant advantage over other methods. Swimmers don’t have to use their hands, which means no accidental scratching. Also, there’s no chance of mishandling unconventional, DIY solutions which may damage the goggles.
2. Wet Your Face Before Putting Them On
Of course, this one’s simple, but many consider it one of the most reliable anti-fog techniques. It’s governed by a very basic scientific principle – fog accumulates from the reaction of cold water and body heat. By lowering your face’s temperature with cold water prior to wearing your goggles, you can effectively eliminate the chance of this reaction occurring.
It’s really as easy as it seems – just splash your face with cold water, then put your goggles on. However, depending on your activity levels and a range of temperatures, this may only be a fleeting solution. After a while, your body temperature can easily go back up. As a result, you’ll find the unpleasant sight of fog beginning to collect on your lenses again.
3. Shampoo
What’s the first thing competitive swimmers do after a practice or match? That’s right – they hit the showers. Therefore, at any swim meet, you’re likely to always be within reach of a shampoo bottle. Fortunately, shampoo is an effective anti-fog defense measure.
If you gently spread a drop of shampoo with your thumb across each lens, then rinse, it can leave behind a super-thin protective film that’s incompatible with fog. It’s important to remember that when you’re rinsing the shampoo from the lenses, do it gently and without too much water. Otherwise, you’ll remove the film that’s going to prevent the fog in the first place.
Conclusion – Team Towels
Swimmers have to see where they’re going – they also have to get dry once they’re out of the pool! At Team Towels, we’ve been contributing to the latter for years, supporting the athletic swimming community with a diverse range of high-quality custom swim gear. Custom team towels provide a personalized touch to any swimmer, on any occasion, and help to instill a sense of camaraderie amongst the team. And with clear lenses, they’ll be able to appreciate their custom design even better!
