Categories: >Swimming

Don’t use blue tinted Goggles for Triathlon Swim

I raced the White Lake Half iron triathlon yesterday. Brutal day…race report later.

I wore blue tinted goggles during the swim. I had such a hard time seeing the buoys, and I kept wondering why they used brown buoys instead of the usual bright orange. It pissed me off! I was wasting alot of time stopping to tread water to make sure that I was on target. At about the half way point, it dawned on me that maybe the blue tinted goggles were masking the orange color. So, I stopped to tread water, and lifted my googles. Dang, the buoys were actually bright orange. So, my tip for today: don’t wear blue goggles!

I used photoshop to re-create what I was seeing. It wasn’t bad when I was up close to the buoy, but from a distance, I could not see them at all!

triblogcarol

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  • Hi. I swim laps in lakes and pools and can tell you blue tint is great for those sunny days when the glare is a problem. But as for seeing brown and orange, well, you know the story :-)

    It's really cool to hear your inspiring story and congratulations on turning to a healthier lifestyle!

  • I just stumbled upon your site and it's awesome! Thanks for this tip... I'll be staying away from blue tinted goggles thanks to you!

  • I had issues with blue goggles at my YMCA. I kept thinking the time clock on the wall kept going out... Oh no just couldn't see the numbers on the clock when I had the blue goggles on...

    Love your blog!!! Thank you for sharing :-)

  • Hey there! Nice to see someone else out there changing their life style too. I sold off all my video games and computers to buy my first road bike. I'm currently training for a sprint triathlon. I've been at it for about 7 weeks now and I'm about to add swimming to my mix.

    Just wanted to drop you a line and say hello!

    If you get a chance, I'd like to see an article related to your rest schedule. I'v been struggling with taking days off and would like to see how you add it in. Once I get hooked on something I don't want to stop! :-)

  • Thanks for the tip! I was planning on racing the white lake half 2 next weekend with my blue goggles, but I already have a hard enough time sighting that I'm going with my clear ones now.

  • great advice! i was wondering whether or not i should, because i have them. but i went with the clear ones instead. thanks for the head's up tho! What a difference in those pictures!

  • I went with the clear lens (instead of my normal smoked) aquaspheres on this race-the viewing was great...the sun was kinda an issue when breathing into it and had to re-adjust my eyes to focus, but for the most part sighting was good. I wouldnt think the blue tint would alter that much--lesson learned! Now if only goggles assisted my stroke!

  • I really enjoy reading your blog Carol. I made the mistake of doing my first Tri with Blue goggles and went through the same frustration as you did. Now I have clear white with no tint, time will only tell if the sun will bother me minus the tint?

  • Oh no!! I would think the blue tint would be good for the sun, but I never thought about not seeing the buoys! Can't wait for the recap :)

  • Good call! Thanks for the tip Carol.

    I'm due for a new pair of goggles soon. I'll be sure to stay away from the blue ones. They probably work better in the pool, where everything is blue or black anyway.

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triblogcarol

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