- Well, today we're at Team Bath
and we're gonna be discussing the colour of our goggles.
But specifically the lens colour of our goggles.
Now this might sound quite odd
because most of us probably just choose goggles
that we like the look of most and the colour of most.
And I can definitely pop my hand up here
and say I'm guilty of this.
- But what if we actually told you
that all these different goggle colour lenses
actually have a purpose?
And quite an important purpose in triathlon.
So today we're gonna be explaining
what all these different goggle colour lenses do.
- Right, we have a whole bunch
of different goggles here in an array of different colours.
Some I prefer the look of more than others
but when it does come to performance,
we kind of have to forget about that a little bit.
- So sure choose a shape of goggle
that you like the look of
but choosing the correct lens colour depending
on the light conditions or the clarity
of the water can really make a big impact
on the vision that you have when swimming
and sighting for the swim course markers.
- Yeah, I mean when I turn up to a race,
I quite often take a few sets with me.
A, so that I have a spare set in case one breaks
but B, also so I'm prepared
for all those different conditions
so that I can see well throughout the race.
So, let's get stuck into it.
Let's run through some of these different colours
and how they help in different conditions.
Okay, let's start with a clear set of lenses
like these ones here.
Now the idea with these is
that they let the maximum amount of light
in through the lens and to your eyes.
So they work really well for swimming indoors
when it might be low light or even
perhaps outdoors when it's overcast.
And they will quite often have a UV protective coating
for that, however, they're not very good
at reducing any of the brightness
or any glare that's coming off the water.
So, if you're out doing a triathlon
that maybe starts quite early in the morning,
the sun's going to be rising on the horizon,
these aren't going to reduce any of that brightness
or any of the glare that you might get from that.
- On the other hand, we have polarised goggles.
And these can come in an array of different colours
but they do tend to come in this coloured mirror effect.
But it is important to check rather than assume
'cause you can get non-polarized goggles
that do come in a different colour.
These are basically the opposite of clear lenses
and they are designed to filter any glare,
cause reflections that might be across the surface
of the water, and it makes them ideal for triathlon
and open water swimming in general.
And from experience, I'd say they're
really quite a versatile and adaptable lens
and they can really work quite well
on overcast days too.
- Okay, mirrored goggles are somewhat similar
in they're good on those bright and sunny days.
They reflect the light away from your eyes,
giving that slightly darker field of view.
So, again, great for triathlon and open water swimming.
However, unlike the polarised goggles,
they're not quite as good at filtering out
that glare that you might get across the surface
of the water so as we discussed before,
if you're doing a triathlon early in the morning
when the sun is rising, getting that sun
that sort of reflects off the surface
of the water might glare through your eyes.
These might not be quite so good.
That aside, they do tend to be very good looking goggles
and you do get a lot of competitive swimmers opting
for this style.
However, again, if it is overcast
or slightly dim, do remember this is gonna
be quite a dark field of view for that.
- So this where the non-polarized smoke goggle
can be really quite useful.
They'll help to reduce the light
in a similar way to the mirrored lens,
especially for outdoor swimming.
But they won't be quite as dark as the mirrored lens.
So really useful for bright, clear mornings,
maybe when the sun isn't quite up.
- Well, then we have a whole array
of different coloured lenses and you'll actually find
that different brands will focus
on just a couple of those different colour lenses.
One that I don't actually have here today,
but used to be one of my favourites,
was the yellow and orange coloured lenses.
Now this is particularly useful in the UK
for those overcast and dim days
because the yellow and the orange would actually help
to enhance the light and also help
to enhance the contract of colours,
which was particularly useful when you're trying
to sight the buoys throughout the swim course.
Now, I'll be honest, it wasn't the best look
but as I've mentioned earlier,
this was all about performance.
- So the blue lens can be considered really a bit
of an all arounder.
It works well at reducing glare in bright conditions,
but it can also enhance the blue
in some waters so they really can work well
in outdoor swimming and also indoors in the pool.
And, in fact, I actually reached for this type
of lens at my most recent event at Weymouth 70.3.
- I also have a set of red tinted lenses here
that I've never actually used before,
but in theory, they should be somewhat similar
to the yellow and orange lens colour
because they will enhance the light
but also they're meant to slightly reduce the glare
of the surface of the water.
Now I say in theory because a pink lens colour
will normally enhance the light
and increase the contrast between green
and blue coloured objects.
Whilst a purple lens should actually help
to reduce the glare of the surface of the water.
And obviously the red sits somewhere
between pink and purple and combines the two.
- So it's also worth mentioning
that a lot of brands will offer a prescription goggle.
Now these simple feature a prescription lens
that works just like a prescription glass would,
but it will help and support
your vision whilst you're swimming.
Now normally these will come in a variety
of different colours, but that's gonna vary
from brand to brand.
- Well I hope you've learned something there
and perhaps it shed some light
on why you may not have been able
to see quite so well in previous triathlon races.
- And they can make a huge impact
on your performance and certainly how you can navigate
around a swim course more smoothly.
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- Yeah and if you'd like to see how to train like a pro
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