goggles

jph100

hi

does anyone wear any type of goggles when surfing?

thanks

mrDuke

No
but i ahve seen people wearing standard swimming goggles. Why?

me and the biz

Can't say I've ever seen anyone wearing goggles when surfing

Exar Khun

Poor eyesight? contacts ? eye conditions ?

Could be anything.

jph100

nope theres no medical condition.its just that i cant swim without them.

i just can never manage to open my eyes when under water and cos my swimming still has room for improvement+the fact im a surfing beginner i reckon id be in the water more than on the board!

Exar Khun

Id say concentrating on your swimming is a good idea. Plus I presume you've been swimming in pools rather than the sea. There wont be any chlorine (hopefully) in the ocean if irritation is your concern. Also you spend alot of your time with your head above the water sitting/paddling on the board. I reckon googles could be seen as quite 'kookish' but you shouldnt be put off by what others think. However if you do intend spending alot of time in the water, especially surfing, I would advise getting used to opeing your eyes under water.

promethius

nope theres no medical condition.its just that i cant swim without them.

i just can never manage to open my eyes when under water and cos my swimming still has room for improvement+the fact im a surfing beginner i reckon id be in the water more than on the board!

Jph100

I would say that using goggles while surfing is not a good idea in your case for the following reasons:

• Safety. If the board pops up and clips you around your eye socket (pushing on the raised surface of the goggles) it will put a hell of a lot of pressure on your eye ball and could seriously injure you. I life-guarded for years and swim competitively so know what I’m talking about there. It’s why goggles aren’t allowed (in general) for water polo. Goggles will also restrict your peripheral vision meaning you may not see someone coming down a wave that you’re going for. This is a big no-no.

• Visibility. The goggles will fog up (even the best anti-fog coatings are not 100%).

• Style. You will look pretty stupid it had to be said, this may or may not be important to you.

You spend almost all of your time surfing with your head out of the water, so the reason you want to get them for is not really a valid one.
Even when you’re a beginner you should aim to always be on your board, even sitting on it will improve your balance and getting to know the sweet spot of the board.
I’m not trying to rain on your idea and good luck and hope you enjoy the sport as much as I do.

jph100

thanks everyone for de help. ill just have to do without them so.

cos im a beginner i thought id be fallin in de water a gud bit and im not a fantastic swimmer though im gettin lessons.

ive always relied on goggles cos ive never opened my eyes under de water.also ive to sort out my breathing and learn to tread,never been able to and im thinkin its a necessity to be able to tread in order to surf?

mrDuke

iv surfed for 6 years, i have never opened my eyes under the water ever and im still here and surfing, get used to it, its grand.

promethius

never been able to and im thinkin its a necessity to be able to tread in order to surf?

Yes. You may well become detached from your board in the water while surfing. Your leash may break. If this happens you will have good buoyancy from your wetsuit but you should be able to tread water in a pool before you think about surfing. The sea is very different to the pool, cold, water moving about, waves breaking on you etc..... Make sure you're a competent swimmer able to do a few lengths without stopping and a couple of mins treading water before you go surfing.

another world

I was wondering the same thing. I want to start surfing but I need to wear contacts to see. Anyone else wear them (contacts) when surfing? Any problems? Was thinking goggles would be the best option, just in case.

c - 13

I wear contacts surfing, I used to take them out at first but soon realised I couldnt see anything without them. Now I just leave them in, i've never had one fall out of even get dislodged while surfing although I suppose the salt water isnt doing them any favours. Just remember to clean them well when you get home.

mrDuke

yeah i have seen some people over the years when working at the beach breaking contact lenses when surfing, iv never worn contacts so i dont know what that means to a wearer!

Griff77

I wear the disposable contacts when surfing. I take them out the first chance i get when off the water because i find that my eyes get crusty with the dried sea salt. I haven't had any trouble with the contacts falling out however my eyes do get quiet red and a little aggravated if i've had a bad wipeout or had to battle through alot of wash. I'd recommend the disposable lenses.

c - 13

mrDuke wrote: »

yeah i have seen some people over the years when working at the beach breaking contact lenses when surfing, iv never worn contacts so i dont know what that means to a wearer!

That would probably be a danger for hard lens wearers alright, I should have mentioned that I wear monthly disposables.

lightening

I got my eyes lasered. I can recomend it, amazing. I couldn't wear lenses.

No more saying hello to seals, walking up to the wrong people on the beach and loosing my car. I sail too, makes a big different.

I would advise anyone to even get a loan to get it done, your young! You need your eyes now....