Kit review: Zogg Predator Flex Goggles

Chatting to the Ginger Prince before the London Triathlon I started to panic. He is a veteran of this event (and stormed an awesome 2hrs 6mins in this year’s Olympic distance) and told me that the distance from the end of the swim to the transition was quite a distance. Added to this, each triathlon heat included hundreds of people, and so I started worrying about how I would find my way to my bike for the second part of the triathlon.

Zoggs Predator Flex Goggles

You see, I don’t see very well!

My sight is corrected by glasses but without them everything is a bit of a blur. For years I have swum in prescription goggles (this came after an unfortunate experience when I entered the male changing rooms instead of the female because I couldn’t see the male/female characters above each doorway).

Prescription goggles aren’t horribly expensive (although they aren’t the trendiest-looking) but they only come in increments of -1, -2, -3 etc. My prescription is somewhere between -6 and -7 and each eye is different. Plus I have an astigmatism in both eyes. So while the prescription goggles do enough of a job to help me to steer my way along swimming lanes and into the right changing rooms, they are not that perfect… and I worried they wouldn’t be enough to get me from Victoria Docks to my bike in Transition.

This sudden panic came just a week before the event itself.

And so I decided to go for the contact lens option. I don’t often wear contact lenses as I find them uncomfortable but I thought they would be the only answer to my London Triathlon worries.

The only problem then was sourcing a pair of goggles that would fit – and, most importantly, not leak. The last thing you want to be doing in the middle of an open water swim during a race is to have to keep tipping water from your goggles.

So I thought I’d borrow the G-Force’s goggles. Sadly, on first try they leaked like a sieve. They just weren’t the right fit for my nose. An old pair of goggles that I’d lent to Little Miss Outdoors also leaked and hurt the bridge of my nose. Then I tried a spare pair of goggles brought along to a Loch Ard swim session by Super Seanster. I’m sure these goggles must have been owned by his kids when they were five because they cut into the balls of my eyes.

Finally I asked the Ginger Prince (he usually owns all the top-notch kit) if I could have a wee go of his goggles. He let me try them for three strokes and I immediately knew that these were the ideal goggles for me. They are called Zoggs Predator Flex goggles.

Zoggs Predator Flex Mirror goggles

The product details say:

The new Predator Flex goggle from Zoggs swimwear gives an extremely comfortable fit excellent performance. The 4 Flexpoint technology at the eyes and nosebridge gives the frame an enhanced flexibility providing a contoured and comfortable fit. With various lenses to suit all light conditions including CV lens for outdoor water enthusiasts. Features include:

• Fogbuster impregnated anti-fog lenses
• Quick adjust strap mechanism
• Curved Lens Technology 180 degree undistorted peripheral vision
• Silicone strap for comfort and performance
• Carry Pouch

In my opinion these goggles:

* Seem to suction themselves comfortably around the eyes.

* Have genius strap adjustors for an even better fit.

* Don’t fog up, nor leak and just do the job that they are meant to do without fuss, inconvenience or injury.

* Look pretty good too.

But then with only a few days to go before leaving for the London Triathlon I needed to get hold of a pair of Zogg Predators. I asked for a favour from Simply Swim. I explained the situation. I pointed out my worries. And within 24 hours they had delivered the goggles to my door.

In the triathlon itself the goggles worked a treat. They didn’t fog up or leak and they kept my contact lenses safely in my eyes. The CV lenses are meant to help you to see better in water but given how murky the Thames water is I didn’t really try too hard to see what I could see!

I’m thinking that I might now continue with the contact lens Predator goggles combo for all swim sessions. They are a great find.

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