Kit review: Aquaviz prescription goggles

Written by Fiona April 17 2013 —

I am short-sighted. And being a short-sighted swimmer I have, over the years, mistakenly walked into male changing rooms, swum into countless people, lane dividers and walls and ignored more swimming friends than I will ever know. I have tried swimming with contact lenses but I just don’t get on well with lenses. And it seems that swimming in contact lenses can be dangerous, too (read more later). So thank goodness then for prescription goggles.

Aquaviz swim mask

My swimming life has been revolutionised in the last decade by goggles that include lenses with an approximation of my prescription. The prescription in my current Aqua Sphere Eagle goggles is not exact but it’s good enough to avoid all the above swimming pool embarrassments.

Now there are perfect prescription swim goggles

Of course, as with so many fitness gadgets, things are moving on and now you can buy swimming goggles with your precise prescription. A new style of goggles, called Aquaviz, have been designed and created by optical expert Bob Forgan to offer a unique snap-in insert, which contains the wearer’s prescription lenses (including bifocals and varifocals). This snap-in insert fits into specially-designed watertight goggles (as well as a snorkel mask and ski goggles).

The great thing about the snap-in insert is that it is designed to sit the same distance away from your eyes as most regular glasses, which means the prescription does not have to be adjusted as it does in many other products that sit closer to, or further from, the eyes.

In addition, Aquaviz claim that their goggles are more comfortable than others because the mask sits around the eyes.

Features of the Aquaviz swim mask:

A comfortable, watertight fit, achieved with a dive-quality hypoallergenic skirt that securely adapts to a wide range of face shapes and is secured with gasket suction and silicone double head strap
Single gasket design – Aquaviz has no uncomfortable bridge band and pressure is distributed evenly over the cheekbones and forehead, reducing the risk of headaches and ‘goggle eyes’
The goggle lenses have a scratch resistant coating on the outside for durability and fog-resistant coating on the inside to stop them steaming up during use
The goggle lenses block 100% of the sun’s harmful UV rays and the prescription inserts are available with clear lenses for optimum visibility in low-light or grey polarised lenses for use outdoors and in bright sunlight.

What I like about the Aquaviz swim mask

There is no need to visit an optician because you simply send your prescription details to Aquaviz who then make the insert for you. The goggles arrived through the post ready to use.

In the swimming pool I found I could see very well. Very well indeed. In fact, this is the most of my local pool that I have ever seen without my glasses on! Vision under water is also very, very clear.

The goggles are bigger than I would normally wear and look like a cross between race goggles and a diving mask. I thought this would be annoying but they actually feel good while swimming. The seal provided by the mask is amazingly secure and, most importantly, keeps the water out.

I also felt as though my head was kept a bit more buoyant in the water than with other goggles. Some people will like this (I did), others might not.

The price is good. For £39.95 plus postage and packaging you can buy a set of goggles with your perfect prescription. Additions such as varifocals add to the cost.

What I’m not so sure about

I found it quite tricky to remove the snap-in insert and worried that I was about to break it but I am sure it will become a bit looser and easer to fit and remove.

There was a bit of fogging up when wearing the Aquaviz goggles although this is very common with all goggles. Aquaviz supply a useful anti-fog wax and this did help.

I don’t think these would be good for diving as they stick out from the face and might whiplash off if you dived in.

At first I wasn’t sure if I could see as clearly as I’d hoped. Bob explained this is normal. He says: “Your daily specs are most likely made with high index lenses and our inserts are not high index. This means they aren’t as thin as your normal lenses but you can still see as clearly. It simply takes a little getting used to. When people swap between any lenses they can feel as though they can’t see quite as clearly straight away but with use things become much clearer.

“We could make the lenses in the goggles high index but this will push up the price considerably so we’re sticking with what we offer just now.”

Dangers of swimming in contact lenses

When chatting with Bob I learned that swimming and contact lenses do not make good partners. It’s something to do with bacteria microbes in the water (swimming pools, the sea and lakes/lochs) that can cause infections and in some cases lead to permanent eye damage. I am not out to scaremonger but I thought I’d pass on this info.

A message form the designer

Bob pointed out that 95% of people who wear specs in the UK have a prescription of between +4 and -4. (I’m -6.5!). These people can usually “get by” swimming without any prescription in goggles. But Bob says: “It seems silly to ‘get by’, especially if you’re doing a lot of swimming or when you’re on holiday and at the beach or pool-side. Our goggles aren’t expensive and they make everything perfectly clear, just like wearing your specs but a waterproof, watertight pair that are great for swimming in. The same is true of the ski goggles.”