Another item that found its way into the bags when LittleStuff went to France were these prescription swimming goggles. No.1 son wears glasses you see, and has always been slightly more cautious in the water than his swimming ability would dictate. Being similarly optically-challenged I do understand – it can be very intimidating, particularly in a large or busy pool, emerging from the water and not having a clue where you are, where your companions are, whether the strange person to your right who appears to be grinning is actually grinning at you because they know you… it can be a nightmare.
But having tried out these goggles from Butterflies Healthcare’s Prescription Swimming goggles site No.1 son didn’t look back. In fact it was incredibly difficult to get a picture of him to show you…
Yes, that is a picture of him. He’s beside the ring, can’t you tell?
I tried again, this time getting him to pose with his brother…
Apparently I just took too long to take the picture…
But finally, by prowling and stalking at the bottom of the slide, I managed one…
Huzzah! (but don’t tell the lifeguard he just came down the slide in his ring…)
He really truly loved having these goggles. They were comfortable to wear, easy to clip together (the different nose pieces made sure the fit was excellent), and above all they gave him confidence. Finally he was comfortable charging off around the pools on his own, always sure he could actually find us again!
Prescription goggles aren’t very expensive (No.1 ‘s were the Swimmi Junior, £28), and as they are not proper glasses they’ll last a while – if his prescription changes slightly over the next year or two it really doesn’t matter, as the goggles will still help. For me, having watched the difference they made to No.1’s confidence (and therefore enjoyment), they’re worth every penny.
The only thing i would recommend is that you invest in some of the anti-fog solution, as the coating doesn’t stay effective for long.
(*all pictures taken at the Keycamp Parc de Fierbois pools)
4 February 2011
I have just brought a pair of Leader adult prescription swimming goggles at an optican in my area in Wallington Surrey, i think most opticians do them anyway as long as you have your prescription so they can give you the correct pair for your eyes. I paid £34.99p for mine which I thought was good as some places wanted about £60.00p which didn’t really want to pay. I go swimming twice a week at my local sports centre and i found the goggles very clear and comfortable to wear. I have purchased cheap ones from stores like Lidl which although they looked ok after awhile they kept misting up and i couldn’t see out of them. If you swim quite a bit the prescription goggles are worth it as they will last for ages hopefully and they are more akin to your eyes when swimming.