Max safe depth for goggles

[dimitris33]

I was wondering what is the maximum depth someone can dive wearing classic swimming goggles without popping out his eyes!

Instead of swallow diving with mask I prefer goggles and noseclip which I feel much more comfortable with.

Does goggles allows a depth of -8m, 7m, 6m, 7m, ...?

 

[Simos]

Hi Dimitri - I guess it depends a bit on the goggles but most I believe have a max depth of 2m. I have been to the bottom of the pool at 3m with my goggles plenty of times and they were fine but I did feel the pressure a bit on my eyes at times.
Personally I wouldn't go any deeper than that, goggles are not built for depth! It's not only that your eyes will pop out but also don't forget that the goggles might break too. Not sure which will happen first but one thing's for sure, the result wont be pretty

I would advise you to get a mask like the Sphera - get one with a clear skirt and it will feel a lot more comfortable than goggles in every aspect with a similar field of vision

Simos
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[dimitris33]

Hi Simos,

I have tried a lot of masks including minima, occhio, sphera, falco, micromask, etc

Non of them makes me feel comfortable with. Its just a matter of pressure on my face and other factors. I just dont like this feeling and because I have very narrow frontal sinus canal plus chronic allergic rhinitis the mask's pressure make it feel much worst. I know that my limit depth is 10-11m and I'm always getting a sinus barotrauma there but this is another story. There is no cure for that. No surgery no balloon sinusplasty no drugs and medicines can do the job.... I have just to live with that so I'm just training on horizontal categories (DNF & DYN) instead of vertical.

Accordingly, I would prefer goggles and noseclip to swallow dive around with my wife and monofins instead of masks. Never tried the sphera with no-nose pocket. It might be the solution because of the high compressibility.

With noseclip only and goggles you can feel the flow of water on your face which is a very pleasant feeling....

 

[CEngelbrecht]

It would be a lot of money (200+ bucks US) to spend on it, but depending on how much you dive, you could consider fluid goggles. They are flooded so you need not equalize them, and have interior lenses that correct the scattering of light through water, so the human eye can see through water. (No, seriously, it works.) You could also seek out your local optician and ask if they can fit a pair of your favorite goggles with such lenses. (When they stop laughing, tell them you're serious.)

Of course, your eyes may be irritated by the water, and then you're nowhere at a high prize. You could also consider using no goggles or mask at all, just a nose clip. My experience is that one can actually get used to it, depending on the water you dive in (temperature, saline).

 

[dimitris33]

Thanks for the response Chris. I've already tried Eric Fattah's fluid goggles and others. I am very informed about everything on fluid goggles optics equalization, pipe masks, etc. Nothing fitted on me cause of various factors which have been discussed on other threads.

My question is straight.

What is the max safe depth for classic swimming goggles and if there are swimming goggles which permits some more meters dive (like the sphera goggles for instance which I havent tried).

 

[octopus]

Why don't you try it?
It is simple, goggles are cheap, give it a go and let us know how it went.
I personally would not do more than 5m and even that leaves circles around my eyes.

 

[dimitris33]

I will try them but I still have the liberty to ask and discuss.

 

[Andrew the fish]

dimitris, I think making your own mask will be the solution. I personlly never made one, only heard about people making them for finswimming, and something about them being made to the shape of your face. If someone share the recipe how to make one I would like to know too. I asked the same question about making my own mask on fin-city site but there was no reply and site is down due to inactivity. Pity.

 

[Simos]

Dimitri saw your message - can't write much right now but just to tell you that my answer above about the bottom of the pool is based on using the 'sphera goggles'. Normal goggles were putting more pressure on my eyes for sure and the 'sphera googles' (there is a name that i dont remember) certainly FEEL more comfortable at 3m.

Personally I really like them but they are not depth rated in any different way than normal googles (I think 2m) and I'm not 'brave' enough to go deep in them and seeing what happens

Does this work for you: if someone held a gun to my head and made me dive deep with normal goggles I would personally prefer to do it in the sphera ones than others i tried (although there is more air in them so I would have thought this would make things worse).

You can always introduce a small tube into the sphera goggles that connects to your mouth so that you can equalise it... Bit of DIY

 

[dimitris33]

One more reason that I dont like masks is that I am always unshaven so there is always a little water inside the nose pocket which almost in all cases enters into my nostrils and just ends my dives (salt water irritates my sinus cause of the rhinitis).

All my dives lying on the back with no mask for 3 mins, then switch to vertical position, wear the mask immediately, take the last breath and go was the best way to dive. Face and mask have to be dry in order to work on me having no drop of water inside the nose pocket.

So I have tried noseclip only and it was much much better.

Because I'm not doing this however on competition basis but only for recreational, recreational without seeing around is not recreational. There must be a way to monofinning around upto to max -10meters with no mask on face. This must be a high compressibility swimming goggles.

Maybe an astronaut gasket will do the job! )

 

[dimitris33]

Only those having chronic rhinitis can understand the feeling I describe. Facial mask pressure is distreful for us.

 

[cdavis]

How goggles feel on the face at depth is going to be very individual. I've worn the Sphera goggles and they are very comfy and allow for considerable depth. However, there is some pressure on the face, might not work for you. Still, they are worth an experiment.

Several other possibilities. Check 'Freediving stories", post 701. 20 meters on very small goggles. Don't quite see how he does it, but there is the video. Apparently this kind of thing is common in the undeveloped western Pacific. Other solutions: I've seen goggles fitted with pipes that led to what look like balloons holding equalizing air. Finally there is the pipe mask, which you probably know about.

Good luck with it.

Connor

 

[dimitris33]

Shit! This cant be real!! 20m????? They must have the know how!!

 

[Simos]

Coincidentally just watched a dude on Tv that can also dive to 20m+ with what appeared to be a pair of wooden goggles! He then walked on the reef for a few mins, shot a fish with a wooden speargun and came up. Needless to say, no fins ;-)
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[dimitris33]

On bbc one, i know simos, i've watched this on youtube. Perhaps we should turn back to basics. Perhaps wooden goggles absorve some pressure instead of classic rubber... Who knows!
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[cdavis]

Not only goggles and no fins, the guy was diving exhale. Look at how easy it was for him to get down. Quite a lesson for us carbon fibre longfin types.

Connor

 

[Simos]

For those that are interested:
BBC News - What freediving does to the body

 

[monkeyhatfork]

If you look at most pics of ama divers they are all wearing swim googles or noseless masks too. In Jaques Mayol's book for example non of the ama divers are wearing dive masks

 

[dimitris33]

It is therefore possible to dive as these depths with goggles without crashing your eyes but I suppose its just a matter of adaptation or it is a secret that only these far east divers knows...

 

[dimitris33]

For those with great patience and skills here is some instructions of how to!

Wonder what is the maximum permissable depth for these.