For as long as I can remember, swimming goggles were both a blessing and a curse. Without them, swimming can cause sore eyes. Swimming with them can also lead to blurred vision. These seem to be a very modern invention, in all of their plastic glory.
THE BIRTH OF GOGLES
It is unfitting to call the first goggles ‘primitive’, when they are a testament to humanity’s ingenuity in solving problems. It was difficult to find something transparent and waterproof in middle age. In the 14th century, Persia invented the first swimming and diving goggles. They were originally made of polished tortoiseshells (hence their transparency), and were used by pearl divers for over two centuries. Although there is evidence that they were imported to Europe, they didn’t gain much popularity.
MEANWHILE IN POLYNESIA…
Polynesian skin divers created wooden goggles made of wood with deep frames that contained trapped air. This allowed for visibility. These goggles could not be worn in a down position, as the trapped air would escape. This feature was added to the design by European explorers who brought glass to Polynesia. The resulting goggles weren’t waterproof, and were therefore not competitive in value. The lenses could not be secured and would fall out during turning or diving.
CROSS THE CHANNEL
The production of goggles has advanced rapidly since the beginning of the 20th century, partly due to the increased use of goggles within other industries and the demand for better goggles there. The use of goggles to swim the English/French Channel starting in 1911 is a great example. Thomas ‘Bill’ Burgess is credited as being the first to use goggles for crossing the channel. However, he didn’t actually wear swimming goggles. He instead used motorcycle goggles. These were useful for swimming breaststroke, but not waterproof. This is a good example of how goggles evolved. They were not intended for swimming, but were made for pilots and drivers. The technology was then imported (sometimes inadvertently) to swimmers. Although a patent was granted in 1916 for swimming goggles production, there is no evidence they were ever made. When Gertrude Erdle, the first person to cross the channel using front crawl in 1928, made her channel crossing, she used motorcycle goggles and sealed them with paraffin. Even though swimming is becoming more popular and front crawl has become more popular, waterproof goggles for swimming are still far away.
TREADING WATER
In the 1930s, there were no advances in swimming goggles. However, in 1940, the American magazine “Popular Scientist” published instructions on how to make wooden goggles. These didn’t take off, perhaps unsurprisingly. In the 1950s, open-water swimmers like Florence Chadwick used rubber goggles that had double lenses. These goggles, although large and bulky, were very useful and protected swimmers from saltwater. They also improved visibility in the water.
SWINGING SIXTIES
Sixties brought us drugs, sex, rock and roll, and swimming goggles. Individual swimmers began to make their own goggles using cups and elastic in the tenth century. But the times were changing and manufacturers started to notice a gap in this market. These early pair of manufactured goggles, first advertised in Slimming World Magazine 1968, were intended to aid swimming training. These goggles were not widely available in a single size, and they were uncomfortable. However, this would soon change as the market demanded goggles that met all of its needs. The ‘Godfrey Goggle,’ a swimming goggle that Tony Godfrey invented in 1969, revolutionized the industry. Godfrey tested many plastics before settling on polycarbonate. It is lightweight, thin, extremely hard wearing, and shatter-resistant. It was not used before in sportswear. But Godfrey’s vision has made it widely available.
SCOTLAND THE BRAVE
David Wilkie, from Scotland, was the first Olympian in 1972 to wear both a swimming hat and goggles. He made a brave decision to not give up if things went wrong. Instead, he set a personal record and won a bronze medal. With his success came the demand for swimming goggles. Godfrey Goggles were copied, copied and reproduced in a race against the public. Other goggle makers were also accused of copying Godfrey’s work. Goggles have been standard equipment since then, thanks to improvements in hydrodynamics and UV protection.
TODAY AND BEYOND
It’s amazing to see how fast goggles are being produced and how advanced the materials and designs are. There are now many styles, colours, and shapes available for swimmers and divers, compared to the original foam-backed oval cylinders made of plastic. Goggles have evolved from being an accessory for swimming to becoming a second-essential swimming item after the swimsuit. It will be fascinating to see where design and research lead us. Perhaps in 40 years we will also be dumbfounded by something as simple as a change in the way we swim.
