Hey, Skilled Swimmers!
Moments in the water give us an entirely different view of the world! Unfortunately, opening our eyes underwater tends to cause us discomfort and irritation. That’s because our eyes aren’t designed to be open beneath the water—it’s a bit remarkable that we even CAN see in the water! But just because we can, doesn’t mean we should. It isn’t eye doctor-recommended.
At Everything Summer Camp, we pride ourselves on providing practical function and increased comfort during rigorous activities such as swimming! We offer awesome swimming accessories of all sorts including swimming goggles here on our online shop. But how long have swimming goggles been around?
It may come as a surprise to hear that the history of swim goggles goes back to 
the 14th Century. Certainly there weren’t any pairs of Speedo Hydrospex around back then—no. The first swimming goggles were made of tortoise shells that were given windows made of polished layers of the shell. These were crafted and used by pearl divers of the Persian Gulf.
This was the first attempt at swim goggles and they worked rather efficiently, however, they virtually disappeared and it wasn’t until 2000 years later in history that swim goggles resurfaced among underwater divers of the Polynesian Islands. These folks fashioned their goggles out of bamboo.
These wooden goggles had no lenses, but instead, protected the eyes by trapping air bubbles which would form over the eyes. The divers were able to see clearly through the trapped air bubble at their submarine surroundings. Eventually, the Polynesians crafted their swimming goggles with glass lens to eliminate the need to trap air before diving down.
For a long time, swimming goggles remained bulky and uncomfortable apparatus. Some people preferred to go without and deal with the discomfort of water against their eyes. It took almost until 1970 that manufacturers caught on to the idea of creating plastic cups around the eyes that simply attached with elastic around the head. The smaller the better!
Eliminate the discomfort of water on your eyes and get a pair of goggles that fit just right for your waterfront fun! Peruse our swim accessories by clicking here and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!
- John