Goggles, ear plugs AND nose plugs!!

[happyguava]

I used to wear a noseclip all the time - it made things waaaay easier but I don't like using one when I'm performing as a mermaid, so now I try not to use it as much when practicing.

I'm really lucky that I've never had a problem opening my eyes underwater without goggles, and I very rarely have trouble with my ears either. Just lucky I s'pose, but I know a lot of people who need goggles and earplugs as well.

[Mermaid Saphira]

I have to be the worst mermaid ever! I hate my face under water and I don't know why! When I swim I have to wear goggles, a nose plug, AND ear plugs!!
Is there anyone out there who has to do this? Please show me I'm not alone :(

[malinghi]

I know there are other people who can't swim without gear. Don't beat yourself up. Can you tell us more?

Most people wear goggles while swimming, either due to chlorine or saltwater. Where are you swimming?
With respect to ear plugs, some people have more difficulty equalizing than others. Has anyone taught you the basics of equalizing, like pinching your nose and trying to exhale through it?
As for the nose plug, why do you need that? Everyone gets water in their nose if they go upside down. Do you swim in a way that you're nostrils are upside down a lot?

[AniaR]

I feel it too. I JUST tried goggles for the first time, I couldn't believe the difference!!! I practice with them now a lot. I always wear ear silicone puddy in my ears because I get horrible infections- I am hoping to have a surgery in the future that will correct that but so far it doesn't give me any problems mermaiding wearing the ear stuff so long as I dont go too deep. I dont use nose plugs, I only find it's a problem if I try to flip with my back facing down and my head facing up underwater, then my nose burns!

[melbel1023]

I need goggles simply because my apartment's pool is WAY too chlorinated - It gave a neighbor friend of mine a chemical burn on her eyes, she couldn't see for a whole day (She complained to the office about it).
I do use a nose plug though when I am using my fins or tail, its just easier to keep swimming without water shooting up your nose lol.

[Mermaid Saphira]

Malinghi- swim in both chlorine and salt.
I know about equalizing, but I just can't stand popping my ears almost more than getting water in them!
Same thing with my ears, I don't swim upside down but I somehow I manage to get water up there :(

[Mermaid Saphira]

"I do use a nose plug though when I am using my fins or tail, its just easier to keep swimming without water shooting up your nose lol"

Exactly! Wearing a nose plug seems to help matain my breath longer

[Mermaid Saphira]

This is a little off topic, but I wanted to know why some comments are going above the start to the thread?
Maybe it's just my computer...

[AniaR]

no I noticed that happening in a few threads now/..

[Mermaid Saphira]

I know it's quite weird...

[Spindrift]

It might be from combining threads and someone commenting on the original without refreshing the page. That seems unlikely though.

[Spindrift]

@MermaidAqua: When you're swimming in the ocean and you're away from the sand that gets stirred up, do you still feel uncomfortable without goggles?

[Mermaid Saphira]

I can't even open my eyes in chlorine water :(

[Spindrift]

I can't even open my eyes in chlorine water :(

Well yeah, most people's do because it's chlorine. What about in the ocean water (with no sand getting in the way)? Ocean water is supposed to have the same salinity levels that our eyes naturally have.

[Mermaid Photine]

I read that it isn't as bad in the ocean because it's like your salty tears, but it still stings at first. If I ever go to the ocean, I will try to report back to you on this.

Does anyone know a good technique for keeping water out of one's nose when going upside down? I tried the "just get used to it" method, but I didn't like it, and the "it's like breathing, but not quite breathing" thing doesn't make sense to me. Is it just something learned eventually though enough swimming?

[Mermaid Saphira]

Salty water like tears..mmm never thought of that. Read this somewhere, but would putting drops of milk in your eyes work??

[Spindrift]

Milk will relieve eye pain from swimming sometimes - I think that is true.

[Mermaid Saphira]

Oh cool...anyone ever try it b4??

[Mermaid Photine]

I did hear not to put milk in your eyes for chlorine pools. Someting about a reaction between the milk and chlorine. It's ocean-only.

[Mermaid Saphira]

Yeah..I ment for the ocean not chlorine water

[Mermaid Photine]

Phew! We don't want any Mers to dammage their eyesight!

Make sure you do your research before putting anything on your eyes! If you don't know, just don't do it!

[Mermaid Saphira]

Of course! Then I wouldn't be able to see where I swimming! :)

[Damica]

I just got in the water at my local pool today and my eyes are on fire. I need to aqurie a pair of goggles before I get back in the pool. When I tired swimming with my eyes open, they burned after a bit. When I closed them, i smashed into walls and the bottom of the pool.

[Mermaid Saphira]

you poor mermaid! We don't want you getting hurt, please do invest in some goggles :)

[Damica]

Thanks Aqua. I plan on getting myself a pair Friday when the paycheck comes in. I haven't swam with goggles in year s though, so I'm debating between just buying a dollar store pair or investing is some pricier ones at the sports stores.

It's also the onset of winter here, so goggles are becoming harder to find. Will have to play it by ear. :)

[Mermaid Photine]

Try internet sites for swimmers. It might take a bit longer, but they tend to last longer and fit your face nicer. The one I got even had some nice interchangable nose bridge things. Got them from swimoutlet.com for pretty cheap- they lasted two years of serious wear and poor storage. (my fault for not keeping them as nice as I ought to , they could have last longer had I kept them in the little case they came with.)

[Damica]

I'll have to check them out. I can always order from them then nab a cheapo pair to tide me over till they get here from the dollar store. :) Thank you

[-Annwyn-]

The only technique I have heard of is to exhale as you tumble under. I know for myself that this is hard because the human instinct is to either inhale or hold your breath - both of which still channel water into the sinuses.

I for one wear ear plugs and nose plugs (I hate listening to water logged in my ear for the next 4 hours after a swim) but so far in salt water I haven't used anything and my eyes only get a little red but no drastic effects to speak of! :)

[Mermaid Saphira]

If you get a 1 or small pack of goggles not all of them mey work! If you get a big pack of goggles @ the dollar store you have a better chance of them working! If you get a sport brand goggles you have the best chance of them working :)

Sport brand link ---> www.swimoutlet.com (http://www.swimoutlet.com)

[Mermaid Miel]

I have two pairs of goggles, a cheap pair and a new expensive finis prescription pair for my severe short-sightedness. Strangely enough the cheap pair works a bit, but the prescription goggle let water in even when the are on soo tight.. I think it's because the nose bridge isn't adjustable, so they dont quite fit on my small face. I also use nose plugs, though I recently learned how to not get water up my nose when swimming.

http://blog.swimator.com/2011/04/getting-water-up-my-nose-while-swimming.html

It works, but only when i'm swimming face down. It doesn't work for me when diving or somersaulting underwater so I wear a nose clip.

[Mermaid Saphira]

Aela- I don't like the sound of water in my ears either...that is why I use ear plugs. I use a nose plug becasue it helps me hold my breath longer.

[Mermaid Shelly]

You know, I have often wondered if a noseclip would help me... I have really bad asthma and sinus problems and a lot of the time I get so much water in my ears and nose that I come up coughing and gagging and then have an asthma attack and am like OMG what am I doing?! I have never tried a noseclip though for fear of how it would look, you know? So I try to just hold my nose when I go under and then exhale through it to sort of clear it out, but it still happens periodically and of course when I really don't want it to! I hate it and it sucks... I guess I'm hoping that the gills will emerge soon so I can get past this little obstacle!

[Mermaid Saphira]

they make clear nose clips. They are really hard to see underwater. Some of the Aquatails models wear them and you can't see them at all :)
Good luck and here are some links

---> http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=clear+nose+clip&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=6058182939232428053&sa=X&ei=q3zJTvOLG-La0QGHutXABw&ved=0CHwQ8wIwAA

---> http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=clear+nose+clip&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=5099037573320393958&sa=X&ei=13zJTrrxKsry0gHEneH3Dw&ved=0CKUBEPMCMAg#

[Mermaid Sirena]

I feel really lucky, I don't have any problems with having my eyes open in pools or lakes or oceans (except when they pump huge amounts of clorine into pools and stuff) or having water going up my nose (except upside down). Though I figured that there is a way to close your throat by forcing the muscles back which closes you're air ways. I haven't had a chance to see how well this would work with swimming upside down underwater, but I feel it would work quit well if you can do it for an extended period of time. It's not normal for the muscles so they tire easily. Once I have a chance to test it I'll let you know :D

[Mermaid Saphira]

Do get us the results! We would love to know :)

[courtneymermaid]

I don't wear goggles, but I do wear clear ear plugs since I have hearing problems. I always keep my nose clip with me (I wear it like a ring on my middle finger) while swimming so that I can dive under, slip it on, do my tricks and slip it off again before I surface - an example of this is when I do bubble rings since it seems to be one thing I absolutely can't do without plugging my nose. I can go without for most of my other tricks and not get water up my nose, but the burning sensation of holding my throat tight is more than I am willing to put myself through on a daily basis hehe. If I absolutely have to (depending on how close people are to me when I perform/how well they can see me) then I'll go without, otherwise I am all for the nose clips. Genius if you ask me. :P I am really excited to get a clear one! I'll be order one for me and one for my mer-buddy Kim in January or February!

[Odette]

this is a good topic! i dont have many answers tho. i know that water constantly in your nasal cavity can cause a serious infections, so whatever we try, lets be careful.

[merwanderlust]

I'm lucky too, I can swim with my eyes open no problem, in salt, chlorine or fresh water. It doesn't bother me at all. No ear or nose plugs either, although sometimes water get up my nose, and it makes me sneeze but only rarely. :D

[Aradia]

I haven't used goggles, clips or plugs yet but i'm seriously thinking of investing in a clear nose clip. HappyGuava has gotten slipping it on and off down to a science but the main reason I haven't worn anything before is that it doesnt make me feel particularly mermaidy. As a result I think i'm slowly getting desensitised to having stinging eyes after a swim which I think is better in the long run. It does mean however I tend to wimp out of longer swims with people who have goggles.

[Mermaid Saphira]

I just scored a great deal at the dollar store last weekend! They had all of their swin stuff on clearance and I got a 5 pack of goggles for $3 :D

[Mermaid Photine]

This is one of those random ideas that I have sometimes. Not entirely sure whether this should be here or in the contest idea thread.

What about goggle mods? Like, into a mer-mask or something crazy like that? Is this possible? Can anyone else imagine the epicness of a mermaid masquerade? Has anyone done this before?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I've actually been working on this. I'm a Steampunker on the side, so goggles are a natural love of mine. I've been working to design a pair of swimming goggles that either look like alien merfolk eyes (like Abe Sabien from the movie Hellboy), or simply a pair of goggles for mers who love to swim fast. You could use any sort of excuse for why you wear them.

[Mermaid Saphira]

^ That sounds awesome! I would love to have a mer-jestic mermaid mask! Hello? How cool!

[LittleTreasure]

I used to be able to swim in chlorine water without goggles, but last time I tried it, the water bothered me a lot. I'll have to try again sometime soon. Maybe I can build up my tolerance to it again.

"I dont use nose plugs, I only find it's a problem if I try to flip with my back facing down and my head facing up underwater, then my nose burns!"

Melbel, I have the same problem! I don't know what to do about it. I don't use nose plugs but the nose burning seems to always happen when I try to flip upside down.

[Mermaid Photine]

Are there any tricks to being able to swim stomach-up but keep the water out of the nose? I love the swim upside down trick, but I can't get myself to do it for long because the chlorine gets to me.

[Mermaid Jewel]

Lorelei, I'm a steampunker too! Or at least partly :) That'd be so cool to merge steampunk and mermaidness together

As for nose plugs, I have to do the unattractive blow-air-out-the-nose...what if you took a clear nose plug but rhine-stoned it so it kinda looks like a nose ring or something?

[Mermaid Photine]

Jewel, your post had me imagine some sort of mechanical mermaid tail, all bronze-coloured and powered by gears. Surrounded my mechanical fish, of course. :)

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I think I've actually seen a steampunk mermaid before. I'd have to search for the photo though.

EDIT: Found it. :P
http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/221/2/2/steampunk_mermaid_iii_by_laiyla-d45z9ry.jpg

[Mermaid Luna]

I've ALWAYS had huge problems with my nose underwater. I taught myself to swim dolphin-style young, and always plugged my nose with one hand whenever I went under. For years, I've done it. Always used to close my eyes, too.

My audition for Alasea last June was probably only the 3rd time in my life I've opened my eyes underwater (and this time, discovered chlorine doesn't hurt nearly as bad as bathtub water), and the first and longest I'd swum without plugging my nose. The eye thing was easy to overcome, but my nose problems are vastly more difficult. =/ I inherited my mom's inability to concentrate on doing 2 things at once, so my brain is all, "Kick your legs kick your legs OH GOD BLOW AIR OUT YOUR NOSE crap kick your legs you're sinking NO WAIT, BLOW MORE AIR OUT BEFORE YOU CHOKE AND DROWN."
And there is no way on god's green earth I can be sideways or facing up without a nose plug. I really want to go to Florida and take Marina's class on looking and functioning better underwater. But until then, anyone have any tips?

[Gem Stone]

I have never used nose plugs but I have found that if you hum the air out your nose while doing tricks you can get the longest breath exhale doing that. Just a suggestion

[Mermaid Sirena]

I'll have to try the humming things, I've also been practicing the closing of the throat by strengthening the soft palette muscle (that was what it was called right?). It is much harder then originally thought but I can now tilt my head back slightly for maybe 3 seconds with only a very small amount of water running down my throat. I know it doesn't seem like a lot but compared to the same slight tilt and nearly drowning due to buckets of water and lungs I feel this is a great improvement.

[Mermaid Luna]

O.o Literally humming while blowing the air out your nose?

[AniaR]

ive heard that too, id rather try it in salt water though no chlorine

[Amethyst]

When I swim underwater I use a mask :) It covers my eyes and my nose all at the same time lol I've tried goggles but they don't feel comfortable to me, feel like they're too close to my eyes and eyelashes and that they're gonna suck my eyeballs out! LOL

[Gem Stone]

O.o Literally humming while blowing the air out your nose?
Humming will blow the air out your nose in a steady pace so no water gets in and you get longest breath hold

[Sitre Seer Moroaica]

I know I have to wear a nose plug whether or not I'm in my tail. I think I look ridiculous holding my nose shut with my fingers. You are not alone and it's for the better until it is learned. To me I have no idea how I will learn to breath hold. I have always plugged my nose with my fingers but I think the nose clip helps a lot since I'm a beginner in swimming with my tail.

All I say is remember that it's for the best and to keep learning to go with out it and soon it wont be an issue :)

[Bellasea]

I have horrible eyesight, so when I can, I use goggles. That way, there is no worry of me flushing out a contact. I am thinking of taking my old pair of glasses and using them for when I swim. Just adding strap to them so they stay around my neck. Also, I only use a nose plug when I know I am doing a lot of flips in the water, other than that I am fine.

[embry]

I am fine with my nose and ears well if i am on my back sometimes my nose likes to bother me. as for my eyes I've only ever swam in chlorine water (the lakes around my city are really gross to swim in and one even has a power plant on it that people swim in GROSS) but in chlorine it burns my eyes like heck and salt water i've never tried. there was only one time i tried to open up my eyes and it hurt a little but my eyes where so blurry i couldn't see anything anyways. i still try every now and then when i go swimming hopefully i will get used to it. but i normally swim when i go down with my eyes closed and learn where everything is with my hands lol but i sometimes use goggles. now if i ever get a tail i want to be able to open my eyes! so i am still working on it!

[Mermaid Crystal]

The h20 girls used milk in there eyes too it helps