Summer is officially here in Canada. And it’s time to hit the waters. If you’ve been following me along, you’ve seen that I’ve been running, and now I’m getting back into swimming. Believe it or not, it’s been over 10 years since I swam as a kid. Recently, I had laser eye surgery so I decided that 2018 is the year to get back into an old hobby.
The fine folks at ROKA sent me of their new swimming gear to help me get back into the waves. Along with a nicely hand written welcome note, in my package was the Sim Pro II Buoyancy Shorts, and the R1 Goggle.
Let’s start with the eyewear. The ROKA R1 Goggle features RAPIDSIGHT technology, has high durability, and is hydrophobic with anti-fog coating. I found the R1 to be really top notch. In your hands, it feels very high quality and lives up to its description for the most part. The clarity through the SPCTRM Optics technology is incredibly sharp at all angles above and of course underwater. However, once in a blue moon, I did have some minor fogging. There are a handful of colours to choose from. I picked the Dark Vermilion Mirror style, which looks totally badass in my opinion.
Up next, is the product I was really stoked for. It’s the ROKA SIM Pro II Buoyancy Shorts. We all can jump into the pool or lake in regular shorts or trunks. But what can really give a competitor that edge is some high end materials. ROKA designed this updated model with a Yamamoto #39 SCS coated neoprene construction from Japan. All you have to know is that this material is a favourite amongst professional triathletes. It offers high performance in any water environment. One of the biggest concerns I had is that most swimming shorts are meant from lakes, and not indoor pools. I was very pleased to find out that the ROKA shorts have actually been designed for pool swimming and that they’ve never had one returned for chlorine damage. They are true to fit with compression. I found them to fit my waist and legs perfectly and importantly comfortable.
In a future article, I will be reviewing the ROKA Maverick Elite II wetsuit. But the SIM Pro II shorts do exactly what their name says. They simulate the lower body properties of the the full wetsuit for on-the-go or shorter training sessions when the full suit isn’t really needed.
Overall, if you’re excited for summer swimming like me, I highly recommend you pickup some new gear with ROKA. The SIM Pro II Buoyancy Shorts and R1 Goggle will absolutely step up your game.
