swimming with contacts

I would wear my goggles under my swim cap so if they get kicked you won't lose your goggles. You probably won't lose both contacts if all you have to do is stop and adjust your goggles. I would leave an extra set of contacts and small mirror in transition just in case you lose a contact on the swim. Also, if you are really worried about it you can always swim on the outside where there is very limited contact.

The first response describes exactly what i do as well although I don't bother with a mirror as I put my contacts in without a mirror. I would add two things. I also have a cloth beside the extra contacts in transition to make sure my fingers are entirely clean before putting on the contacts. And, while I've never lost a contact I did have an pleasant experience in August at a tri. My take home from that experience was to bring and take my allergy eye drops as a precautionary measure before every swim. I developed a reaction to some pollen a couple of years ago only in my eyes. It's not constant and I haven't yet figured out what triggers the itchy red eyes. At the tri in August there was a lot of wind and rough water It was a couple of hours drive from my house and must have had different pollen there than where I live as I'd been fine at my house. My eyes went red, itchy and impossible to see or keep my contacts in just before the swim started. The good news for you is that if you don't have allergies this may never happen to you and that even with my eyes swollen and literally crying with tears, the goggles kept the contacts from being washed out which I believe means we worry about this more than we need to

A pro triathlete at an OWS clinic told us to wear our swim goggles tighter in a race than we ever would in training...tight enough to give you a headache. He wore his goggles over his swim cap, and said he had never lost them in a race.

I personally prefer to swim with corrective vision goggles over contacts.

http://www.speedousa.com/vanquisher-optical-goggle/style-7500601

Just one more saying that you probably won't have any issues. BUT, heed the advice to have a spare set in transition.

Was doing a race yesterday and a lady DNS because she lost a contact before even entering the water and didn't have spares or even glasses. They drove to the race from home which was just too far to make it before the race began. all of that registration and training, I can only imagine how sucky she felt about that ordeal. I know some people might try to race with one contact, but you sound like your vision is similar to mine. I'd be in some major hurt for a long race. I might try a sprint, but nothing more with one contact. No contacts (or glasses)? No way!