I am in the market for a new pair of polarized sunglasses and wanted to know if people preferred a certain type/color of lens for paddling on water. I thought it might be like skiing where you'd want a darker or lighter lens depending on conditions. Curious if anyone has any opinions.

Sunglasses are a personal preference. Many people have their favorite brand but you have to go with what fits your face. $40 is a good price range to start with, spending more doesn't really get you much more. I would recommend going to local sporting good stores and trying some on to see what you like.

I did like the Shady Rays X Series that I had. They wrap around the face and do really well on the water, but the nose piece will break down after a while and make the glasses unusable. They do have a lifetime replacement policy though so there is that.

Wrap around and polarized, cuts the side glare and helps see into the water.

I need prescription and worked in a dusty, eye impact prone, workplace. Covered the basses including forest/canoe use with a pair of Wiley X SG 1 google/glasses in the darkest brown available along with a set of clear (interchangeable lenses).



butthead

Solar Bat makes a quality, not overly expensive line of sunglasses. The company was founded by an optometrist. The web site has good information on the various lens colors and their applications. Good fishing glasses.

Whatever you style you buy, bring a spare pair. I always seem to sit on, scratch or misplace my sunglasses. Tip- spray them with anti-fogging spray , really helps in the rain.

That is one benefit of needing prescription glasses/sunglasses. The are not just taken off and misplaced, to much need and cost involved to treat them casually.

butthead

Costa Del Mar has a description on their website for different lens colors for different types of water. Open ocean- blue. Rivers, estuaries - green. I'd go straight glass, clarity can't be matched with plastic. Expensive? Yes. But I value my eyes more than anything else. I wear better glasses longer.

I have long used the Ray-Ban Daddy-O frame with prescription amber lenses. These lenses brighten my view while bicycling and on the water. However, when in the woods I switch to my regular glasses since the sunglasses are too dark for me. I like this frame because it is tough and resists damage with average care.

Thanks for all the tips!

I used yellow tinted frames for the first time (compared to normal darker tint) during last year's trips and I think I liked how it brightened everything up. That pair broke and I wasn't sure if yellow tint was the way to go again or not. I have some thinking to do.

If you don't lose your glasses frequently, definitely spend the money on glass lenses. Clarity is so much better and I find they don't scratch nearly as easily as plastic. The Sunglass Hut employee also told me the cheaper plastic sunglasses lose their UV blocking properties after a year or 2. I prefer amber or light brown lenses as well. They aren't nearly as dark as traditional grey lenses, so you can wear them in lower light situations. Since I always get polarized, I wear my glasses as long as possible to see in the water.

I agree with butthead on the wrap around frames to reduce glare coming from the side and behind.

I'm a fan of Costa glasses.

"... I'd go straight glass.... I value my eyes more than anything else... "

My brother is an optometrist, he told me about one of his patients, a young lady that in a collision went through the windshield of her parents car (she was sitting in the back seat). The outline of the polycarbonate lenses of her glasses were clearly visible in the bruises & cuts on her face. In the area underneath the lenses there was no injury -- her eyes were not damaged. He said that had she been wearing glass lenses she would likely be blind.

It is because I value my eyes so highly that I only wear polycarbonate lenses.

Try on pair of Maui Jim sunglasses. I can just about guarantee you will buy a pair. Get the wrap around style with polycarbonate lenses. Be sure to look at the polarized picture they have. Compare normal polarized sunglasses with a pair or Maui Jim’s and you will see the difference, pun intended.

Savage Voyageur: "Try on pair of Maui Jim sunglasses. I can just about guarantee you will buy a pair. Get the wrap around style with polycarbonate lenses. Be sure to look at the polarized picture they have. Compare normal polarized sunglasses with a pair or Maui Jim’s and you will see the difference, pun intended. "

But only if you think spending $200-300 on sunglasses is a good idea. I can't imagine wasting that much money on sunglasses when the $40-50 pairs are just as good.

I'm another poly carbonate fan. The Wiley X goggles I wore at work took the full impact of an 8 inch diameter Kamloc coupling for a high pressure air line. Hit me square across my right eye. The flexible frame and foam gasket did give me a 360 degree black eye but my sight was fine and not a mark on the lens.

butthead

Don't skimp, whether that means you will stretch to buy a $40 pair or a $400 pair... who cares.... I prefer glass lens for on the water activities and poly for biking.

butthead: "That is one benefit of needing prescription glasses/sunglasses. The are not just taken off and misplaced, to much need and cost involved to treat them casually.


butthead"

YES...prior to getting prescription glasses...I seemed to lose or leave them everywhere...going on 7 years with my prescription glasses...I know I just jinxed myself now :)

T

A1t2o: "

Savage Voyageur: "Try on pair of Maui Jim sunglasses. I can just about guarantee you will buy a pair. Get the wrap around style with polycarbonate lenses. Be sure to look at the polarized picture they have. Compare normal polarized sunglasses with a pair or Maui Jim’s and you will see the difference, pun intended. "

But only if you think spending $200-300 on sunglasses is a good idea. I can't imagine wasting that much money on sunglasses when the $40-50 pairs are just as good."

I’ve had them going on 5 years and wear them almost every day. I have prescription lenses installed in them. I think they were about $400. Do the math and it’s only is .20 a day for top on the line eye protection. So yah I think spending $400 on my eyes is a great idea and not a waste of money.

I wear sunglasses a lot. I opted for prescription lenses many years ago, and I have a pair of Oakley with progressive lenses. With progressive lenses (the same as my regular glasses) I can read with them on, or tie a leader on a line. They are wrap around and polarized also, so I don't get as much glare off the water. That said, they were not cheap. In non-Rx sunglasses, I think you get what you pay for up to a point. What matters is the quality of the lenses and that they are coated/polarized. I think there also is a brand issue, and some glasses cost more because they are Oakley or Ray Ban or Rudy Project or similar.

Mike

I go with pretty dark, grey lenses though there are times here & there when I would like something lighter. But not too often.
Wrap-around polarized, as others have mentioned. Awesome when fishing &/or paddling.
Polycarbonate all the way, I need the protection (optometrist-advised. Something hits me in the face I don’t want to be blinded. Polycarbonate, much less likely) and assurance they don’t shatter if dropped.
Mine are prescription. In the past I have bought some great Bolles - they have a wide selection - and had my optometrist replace the lenses. My current pair - i think the brand is Liberty- was available through my optometrist.
Brown or grey - just a personal preference, both good.

My first pair of sunglasses over $20 was last year. I returned two pairs of Costas and found a pair of Smiths I really like. Now I have two pair of what they call chromapop lenses, think I found my brand.

For "Better paddling and portage vision"... I wear classic Ray-Ban polarized Wayfarers. ...Stylish and functional. Dig?

greywolf33: "For "Better paddling and portage vision"... I wear classic Ray-Ban polarized Wayfarers. ...Stylish and functional. Dig?"

For many years Wayfarers were my favorite all-the-time sunglasses. For paddling I prefer a wrap-around style frame now.

deerfoot: "

greywolf33: "For "Better paddling and portage vision"... I wear classic Ray-Ban polarized Wayfarers. ...Stylish and functional. Dig?"

For many years Wayfarers were my favorite all-the-time sunglasses. For paddling I prefer a wrap-around style frame now."

I’m gonna bet that you are a very smooth and stylish individual. I salute you!!!

There is an absolute science to this, ask any Fly fisherman who is serious about fly fishing.

Costa has been working on these glasses forever, and nothing is better than a Copper tinted 520 Glass Lense with Green Reflective Tint, try them on, go to a lake with sunnies in it all over like Lake Phalen. Put the glasses on, it'll shave off the top 2 feet of the water and you'll see fish swimming around like they're floating in air. Only exaggerating by a tiny bit right there....

Nothing funnier than going fishing with friends and none of them can see the fish. they'll try on my glasses and it's always a "oh wow!" moment.

Go with cheaper if you want, no other brand compares to Glass Lens Costa's. There's just no way around it. Also, the glass lenses will stand up to scratches like a champ. I have sunglasses that have been trucking for 10 years and still have no scratches.

greywolf33: "

deerfoot: "

greywolf33: "For "Better paddling and portage vision"... I wear classic Ray-Ban polarized Wayfarers. ...Stylish and functional. Dig?"

For many years Wayfarers were my favorite all-the-time sunglasses. For paddling I prefer a wrap-around style frame now."

I’m gonna bet that you are a very smooth and stylish individual. I salute you!!!"

Thanks, I don't hear that often, but now I am just an old guy.

This old man just bought Costa Prescription Progressive Tuna Alley 580 Glass Gray lenses with a gray mirror finish. I can not believe the clarity and fit of these wrap around sunglasses. Couldn’t be happier with my purchase. They are supposed to be very scratch resistant. Only time will tell.

Most expensive glasses I have ever bought. But I needed some new sunglasses as my 8 year old Maui Jim non prescription Ho’okipa’s cell poly carbonate lenses finally pooped out.

Wally13: "This old man just bought Costa Prescription Progressive Tuna Alley 580 Glass Gray lenses with a gray mirror finish. I can not believe the clarity and fit of these wrap around sunglasses. Couldn’t be happier with my purchase. They are supposed to be very scratch resistant. Only time will tell.


Most expensive glasses I have ever bought. But I needed some new sunglasses as my 8 year old Maui Jim non prescription Ho’okipa’s cell poly carbonate lenses finally pooped out. "

They ARE expensive, but the GLASS lenses will outlast any other pair of sunglasses on the market. I have 2 pairs of Costa glass lense sunglasses that have been in service, every single day, 365 a year, and they just get dirty. There's really no scratching a pair of glass lenses unless you throw em in a bucket of nails or something outrageous and in that case it's the owner not the product. With that said I throw mine in my truck arm compartment which absolutely has all kinds of nails and little metal thingies jingling around, and the glasses just keep on holding up. I had a pair crack on me one time, I had them on the top of my head, and I was on a 3rd floor interior balcony when I tipped my head back while leaning against the railing and down went my costas to the 2nd floor on a thin carpet, the one lense cracked. I sent em to Costa for 60 bucks I got a new set of lenses in my old frame. Worth it if you ask me considering I had cracked them a few years into use, so 60 bucks for a "new pair" was very easy to spend. I have 3 pairs of Costa Sunglasses, all glass lenses, on one pair there's a scratch but it's a small one and I musta been doing something crazy to scratch it. It's not noticeable when wearing.

Costa has put a lot of research into lense colors, and tints. There's basically the 2 colors of lense colors that are their most popular, there is Gray and Copper. Keep in mind Gray and Copper is the actual color of the glass/plastic lense. Now add to that a reflective tint that goes over the outside of the glass, and then a final layer of glass is added over that reflective layer. There are 4 or 5 colors of Tints but again the 2 most popular are Green and Blue. Green Tints almost always go on a Copper Lense, and Blue Tints almost always go on a Gray Lense. I have the 2 sunglass lenses pictured below. You can see in the near lenses the color of the reflective tint of each pair, and then in the far lenses which are more transparent in the picture, you can see the copper and gray color of the lense.



The reason those 2 are the most popular is simple. They both have very obvious uses. Blue tint on gray lenses are more for Bright Sunny days where you're going to be looking at open water the majority of the day. By this I mean you might be on a boat, the blue reflective lense is going to filter out a lot of the light that bounces off of the open water and hits you in the eye, the gray lenses also do more to enhance SHADING, meaning you have a better perception of the white to black range. Blue/Gray Costa's are ideal for Open water, and I have noticed they are perfect for Snowy weather, giving you an edge seeing more of the grays. Blue/Gray is going to excel on a day where it's very sunny and very bright out. The innate brightness reduces your natural ability to distinguish shading, and so this color combo helps with shading.

Copper Lenses with Green Tint on the other hand....My favorite....are the workhorses if you ask me. The copper lenses enhance COLORS rather than shading, so when the tree's are just starting to turn green, that green pops compared to the naked eye. The Green Tint helps reflect off a lot of that "everyday polarized light" as Costa calls it, rather than light bouncing off of water, this is light bouncing off of rocks, vegetation, urban environments, wet sand, that type of thing. 9 times out of 10 if you see a Fly Fisherman with Costa's their gonna be Green/Copper, the blue/gray lenses are great but these Green and copper ones are incredible with water clarity. There's something magical about these glasses when the sun isn't super bright (go blue/gray), on overcast days these glasses are a godsend. Go fishing on an overcast day with these glasses, you'll feel like you have xray vision. That's why fly fisherman use them, you can almost completely see through the water column (6 foot deep river) from afar on an overcast day.

Go to Cabelas, try em on, ask em if you can step outside with them, that's when you KNOW.

Gear Guy ... great write up on Costas. Especially your comments on lens color and mirror coatings.