What kind of sun glasses do you use?

Costa hammerheads with glass lenses, best shades I've ever owned. The randolph engineering aviators in my avatar are long gone having been sat on one too many times...

I spent my adult life wearing non-polarized RayBan G15 green lenses in my flying sunglasses. As a pilot, I couldn't wear polarized and didn't see a reason to buy polarized for my boating life. When I retired, I bought polarized Maui Jims which were recommended by several friends.

It took a few days to adjust to the polarized aspects and the effect on polarized window glass and device screens. Now I don't give that a second thought and love the MJs! The high quality lenses are truly distortion-free, unlike some cheaper brands. They're comfortable and provide great coverage.

My wife loves her Oakleys. They are also great glasses.

I'll never go back to non-polarized lenses but I'll keep my old Ray Bans for future flying.

These are interesting...especially if you need some "reader" correction built in..They have several with a +2 correction in a polarized lens..

http://www.oceanracing.com/mackinaw-2-0-bifocal-black-gray-polarized-sunglasses/

"HD Vision" night/day sun glasses - Yellow tint, 400 uv protect, full wrap around, not heavy.

Brightens yet subdues sun rays for relaxed vision in daytime as well as reducing headlight glare while brightening night vision.

$10 bucks each at local sun-glass store. Comfortably fits over my rx prescription glasses.

I've a pair in each vehicle and boat. With a dark blue lens pair for when I want to look Just Too Cool!

60 minutes did a program on sunglasses. Most all of the sunglasses are made in one plant in Italy. There are cheap glasses out there that are just as good as the big names. Let me know if you finger out which ones.

ONOS prescription polarized lenses. about $200, half the price of my Ocean Waves prescriptions. I do like the OW better though.

Mule said:

60 minutes did a program on sunglasses. Most all of the sunglasses are made in one plant in Italy. .

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Yeah...Luxotica is a global monopoly...

Pay attention to these guys or at the very least buy a few sets of keepers for your fancy glasses.


http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...vptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_6yq9g3u73y_b

caltexflanc said:

Pay attention to these guys or at the very least buy a few sets of keepers for your fancy glasses.

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...vptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_6yq9g3u73y_b

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Yep, already got those today in prep for the arrival of my new sunglasses!

Well I finally chose a pair, decided to go with the Costa Del Mar Cabillito's. I really liked the frame design. I tried a friends on and they fit well, I also opted for the 580G glass lens which are superior to the plastic ones I had before, for clarity albeit more fragile. I picked the white frame to reduce heat vs a black frame plus it really looked good with the blue shaded lenses.
Here's a pic.

No more little green men for you....

Did you get some croakies to go with the new shades?

Will it impress the girls? Isn't that the most important question? I think you used good judgement.

Larry M said:

Did you get some croakies to go with the new shades?

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Oh yeah! Ain't going to loose my new babies again!

Mule said:

Will it impress the girls? Isn't that the most important question? I think you used good judgement.

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I think they're both very functional and look good doing. Never heard of girls being attracted to a guy with good looking shades, so add that to the functionality list.

Hey man, according to the marketing industry girls are attracted to: the kind of car you drive, if you paddle or wake board, surf, bicycle, the kind of soda you drink, the kind of clothes you wear, the kind of cell phone you have and so on and so on and so on. Why would sunglasses be any different? Why that almost sounded un American...we worship the brand, the look and so on, ask any Marketing MBA.

Then again they, we, I, you might be wrong. Not sure.

Very nice

I bounced back and forth between the MJ's and Costas.
Finally decided on the MJ Sport for a variety of reasons specific to my lifestyle. I've NEVER paid that much for a pair of sunglasses in my life!
Unfortunately, as life changes, so do your needs.

For me:
1) They were wrap style lenses.
As a boater, shooter and motorcyclist, the ability to keep little pieces of whatever is out there well, out there, was very important to me. Always wore wraps when riding, whether it was one of the police bikes, or my own. Never had to fret with dirt in the eye. The feel better on the boat as well.

2) Polarization- The ability to see into the water, through the crappy rainstorms and lessen the glare in the daytime meant a lot. Like someone else said, at the end of the day, you'll appreciate it.

3) Polymer lens- While not "ballistic", i.e. Gargoyles, etc., they do provide a modicum of protection against some of the hazards we encounter on the range.

4) Frames- You can tie these things in knots, and they'll survive! Well, ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but they're damned flexible!

5) Guarantee- So far from what I've heard and read, they stand behind their product. Guess time will tell?

6) Prescription lens- I had them made with a prescription lens built in.
While my long range and intermediate vision is fine, things up close were a bit of a blur. For the most part readers were ok on board a standard vessel, reading charts, instruments, etc., but when running airboats it's especially convenient to be able to read your fuel and oil gauges!

Being stranded underway is one thing. Walking back through the swamp is quite another....

(You can forget the commercial towing companies. They don't go there, you're on your own!).

Got the keepers with the glasses to make sure I kept them!

Looks like you made a good call for you needs.
Good looking specs!

I had some "Smiths" brand, which were mostly for cycling, and not cheap. They had 3 sets of interchangeable lenses, conventional dark, clear(eye protection from foreign bodies, insects etc), and yellow, which seriously brightened the view in dull/darkening conditions and at night,by removing blue I think.
Wearer frame comfort is important, or you`ll hate them. As is safety, the ability to see well, and protecting your eyes is vital. Anyone not needing them could be on the cataract route already, I got to a point of not bothering with sunnies, it was a pointer to reduced light transmission, due to cataracts, relatively easily fixed surgically (wow! can night vision really be that good?!) but best avoided/delayed.

Oliver, How do they look with your shoes?

hmason said:

Oliver, How do they look with your shoes?

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I don't know haven't got them yet, will make sure to let you know as soon a I get them though!

I had been wearing Ray Bans for years...

Then I went to Costco (on Maui) and tried on a pair of Maui Jims. I was very impressed.

They are now far and away the glasses I choose to wear.

hmason said:

Oliver, How do they look with your shoes?

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. My first ever use of this emoticon, you guys are so funny with this.

I found (by accident) that the absolute hands down best anti glare, pretective lens was from the welding supply store. They have the ansi rated, welders helpers glasses. They are SO dark that they only are usable in the glare and sunlight (that it the whole reason is it not??) They are cheap. They don't float. They are generically ugly (no one steals them) BUT they are so good at the job that you can look directly INTO the sun with them on. At about 14 bucks a shot they don't feel as bad as a 200 dollar pair of predators swimming away from you as they fall overboard.

I had a pair of prescription Rayban bifocals. 400 bucks for the pair. Davey Jones must be stylin' now.

I was cautioned once about buying inexpensive sunglasses because of the way the UV coating can be applied. I guess on cheap glasses the UV protection can wear away pretty quickly; which is doubly bad since, not only is the UV protection gone, your eyes are also dilated because you're wearing sunglasses.

Granted, the guy telling me this was also selling higher end sunglasses, but it makes sense to me.

Something to think about.

No one else has mentioned them but I've used Serengeti's for years and love them. I have a pair of non polarized Lamone's for flying and polarized Medium Aviators for boating. They have titanium frames and glass lenses that are brilliant. Very well priced from Amazon.

Handy trick: Lots of cheap glasses are sold as polarized, but are not. To check, take two pair of glasses and rotate 90deg and look through both lenses. Should be blacked out. If you can see through them both, one or both are not polarized.

N4712 said:

So what kinds do you guys use?

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Get the best ones you can afford, your eyes will thank you.

I've had same pair of Serengeti Drivers for the last 25 years, solid glass that adjusts with light conditions. Just wear a glasses strap when on board so they don't fall off as they are very pricy.

I used Ray Ban aviators for years but bought a pair of Serengettis when they became popular for fishing. Once I got some OFF bug spray on the inside of the lens and it damaged the coating in there. I complained to the maker and they sent me a new pair but, the inside coating back then was some soft material and after a few years it came loose from the glass layer I gave up on them.
Now I have to wear prescription glasses so my sunglasses are the big, about $20, wear overs from CVS, WMT etc polarized, amber or green they work fine

Sunglasses

Consider steepandcheap dot com. They have costa 580's on sale for around $75 or so. It may take a week or two for them to go on sale but they are a great value.